Deck 5: The Behavior of Interest Rates

Question 1

Everything else held constant,a decrease in wealth

A)increases the demand for stocks.
B)increases the demand for bonds.
C)reduces the demand for silver.
D)increases the demand for gold.

Answer 1

reduces the demand for silver.

Question 2

Everything else held constant,if the expected return on U.S.Treasury bonds falls from 10 to 5 percent and the expected return on GE stock rises from 7 to 8 percent,then the expected return of holding GE stock ________ relative to U.S.Treasury bonds and the demand for GE stock ________.

A)rises; rises
B)rises; falls
C)falls; rises
D)falls; falls

Answer 2

rises; rises

Question 3

If wealth increases,the demand for stocks ________ and that of long-term bonds ________,everything else held constant.

A)increases; increases
B)increases; decreases
C)decreases; decreases
D)decreases; increases

Answer 3

increases; increases

Question 4

An increase in the expected rate of inflation will ________ the expected return on bonds relative to the that on ________ assets,everything else held constant.

A)reduce; financial
B)reduce; real
C)raise; financial
D)raise; real

Question 5

The demand for silver decreases,other things equal,when

A)the gold market is expected to boom.
B)the market for silver becomes more liquid.
C)wealth grows rapidly.
D)interest rates are expected to rise.

Question 6

If the price of gold becomes less volatile,then,other things equal,the demand for stocks will ________ and the demand for antiques will ________.

A)increase; increase
B)increase; decrease
C)decrease; decrease
D)decrease; increase

Question 7

Everything else held constant,if the expected return on RST stock declines from 12 to 9 percent and the expected return on XYZ stock declines from 8 to 7 percent,then the expected return of holding RST stock ________ relative to XYZ stock and demand for XYZ stock ________.

A)rises; rises
B)rises; falls
C)falls; rises
D)falls; falls

Question 8

If housing prices are expected to increase,then,other things equal,the demand for houses will ________ and that of Treasury bills will ________.

A)increase; increase
B)increase; decrease
C)decrease; decrease
D)decrease; increase

Question 9

An increase in an asset's expected return relative to that of an alternative asset,holding everything else constant,________ the quantity demanded of the asset.

A)increases
B)decreases
C)has no effect on
D)erases

Question 10

You would be more willing to buy AT&T bonds (holding everything else constant)if

A)the brokerage commissions on bond sales become cheaper.
B)interest rates are expected to rise.
C)your wealth has decreased.
D)you expect diamonds to appreciate in value.

Question 11

You would be less willing to purchase U.S.Treasury bonds,other things equal,if

A)you inherit $1 million from your Uncle Harry.
B)you expect interest rates to fall.
C)gold becomes more liquid.
D)stock prices are expected to fall.

Question 12

Everything else held constant,if the expected return on ABC stock rises from 5 to 10 percent and the expected return on CBS stock is unchanged,then the expected return of holding CBS stock ________ relative to ABC stock and the demand for CBS stock ________.

A)rises; rises
B)rises; falls
C)falls; rises
D)falls; falls

Question 13

If fluctuations in interest rates become smaller,then,other things equal,the demand for stocks ________ and the demand for long-term bonds ________.

A)increases; increases
B)increases; decreases
C)decreases; decreases
D)decreases; increases

Question 14

If stock prices are expected to drop dramatically,then,other things equal,the demand for stocks will ________ and that of Treasury bills will ________.

A)increase; increase
B)increase; decrease
C)decrease; decrease
D)decrease; increase

Question 15

If gold becomes acceptable as a medium of exchange,the demand for gold will ________ and the demand for bonds will ________,everything else held constant.

A)decrease; decrease
B)decrease; increase
C)increase; increase
D)increase; decrease

Question 16

The demand for Picasso paintings rises (holding everything else equal)when

A)stocks become easier to sell.
B)people expect a boom in real estate prices.
C)Treasury securities become riskier.
D)people expect gold prices to rise.

Question 17

Everything else held constant,if the expected return on U.S.Treasury bonds falls from 8 to 7 percent and the expected return on corporate bonds falls from 10 to 8 percent,then the expected return of corporate bonds ________ relative to U.S.Treasury bonds and the demand for corporate bonds ________.

A)rises; rises
B)rises; falls
C)falls; rises
D)falls; falls

Question 18

If brokerage commissions on bond sales decrease,then,other things equal,the demand for bonds will ________ and the demand for real estate will ________.

A)increase; increase
B)increase; decrease
C)decrease; decrease
D)decrease; increase

Question 19

Pieces of property that serve as a store of value are called

A)assets.
B)units of account.
C)liabilities.
D)borrowings.

Question 20

Of the four factors that influence asset demand,which factor will cause the demand for all assets to increase when it increases,everything else held constant?

A)wealth
B)expected returns
C)risk
D)liquidity

Question 21

When the interest rate on a bond is ________ the equilibrium interest rate,in the bond market there is excess ________ and the interest rate will ________.

A)above; demand; rise
B)above; demand; fall
C)below; supply; fall
D)above; supply; rise

Question 22

The demand for gold increases,other things equal,when

A)the market for silver becomes more liquid.
B)interest rates are expected to rise.
C)interest rates are expected to fall.
D)real estate prices are expected to increase.

Question 23

In the bond market,the bond demanders are the ________ and the bond suppliers are the ________.

A)lenders; borrowers
B)lenders; advancers
C)borrowers; lenders
D)borrowers; advancers

Question 24

A situation in which the quantity of bonds supplied exceeds the quantity of bonds demanded is called a condition of excess supply; because people want to sell ________ bonds than others want to buy,the price of bonds will ________.

A)fewer; fall
B)fewer; rise
C)more; fall
D)more; rise

Question 25

Holding everything else constant,

A)if asset A's risk rises relative to that of alternative assets,the demand will increase for asset A.
B)the more liquid is asset A,relative to alternative assets,the greater will be the demand for asset A.
C)the lower the expected return to asset A relative to alternative assets,the greater will be the demand for asset A.
D)if wealth increases,demand for asset A increases and demand for alternative assets decreases.

Question 26

When the interest rate on a bond is above the equilibrium interest rate,in the bond market there is excess ________ and the interest rate will ________.

A)demand; rise
B)demand; fall
C)supply; fall
D)supply; rise

Question 27

If the price of bonds is set ________ the equilibrium price,the quantity of bonds demanded exceeds the quantity of bonds supplied,a condition called excess ________.

A)above; demand
B)above; supply
C)below; demand
D)below; supply

Question 28

When the price of a bond is ________ the equilibrium price,there is an excess demand for bonds and price will ________.

A)above; rise
B)above; fall
C)below; fall
D)below; rise

Question 29

When the price of a bond decreases,all else equal,the bond demand curve ________.

A)shifts right
B)shifts left
C)does not shift
D)inverts

Question 30

During business cycle expansions when income and wealth are rising,the demand for bonds ________ and the demand curve shifts to the ________,everything else held constant.

A)falls; right
B)falls; left
C)rises; right
D)rises; left

Question 31

The supply curve for bonds has the usual upward slope,indicating that as the price ________,ceteris paribus,the ________ increases.

A)falls; supply
B)falls; quantity supplied
C)rises; supply
D)rises; quantity supplied

Question 32

When the price of a bond is above the equilibrium price,there is an excess ________ bonds and price will ________.

A)demand for; rise
B)demand for; fall
C)supply of; fall
D)supply of; rise

Question 33

A movement along the bond demand or supply curve occurs when ________ changes.

A)bond price
B)income
C)wealth
D)expected return

Question 34

The demand curve for bonds has the usual downward slope,indicating that at ________ prices of the bond,everything else equal,the ________ is higher.

A)higher; demand
B)higher; quantity demanded
C)lower; demand
D)lower; quantity demanded

Question 35

Holding the expected return on bonds constant,an increase in the expected return on common stocks would ________ the demand for bonds,shifting the demand curve to the ________.

A)decrease; left
B)decrease; right
C)increase; left
D)increase; right

Question 36

In the bond market,the market equilibrium shows the market-clearing ________ and market-clearing ________.

A)price; deposit
B)interest rate; deposit
C)price; interest rate
D)interest rate; premium

Question 37

Holding all other factors constant,the quantity demanded of an asset is

A)positively related to wealth.
B)negatively related to its expected return relative to alternative assets.
C)positively related to the risk of its returns relative to alternative assets.
D)negatively related to its liquidity relative to alternative assets.

Question 38

Everything else held constant,when households save less,wealth and the demand for bonds ________ and the bond demand curve shifts ________.

A)increase; right
B)increase; left
C)decrease; right
D)decrease; left

Question 39

Everything else held constant,would an increase in volatility of stock prices have any impact on the demand for rare coins? Why or why not?

Question 40

Everything else held constant,if interest rates are expected to fall in the future,the demand for long-term bonds today ________ and the demand curve shifts to the ________.

A)rises; right
B)rises; left
C)falls; right
D)falls; left

Question 41

When the expected inflation rate increases,the real cost of borrowing ________ and bond supply ________,everything else held constant.

A)increases; increases
B)increases; decreases
C)decreases; increases
D)decreases; decreases

Question 42

Factors that decrease the demand for bonds include

A)an increase in the volatility of stock prices.
B)a decrease in the expected returns on stocks.
C)a decrease in the inflation rate.
D)a decrease in the riskiness of stocks.

Question 43

Everything else held constant,an increase in expected inflation,lowers the expected return on ________ compared to ________ assets.

A)bonds; financial
B)bonds; real
C)physical; financial
D)physical; real

Question 44

Factors that can cause the supply curve for bonds to shift to the right include

A)an expansion in overall economic activity.
B)a decrease in expected inflation.
C)a decrease in government deficits.
D)a business cycle recession.

Question 45

Everything else held constant,an increase in the riskiness of bonds relative to alternative assets causes the demand for bonds to ________ and the demand curve to shift to the ________.

A)rise; right
B)rise; left
C)fall; right
D)fall; left

Question 46

The reduction of brokerage commissions for trading common stocks that occurred in 1975 caused the demand for bonds to ________ and the demand curve to shift to the ________.

A)fall; right
B)fall,left
C)rise; right
D)rise; left

Question 47

Everything else held constant,when stock prices become ________ volatile,the demand curve for bonds shifts to the ________ and the interest rate ________.

A)more; right; rises
B)more; right; falls
C)less; left; falls
D)less; left; does not change

Question 48

Everything else held constant,when stock prices become less volatile,the demand curve for bonds shifts to the ________ and the interest rate ________.

A)right; rises
B)right; falls
C)left; falls
D)left; rises

Question 49

During a recession,the supply of bonds ________ and the supply curve shifts to the ________,everything else held constant.

A)increases; left
B)increases; right
C)decreases; left
D)decreases; right

Question 50

The economist Irving Fisher,after whom the Fisher effect is named,explained why interest rates ________ as the expected rate of inflation ________,everything else held constant.

A)rise; increases
B)rise; stabilizes
C)fall; stabilizes
D)fall; increases

Question 51

When the inflation rate is expected to increase,the ________ for bonds falls,while the ________ curve shifts to the right,everything else held constant.

A)demand; demand
B)demand; supply
C)supply; demand
D)supply; supply

Question 52

Everything else held constant,when the inflation rate is expected to rise,interest rates will ________; this result has been termed the ________.

A)fall; Keynes effect
B)fall; Fisher effect
C)rise; Keynes effect
D)rise; Fisher effect

Question 53

Everything else held constant,when bonds become less widely traded,and as a consequence the market becomes less liquid,the demand curve for bonds shifts to the ________ and the interest rate ________.

A)right; rises
B)right; falls
C)left; falls
D)left; rises

Question 54

When the economy slips into a recession,normally the demand for bonds ________,the supply of bonds ________,and the interest rate ________,everything else held constant.

A)increases; increases; rises
B)decreases; decreases; falls
C)increases; decreases; falls
D)decreases; increases; rises

Question 55

Everything else held constant,during a business cycle expansion,the supply of bonds shifts to the ________ as businesses perceive more profitable investment opportunities,while the demand for bonds shifts to the ________ as a result of the increase in wealth generated by the economic expansion.

A)right; left
B)right; right
C)left; left
D)left; right

Question 56

In a business cycle expansion,the ________ of bonds increases and the ________ curve shifts to the ________ as business investments are expected to be more profitable.

A)supply; supply; right
B)supply; supply; left
C)demand; demand; right
D)demand; demand; left

Question 57

When the expected inflation rate increases,the demand for bonds ________,the supply of bonds ________,and the interest rate ________,everything else held constant.

A)increases; increases; rises
B)decreases; decreases; falls
C)increases; decreases; falls
D)decreases; increases; rises

Question 58

An increase in the expected inflation rate causes the supply of bonds to ________ and the supply curve to shift to the ________,everything else held constant.

A)increase; left
B)increase; right
C)decrease; left
D)decrease; right

Question 59

Everything else held constant,an increase in the liquidity of bonds results in a ________ in demand for bonds and the demand curve shifts to the ________.

A)rise; right
B)rise; left
C)fall; right
D)fall; left

Question 60

Higher government deficits ________ the supply of bonds and shift the supply curve to the ________,everything else held constant.

A)increase; left
B)increase; right
C)decrease; left
D)decrease; right

Question 61

Everything else held constant,when prices in the art market become more uncertain,

A)the demand curve for bonds shifts to the left and the interest rate rises.
B)the demand curve for bonds shifts to the left and the interest rate falls.
C)the demand curve for bonds shifts to the right and the interest rate falls.
D)the supply curve for bonds shifts to the right and the interest rate falls.

Question 62

Everything else held constant,when real estate prices are expected to decrease

A)the demand curve for bonds shifts to the left and the interest rate rises.
B)the demand curve for bonds shifts to the left and the interest rate falls.
C)the demand curve for bonds shifts to the right and the interest rate falls.
D)the supply curve for bonds shifts to the right and the interest rate falls.

Question 63

The interest rate falls when either the demand for bonds ________ or the supply of bonds ________.

A)increases; increases
B)increases; decreases
C)decreases; decreases
D)decreases; increases

Question 64

When the interest rate changes,

A)the demand curve for bonds shifts to the right.
B)the demand curve for bonds shifts to the left.
C)the supply curve for bonds shifts to the right.
D)it is because either the demand or the supply curve has shifted.

Question 65

If stock prices are expected to climb next year,everything else held constant,the ________ curve for bonds shifts ________ and the interest rate ________.

A)demand; left; rises
B)demand; right; rises
C)demand; left; falls
D)supply; left; rises

Question 66

Everything else held constant,when the government has higher budget deficits

A)the demand curve for bonds shifts to the left and the interest rate rises.
B)the demand curve for bonds shifts to the left and the interest rate falls.
C)the supply curve for bonds shifts to the right and the interest rate falls.
D)the supply curve for bonds shifts to the right and the interest rate rises.

Question 67

Use the following figure to answer the questions :

In the figure above,a factor that could cause the demand for bonds to decrease (shift to the left)is:

A)an increase in the expected return on bonds relative to other assets.
B)a decrease in the expected return on bonds relative to other assets.
C)an increase in wealth.
D)a reduction in the riskiness of bonds relative to other assets.

Question 68

A decrease in the brokerage commissions in the housing market from 6% to 5% of the sales price will shift the ________ curve for bonds to the ________,everything else held constant.

A)demand; right
B)demand; left
C)supply; right
D)supply; left

Question 69

Use the following figure to answer the questions :

In the figure above,a factor that could cause the supply of bonds to increase (shift to the right)is:

A)a decrease in government budget deficits.
B)a decrease in expected inflation.
C)expectations of more profitable investment opportunities.
D)a business cycle recession.

Question 70

If brokerage commissions on stocks fall,everything else held constant,the demand for bonds ________,the price of bonds ________,and the interest rate ________.

A)decreases; decreases; increases
B)decreases; decreases; decreases
C)increases; decreases; increases
D)increases; increases; increases

Question 71

Use the following figure to answer the questions :

In the figure above,a factor that could cause the supply of bonds to shift to the right is:

A)a decrease in government budget deficits.
B)a decrease in expected inflation.
C)a recession.
D)a business cycle expansion.

Question 72

If people expect real estate prices to increase significantly,the ________ curve for bonds will shift to the ________,everything else held constant.

A)demand; right
B)demand; left
C)supply; left
D)supply; right

Question 73

When the government has a surplus,as occurred in the late 1990s,the ________ curve of bonds shifts to the ________,everything else held constant.

A)supply; right
B)supply; left
C)demand; right
D)demand; left

Question 74

If prices in the bond market become more volatile,everything else held constant,the demand curve for bonds shifts ________ and interest rates ________.

A)left; rise
B)left; fall
C)right; rise
D)right; fall

Question 75

Use the following figure to answer the questions :

In the figure above,the price of bonds would fall from P₁ to P₂

A)inflation is expected to increase in the future.
B)interest rates are expected to fall in the future.
C)the expected return on bonds relative to other assets is expected to increase in the future.
D)the riskiness of bonds falls relative to other assets.

Question 76

In the 1990s Japan had the lowest interest rates in the world due to a combination of

A)inflation and recession.
B)deflation and expansion.
C)inflation and expansion.
D)deflation and recession.

Question 77

When an economy grows out of a recession,normally the demand for bonds ________ and the supply of bonds ________,everything else held constant.

A)increases; increases
B)increases; decreases
C)decreases; decreases
D)decreases; increases

Question 78

When rare coin prices become volatile,the ________ curve for bonds shifts to the ________,everything else held constant.

A)demand; right
B)demand; left
C)supply; right
D)supply; left

Question 79

If the expected return on bonds increases,all else equal,the demand for bonds increases,the price of bonds ________,and the interest rate ________.

A)increases; decreases
B)increases; increases
C)decreases; decreases
D)decreases; increases

Question 80

Deflation causes the demand for bonds to ________,the supply of bonds to ________,and bond prices to ________,everything else held constant.

A)increase; increase; increase
B)increase; decrease; increase
C)decrease; increase; increase
D)decrease; decrease; increase