September 2013 that it would postpone winding down its $85 billion a month bond
purchasing program which has been a key component of its monetary stimulus
package. Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke would not commit to a timeline for
reducing the bond purchases, stating that the program was “not on a preset
course.” The Fed’s forecasts of economic growth have been lowered for 2013 and
2014, and the Fed does not expect to raise interest rates until 2015. Since late 2008,
the Fed has held its benchmark interest rate near zero, while its balance sheet has
tripled to more than $3.6 trillion. The Fed also stated that so long as inflation did
not become a threat, it would not raise interest rates until the unemployment rate
dropped to 6.5 percent. At the time of the announcement, the unemployment rate
was 7.3 percent. Source: Pedro da Costa and Alister Bull, “Fed Surprises, sticks to
stimulus as it cuts growth outlook,” Reuters, September 18, 2013.
The Fed announced that it would postpone winding down its $85 billion per month
bond purchasing program. The Fed’s purchasing of long-term treasury bonds and other
government-backed securities in an effort to keep long-term interest rates low is a
strategy known as
A) securitization.
B) contractionary spending.
C) indirect finance.
D) quantitative easing.
For each pair of items below, determine which product would have the higher price
elasticity of demand (in absolute value).
a. Blood pressure medicine for someone who has high blood pressure and the purchase
of Clairol hair coloring product.
b. A new Ford Fusion or a tank of gas for your current car.
c. A Seiko watch or watches in general.