Chapter 02
Money and the Payments System
Multiple-Choice Questions
1. Which of the following would not be considered a characteristic of money?
a. It is a store of value.
b. It is a means of payment.
c. It must have intrinsic value.
d. It is a unit of account.
2. A society without any money:
a. could never exchange goods and/or services.
b. would find people doing everything for themselves.
c. would have to rely on barter.
d. would be more efficient since people would be more self-sufficient.
3. The use of money makes us more efficient because:
a. we spend more time trading and more time producing.
b. people can specialize in what they do well.
c. with money we borrow less.
d. money increases in value over time.
4. The unit of account characteristic of money:
a. makes it difficult to compare the relative prices of goods and services.
b. refers to how we use money to transfer purchasing power over time.
c. means prices are expressed in terms of money.
d. means that money finalizes payments.
5. Without the use of money, workers in an economy would:
a. become more specialized
b. have to spend a lot less time trading
c. probably specialize less
d. be far more productive
6. As an economy produces more different types of goods:
a. it is more difficult to quote prices if the economy does not use money.
b. the number of relative prices decreases.
c. money becomes less useful as a unit of account.
d. money becomes less useful as a standard of value.
7. The store of value characteristic of money refers to the fact that:
a. people save most of their money.
b. money allows people to shift purchasing power into the future.
c. money is not valuable unless it is stored.
d. money is the only way people have to store value.
8. Which best describes money as a means of payment?
a. Money provides an immediate double coincidence of wants.
b. Money makes sure a double coincidence of wants never occurs.
c. Money requires at least two transactions to obtain the double coincidence of wants.
d. To obtain a double coincidence of wants without money is impossible.
9. Compare two economies: a barter economy versus an economy that uses money. In order to
exchange goods and services:
a. a double coincidence of wants is necessary in the barter economy.
b. a double coincidence of wants is more likely to occur in the barter economy.
c. transactions are likely to be smoother in the barter economy because goods and services are
exchanged directly.
d. the money economy requires that sellers have more information about buyers’ wants.
10. In a barter system people:
a. have to specialize in order to have goods to trade.
b. cannot specialize because they never know what goods will be desired.
c. are less likely to specialize as extensively as they would in a monetary economy.
d. must be self-sufficient.
11. How many prices would a trader of a particular good need to know in a barter economy with
5 goods?
a. 5
b. 10
c. 20
d. 50
12. How many prices would a trader of a particular good need to know in a barter economy with
20 goods?
a. 190
b. 100
c. 20
d. 40
13. In a barter economy with “n” number of goods there will always be:
a. exactly “n” relative prices.
b. fewer than “n” relative prices.
c. more than “n” relative prices.
d. “n”/2 relative prices.
14. The high transaction costs associated with a barter system refers to the:
a. fact that, often times, these exchanges are taxed by governments.
b. risk associated with having to carry an inventory of goods to trade.
c. high cost associated with finding someone with whom to exchange.
d. cost of drawing up complete contracts.
15. Suppose that in a barter economy Tom bakes bread and Hans produces chocolates. Tom
wants chocolates but Hans doesn’t like bread, so Hans is unwilling to trade with Tom. Tom’s
problem is an example of which problem associated with a barter system?
a. Too much specialization
b. Not enough prices
c. The law of diminishing returns
d. The double coincidence of wants problem
16. Specialization usually increases the output of a country; however effective specialization
requires:
a. everyone in the country producing the same thing.
b. that workers have very similar skills.
c. an effective low-cost means to exchange goods and services.
d. a large stock of capital.
17. Which of the following is not an example of bartering?
a. Sue trading candles with Tom for his bread.
b. Mary paying for her new shoes with her credit card.
c. John cutting his neighbor’s grass in return for his neighbor washing John’s car.
d. Mrs. Smith treating the neighbor children to pizza after they helped clean up her yard.
18. Money eliminates the need for:
a. a search for a double coincidence of wants. b.
government regulation.
c. specialization of labor.
d. financial Intermediaries.
19. Money as a means of payment refers to:
a. only actual currency.
b. only coins and currency.
c. only coins, currency and credit cards.
d. anything that is generally accepted as payment for goods and services.
20. While money is an asset not all assets are money because:
a. only money stores value.
b. money works as a means of payment.
c. only money is a good asset to hold during times of inflation. d.
money must be legal tender.
21. An advantage that money has over other assets is that it:
a. increases in value over time.
b. has lower transaction costs to use as a means of payment than other assets. c.
provides a higher return to the owner.
d. is a safer asset to hold during times of inflation.
22. An individual who stores wealth in art rather than money will find that he/she:
a. suffers larger real losses during periods of high inflation. b.
has far more liquidity than most savers.
c. will incur higher transaction costs when he/she ultimately makes purchases. d.
will have to resort to barter exchanging the art for desired goods.
23. Which of the following statements is most correct?
a. Money is wealth but not all wealth is money.
b. Money is a means of payment but is not part of wealth.
c. In order to be considered part of a person’s wealth, an asset must have a positive return. d.
Wealth is a store of value and a means of payment.
24. Which of the following is incorrect?
a. Money is wealth but not all wealth is money.
b. Money is a means of payment but is not part of wealth.
c. An asset doesn’t have to be a means of payment to be a part of a person’s wealth. d.
All items considered wealth can eventually be converted to a means of payment. Ans:
25. Which of the following statements is not true?
a. For most of history gold has been the most common commodity money.
b. The most common form of money in the U.S. is not a commodity money. c.
Gold is an example of a fiat money.
d. U.S. currency is legal tender.
26. Gold would be a superior commodity money compared to wheat because:
a. wheat has a high value relative to weight, which gold does not. b. it
is easier to divide wheat into small units.
c. wheat has more practical uses than gold.
d. wheat is perishable.
27. The fact that U.S. currency is legal tender means:
a. U.S. currency is good anywhere in the world.
b. the only money the government will accept for settlement of debts is U.S. currency.
c. private businesses in the U.S. and the U.S. government must accept currency for payment.
d. it cannot be backed by gold or other metals.
28. In comparing money to a U.S. Treasury bond held by an individual, we can say:
a. the treasury bond is an asset but money is not.
b. money is an asset but the U.S. bond is a liability of the individual. c.
both are stores of value.
d. money is a store of value but the bond is not.
29. In comparing money to a U.S. Treasury bond held by an individual, we can say:
a. both are legal tender.
b. both are units of account.
c. only the bond is legal tender since it is an obligation of the U.S. government. d.
both are stores of value.
30. In comparing money to a share of Microsoft stock held by an individual, we can say:
a. the share of stock is an asset, but money is a liability.
b. only the money is a means of payment, but both are stores of
value.
c
. only the money is a means of payment, but both are units of account. d.
both the Microsoft stock and the money are liabilities.
31. Comparing checks and currency, we can say:
a. both are money but only currency is legal tender. b.
only checks are both money and legal tender.
c. a check isn’t money but currency is. d.
32. When the Continental Congress issued currency to finance the Revolutionary War, the
Continental Congress:
a. issued too many “continentals,” eventually making the currency worthless.
b. tied the value of the “continental” to gold.
c. tied the value of the “continental” to gold to French “assignats.” d.
made “continentals” legal tender.
33. During the Civil War, the North issued currency, known as “greenbacks”. Which of the
following is true of “greenbacks”?
a. Greenbacks are still legal tender in the U.S.
b. Greenbacks were tied to the value of gold and silver.
c. The South used “greenbacks” to pay for salaries and supplies. d.
34. Most of the non-cash retail payments made each year in the United States are made by:
a. check.
b. credit card.
c. debit card.
d. electronic funds transfers.
11
35. All of the following are true about electronic funds transfers except:
a. sometimes involve the Federal Reserve sending electronic images of checks to banks.
b. occur when banks or individuals deposit/withdraw from one bank account to another
electronically.
c. include automated clearinghouse transactions (ACH).
d. include credit card payments made online.
36. Carlos pays his cable bill using his bank’s internet banking web site to withdraw funds from
his checking account. This transaction is a(n):
a. automated clearinghouse transaction (ACH).
b. digitized–check transaction.
c. e-money transaction.
d. Fedwire transaction.
37. As a result of “Check 21—The Check Clearing for the 21st Century Act”:
a. banks no longer have to ship paper checks to complete the process of check clearing.
b. people can write checks and plan on having a couple of days to make a deposit to cover the
check amount.
c. canceled checks can no longer be used as proof of payment.
d. the Federal Reserve is no longer involved in the check-clearing process.
38. The value of fiat money:
a. comes from its intrinsic value.
b. is worth more as a commodity than its value as money. c.
comes from government decree.
d. means that it is more desirable than currency.
39. Which of the following could not be commodity money?
a. Gold coins b.
Cigarettes
c. U.S. Currency d.
Silk
40. U.S. currency is
a. a commodity money
b. fiat money
c. tied to the value of gold at a fixed rate
d. the only store of value
41. One major difference between a debit card and a credit card is:
a. only the debit card helps you to build a credit history. b.
the debit card has lower minimum monthly payments.
c. you do not need to actually have the funds in your account when you use a debit card. d.
debit cards have no late fees.
42. One major difference between a debit and credit card is:
a. you can build a credit history with the credit card but not with the debit card. b.
you have to pay interest on your purchases if you use a credit card.
c. credit cards are money and the debit card is not. d.
debit cards charge late fees.
43. To say an asset is liquid implies that:
a. we are focusing on a category of assets that are in a physically liquid form, like oil. b.
we are considering assets that may be readily converted into a means of payment.
c. we are considering any asset that can be sold. d.
we are only considering U.S. currency.
44. One advantage of using checks over a debit card is:
a. checks can be replaced if lost or stolen, a debit card cannot.
b. the bank is responsible if someone steals your checks and uses them; this isn’t the case with
debit cards.
c. a cancelled paper check is the only generally accepted proof of payment.
d. the person has “float,” meaning time between writing the check and depositing funds to cover it.
45. Checks and currency function similarly, however:
a. currency is a more effective means of payment.
b. carrying currency entails greater risk, because it cannot be replaced if lost or stolen.
c. currency is a better store of value than checking deposits.
d. checks are not included in measures of money, whereas currency is.
46. Money aggregates can best be defined as a set of measures of the amount of:
a. money that exists at a particular point in time.
b. money the Federal Reserve has on deposit as reserves.
c. money available to the economy over a year.
d. U.S. currency the Bureau of Printing and Engraving has produced.
47. The money aggregate M1 includes each of the following, except:
a. currency in the hands of the public.
b. travelers checks that have been issued.
c. currency in the vaults of commercial banks.
d. demand deposits at commercial banks.
48. The amount of currency in the hands of the public is approximately what percentage of M1?
a. 45%
b. 25%
c. 30%
d. 90%
15
49. The money aggregate M2 includes:
a. large denomination time
de
pos
it
s.
b. stock and bond mutual fund shares.
c. savings deposits but not money market deposit accounts.
d. M1.
50. The most commonly quoted monetary aggregate is:
a. money–market mutual fund shares.
b. M1 since it is the most liquid.
c. public currency.
d. M2 since its movement is most closely related to interest rates and economic growth.
51. An automobile is an asset, but it is not liquid because:
a. the transactions costs for turning it into money are high.
b. the owner may still be making payments on the loan.
c. the automobile may not be in good repair.
d. the automobile cannot be sold without a loss in value.
52. Which of the following lists correctly orders assets from most liquid to least liquid?
a. Stocks, house, paper currency, savings deposits
b. Stocks, paper currency, house, savings deposits
c. Savings deposits, paper currency, house, stocks
d. Paper currency, savings deposits, stocks, house
53. Which of the following assets is the most liquid?
a. Art
b. Demand deposits
c. Houses
d. Stocks
54. Which of the following assets is least liquid?
a. Common stock
b. Houses
c. Art
d. Checking account deposits.
55. Considering the roughly $1.35 trillion in U.S. currency held by the public:
a. over 90% of the amount is held in the form of $1 bills.
b. more than three-fourths is held in the form of $100 bills.
c. over half of the currency held in the form of $20 bills.
d. the Federal Reserve distributes the amount equally across all denominations of bills.
17
56. Ava buys a $2,000 computer using a paper check. At which step does $2,000 get recorded in
M1?
a. When Ava hands the $2,000 check to the computer merchant.
b. Once the $2,000 is credited to the merchant bank’s reserve account and is debited from Ava’s
bank account.
c. Once the Federal Reserve sends the paper check (or an electronic image) to Ava’s bank.
d. The check is never M1. The $2,000 is M1 both in Ava’s bank account and, later, in the
merchant’s account. It is the deposit balance that is counted.
57. Sophia receives a $400 gift card for her campus bookstore from her parents. Which of the
following is true regarding the $400 gift card?
a. It is counted only in M1.
b. It is included in both M1 and M2.
c. It is counted in only M2.
d. Stored-value cards are not counted in either M1 or M2.
58. Gross Domestic Product in the U.S. is roughly:
a. equal to M1.
b. twice as large as M2.
c. equal to M2.
d. more than six times M1.
59. M1 is:
a. about 17% of GDP.
b. equal to GDP.
c. about four times larger than GDP.
d. about one fourth the amount of GDP.