📚 Learning Guide
Open Market Operations
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How do open market operations influence the economy compared to fiscal policy tools?

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Learning Path

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Choose the Best Answer

A

Open market operations directly adjust government spending, while fiscal policy focuses on interest rates.

B

Open market operations primarily manage the money supply, whereas fiscal policy affects taxation and government spending.

C

Both open market operations and fiscal policy tools manipulate only the bank reserves.

D

Open market operations are more effective in controlling inflation than fiscal policy.

Understanding the Answer

Let's break down why this is correct

Answer

Open market operations are actions taken by a country's central bank, like the Federal Reserve in the United States, to control the money supply by buying or selling government securities. When the central bank buys securities, it puts more money into the economy, which can lower interest rates and encourage spending and investment. In contrast, fiscal policy involves the government changing its spending and tax policies to influence the economy, like increasing spending on public projects to create jobs. For example, if the central bank buys bonds, a business might take a loan at a lower interest rate to expand, while fiscal policy might fund a new road that helps businesses grow by improving access. Both tools aim to stabilize and grow the economy, but open market operations focus more on managing money supply and interest rates, while fiscal policy is about government spending and taxation.

Detailed Explanation

Open market operations control the money supply. Other options are incorrect because This answer mixes up the roles of each tool; This answer suggests both tools only affect bank reserves.

Key Concepts

Monetary policy tools
Fiscal policy.
Topic

Open Market Operations

Difficulty

medium level question

Cognitive Level

understand

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