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Economics 12th Edition Arnold Solutions Manual Download
Economics 12th Edition Arnold Solutions Manual Download
CHAPTER 11
Fiscal Policy and the Federal Budget
Chapter 11 analyzes the federal budget in terms of government expenditures and tax revenues,
and deficits and surpluses. Income tax structures and the public debt are also examined in this
chapter. The major focus of the chapter is on fiscal policy, beginning with some basic
definitions, then discussing demand-side and supply-side fiscal policy, and addressing both the
mechanics of fiscal policy and its effectiveness in stabilizing the economy.
KEY IDEAS
1. The federal budget is composed of government expenditures and tax revenues.
2. The current federal income tax system is progressive.
3. The federal budget can be in deficit, in surplus, or in balance, and there can be a cyclical
deficit and a structural deficit.
4. The public debt is not the same as a federal budget deficit.
5. Some have proposed higher taxes or new taxes to deal with the enlarged budget deficits
and growing public debt.
6. One of the major ways government can influence the economy is through its fiscal
policy.
7. Fiscal policy can affect aggregate demand.
8. Sometimes crowding out effects occur which diminish the effectiveness of fiscal policy.
9. Lags can diminish the effectiveness of fiscal policy.
10. Fiscal policy effects can be felt on the supply side as well as on the demand side of the
economy.
CHAPTER OUTLINE
I. THE FEDERAL BUDGET
The federal budget is composed of two, not necessarily equal, parts: government
expenditures and tax revenues. Government expenditures is the sum of government
purchases and (government) transfer payments.
186
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Fiscal Policy and the Federal Budget 187
A. Government Expenditures
In 2013, the federal government spent $3.685 trillion, which was 22.7 percent of
GDP for that year. Social security, Medicare, Medicaid, and national defense
accounted for about 61 percent of all federal government spending in 2013.
In 2013, government revenues totaled $2.712 trillion; this was equal to 16.7
percent of GDP for the year. The individual income tax, the corporate income tax,
Medicare (payroll) and Social Security (payroll) taxes accounted for 88 percent of
total government tax revenues for 2013.
D. Budget Projections
This section presents the projections for government spending and tax revenues
from 2015 to 2019.
Economists often look at the tax situation for different income groups, as
shown in the text. For example, in 2011, the top 1 percent of income
earners in the U.S. earned 18.7 percent of the income earned that year
and paid 35.1 percent of the total federal income taxes collected.
If government expenditures are greater (less) than tax revenues, the federal
government runs a budget deficit (surplus). If government expenditures are equal
to tax revenues, the federal government runs a balanced budget. In 2013, the
federal government ran a budget deficit of $973 billion. The federal government
finances the budget deficit with borrowed funds.
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188 Chapter 11
It is often believed that taxing the rich at a higher rate would help in reducing or
eliminating budget deficits. Two important questions to consider in this case
would be the rate at which the rich would have to be taxed to eliminate the
deficits and the number of years in which the deficit can be eliminated by taxing
the rich at a higher tax rate.
Economists use the term cyclical deficit to refer to the part of the budget deficit
that is a result of a downturn in economic activity. The part of the deficit that
would exist if the economy were operating at full employment is called the
structural deficit. The total budget deficit equals the sum of the structural and
cyclical deficits.
The public debt is the total amount the federal government owes its creditors.
The public debt was $17.5 trillion on July 30, 2014. The public debt held by the
public was $12.5 trillion.
I. Value-Added Tax
Some economists have proposed higher taxes or new taxes to deal with the
enlarged budget deficits and growing public debt. One tax that has been
suggested is the value-added tax (VAT). Some have proposed VAT as a
supplementary revenue source; others, as a substitute for current taxes.
a. The sum of the values added is equal to the price paid by the final
consumer.
b. The value added at each stage of production is equal to the dollar
amount kept by the seller of the good.
2. The Tax Part - A value-added tax (VAT) is a tax applied to the value
added at each stage of production. VAT generates tax revenue and it
raises prices.
A VAT generates the same amount of revenue as a sales tax of the same
amount, but critics stress the point that VAT is less visible than a sales tax,
making it hard for consumers to distinguish between the seller charging a higher
price because the VAT rate has been raised and the seller charging a higher
price even without the VAT rate being raised. The VAT critics add that when a
sales tax is raised, people look to government and say, “Government raised my
taxes.” When VAT is raised, people say, “Sellers raised the prices I pay.”
A tax subsidy is not the same as a tax deduction. With a subsidy, money goes
from one person to another. If a company is being subsidized, the government
takes money from the taxpayers and gives it to the company receiving a subsidy.
A tax deduction occurs when the government reduces the taxes to be paid by a
company if the company does something like keeping its factories in the U.S.
One of the major ways government can influence the economy is through its fiscal
policy. Fiscal policy refers to changes in government expenditures and/or taxes to
achieve particular economic goals, such as low unemployment, price stability, and
economic growth.
This chapter deals only with discretionary fiscal policy, and assumes that transfer
payments are constant so that changes in government spending are a reflection
of changes in government purchases only.
This section focuses on how government spending and taxes can affect aggregate
demand.
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190 Chapter 11
Some economists believe that crowding out effect reduces the effectiveness of
fiscal policy. Crowding out refers to a decrease in private expenditures that
occurs as a consequence of increased government spending or the financing
needs of a budget deficit. Crowding out can be direct or indirect.
When one dollar of government spending offsets one dollar of private spending,
complete crowding out is said to exist. Incomplete crowding out occurs when an
increase in government spending is only partially offset by a decrease in private
spending. Zero crowding out occurs if an increase in government spending is not
offset at all by a decrease in private spending. If complete or incomplete
crowding out occurs, fiscal policy will have less impact on aggregated demand
and Real GDP than Keynesian theory predicts. Exhibit 3 illustrates the
consequences of complete and incomplete crowding out.
There are potentially significant time lags involved in the process of identifying
economic problems. Time lags may negate the effectiveness of discretionary
fiscal policy by making it take effect too late. In fact, if the policy takes effect late
enough, it may actually cause more problems than it solves.
1. The Data Lag—the time between when a potential problem arises and when
policymakers notice it.
Economists who believe that the crowding out is zero and that lags are
insignificant conclude that fiscal policy is effective at moving the economy out of
a recessionary gap. Economists who believe that crowding out is complete
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Fiscal Policy and the Federal Budget 191
and/or that lags are significant conclude that fiscal policy is ineffective in this
respect.
F. Democracy in Deficit
Fiscal policy effects may be felt on the supply side as well as the demand side of the
economy. Supply-side fiscal policy focuses on taxation issues.
When fiscal policy measures affect tax rates, they may affect the SRAS curve as
well as the AD curve. Ceteris paribus, lower marginal tax rates (= Δ tax payment/
Δ taxable income) increase the incentive to engage in work relative to leisure and
tax-avoidance activities. As resources shift from leisure to work, short-run AS
increases. If the lower marginal tax rates are permanent, then most economists
predict that the long-run AS curve will shift to the right as well.
The Laffer Curve shows the relationship between tax rates and tax revenues.
According to Laffer, as tax rates rise from zero, tax revenues rise, reach a
maximum point, and then fall as the tax rate continues to rise. Tax revenues are
a function of the tax rate and the tax base, as shown in the equation:
Whether tax revenues increase or decrease as the average tax rate is lowered
depends on whether the tax base expands by a greater or lesser percentage
than the percentage reduction in the tax rate. It is possible for tax revenues to
increase if (marginal) income tax rates are reduced.
Tax rate changes may not induce changes in people’s behaviors if they expect
even larger tax rate changes in the future.
TEACHING ADVICE
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192 Chapter 11
1. For more information about the fiscal gap, read Alan J. Auerbach and William G. Gale,
“The Economic Crisis and the Fiscal Crisis: 2009 and Beyond,” available at
http://www.brookings.edu/~/media/Files/rc/papers/2009/0219_fiscal_future_gale/0219_fi
scal_future_gale.pdf.
2. One example of a tax cut that led to an increase in tax revenues is discussed in “An
Urban Tax Revolt,” The Wall Street Journal, 4/9/2002, which discusses a payroll tax cut
in Philadelphia that led to a 19% increase in wage-tax revenues.
3. Students may find it interesting and relevant to know that the third person dining with
Arthur Laffer and the journalist when Arthur Laffer first drew his curve on a napkin was
future Vice President (and then Deputy White House Assistant) Richard Cheney. See
Alan Murray, “’Dynamic’ Scoring Finally Ends Debate on Taxes, Revenue” The Wall
Street Journal, 4/1/2003.
Assignment 11.2
Key Idea: The current federal income tax system is progressive.
1. Compare a proportional tax system, a progressive tax system, and a regressive tax
system.
Assignment 11.3
Key Idea: The federal budget can be in deficit, in surplus, or in balance, and there can be a
cyclical and a structural deficit.
1. Explain when each of the following would occur:
a. Budget deficit.
b. Budget surplus.
c. Balanced budget.
d. Cyclical deficit.
e. Structural deficit.
Assignment 11.4
Key Idea: The public debt is not the same as a federal budget deficit.
1. Define the public debt.
Assignment 11.5
Key Idea: Some have proposed higher taxes or new taxes to deal with the enlarged budget
deficits and growing public debt.
1. Define value-added tax (VAT).
2. Explain why some critics prefer a sales tax to a VAT.
Assignment 11.6
Key Idea: One of the major ways government can influence the economy is through its fiscal
policy.
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Fiscal Policy and the Federal Budget 193
Assignment 11.7
Key Idea: Fiscal policy can affect aggregate demand.
1. Explain how changes in government purchases and taxes affect aggregate demand.
2. Describe the Keynesian prescription to cure a recessionary gap.
3. Describe the Keynesian prescription to cure an inflationary gap.
Assignment 11.8
Key Idea: Sometimes crowding out effect occurs which diminishes the effectiveness of fiscal
policy.
1. Explain how direct substitution of public services for consumer spending can create a
crowding out effect.
2 Explain how government borrowing can lead to interest rate changes that create a
crowding out effect.
Assignment 11.9
Key Idea: Lags can diminish the effectiveness of fiscal policy.
1. Name and describe the five types of lags.
2. Explain why lags are problems.
Assignment 11.10
Key Idea: Fiscal policy effects can be felt on the supply side as well as on the demand side of
the economy.
1. Describe how lowering marginal income tax rates will affect aggregate supply.
2. Describe the Laffer Curve, and use it to explain how lower marginal tax rates can lead to
higher tax revenues.
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194 Chapter 11
b. A budget surplus would occur if government expenditures were less than tax
revenues in a given fiscal year.
c. A balanced budget would occur if government expenditures equaled tax
revenues in a given fiscal year.
d. A cyclical deficit is the part of the federal budget deficit that occurs as a result of
an economic downturn.
e. A structural deficit is the part of the federal budget deficit that would exist if the
economy were operating at full employment.
1. The five types of lags include the data lag (policymakers are not aware of changes in the
economy as soon as they happen); the wait-and-see lag (policymakers rarely enact
counteractive measures immediately); the legislative lag (it can take months for
policymakers to propose a fiscal policy measure, build support for it, and get it passed);
the transmission lag (fiscal policy measures take time to be put into effect); and the
effectiveness lag (after a policy measure is implemented, it takes time to affect the
economy).
2. Lags are problems since, by the time the full impact of the policy is felt, the economic
problem it was designed to solve may no longer exist, may not exist to the degree it
once did, or may have changed altogether.
1. Explain the difference between zero, incomplete, and complete crowding out. If
crowding out is complete, does it call into question the effectiveness of a rise in
government purchases in order to remove an economy from a recessionary gap?
Explain and diagrammatically represent your answer.
Zero crowding out: The government increases spending but private sector spending remains
constant.
Incomplete crowding out: The government increases spending and there is a less than
proportionate decrease in private sector spending.
Complete crowding out: The government increases spending and there is an equal decrease in
private spending.
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196 Chapter 11
LRAS
SRAS
Price Level
1
AD1
0 Q1 QN Real GDP
In the above figure, the economy is in a recessionary gap at point 1. A fall in private
expenditures completely offsets the initial increase in aggregate demand due to increased
government spending. The aggregate demand curve does not move (on net) at all. Real GDP
does not change, and neither does the unemployment rate. So, with complete crowding out,
expansionary fiscal policy has no effect on the economy. The economy remains at point 1.
2. Tax cuts may either decrease or increase tax revenues. Do you agree or disagree?
Explain your answer.
Agree. Tax revenues may increase or decrease based on how much the tax base changes
when the average tax rate is changed.
For example, a tax rate of 10 percent multiplied by a tax base of $100 billion generates $10
billion of tax revenues.
If the tax rate is reduced to 8 percent, the reduction is likely to increase the tax base to $110
billion. Tax revenues drop to $8.80 billion.
But, if the tax base expands to $130 billion, the tax revenues rise to $10.4 billion.
3. Give a numerical example to illustrate the difference between the marginal tax rate
and the average tax rate.
= 10%
4. Explain how, under certain conditions, expansionary fiscal policy can remove an
economy from a recessionary gap.
LRAS
SRAS
2
Price Level
AD2
AD1
0 Q1 QN Real GDP
In the above figure, the economy is in a recessionary gap at point 1. Assuming that there is no
crowding out or lags, an increase in government purchases and/or a decrease taxes will
increase aggregate demand. AD1 shifts to AD2. The economy moves out of the recessionary
gap and is in equilibrium at point 2.
Progressive Proportional
Taxable income
tax rate tax rate
In a progressive income tax structure, the marginal tax rate increases as taxable income
increases. In a proportional income tax structure, the marginal tax rate is constant as taxable
income increases.
2. How much were government expenditures in2013? How much were government
tax revenues in 2013?
3. The bulk of federal government expenditures go for four programs. What are
they?
Social security, Medicare, Medicaid, and national defense account for the bulk of government
expenditures.
4. What percentage of total income did the top 10 percent of income earners earn
in2011? What percentage of federal income taxes did this group pay in 2011?
In 2011, the top 10 percent of income earners earned 45.4 percent of the total income earned
and paid 68.3 percent of the total federal income taxes collected.
5. Is it true that, under a proportional income tax structure, a person who earns a
high income will pay more in taxes than a person who earns a low income?
Explain your answer.
Yes, it is true. Under a proportional income tax structure, the absolute level of taxes someone
pays increases, but taxes as a proportion of income remain the same. For example, if the
income tax rate were 20 percent, someone earning $20,000 would pay $4,000 in taxes, and
someone earning $50,000 would pay $10,000 in taxes. The person earning $50,000 pays more
in taxes, but as a proportion of income, she pays the same amount as the person earning
$20,000.
6. A progressive income tax always raises more revenue than a proportional income
tax. Do you agree or disagree? Explain your answer.
Disagree. A progressive income tax can become burdensome on work effort and result in
smaller tax collections than a proportional tax. For example, a 100 percent tax on all income
above $100,000 would be highly progressive, and drive down work effort as well.
7. Jim favors progressive taxation and equal after-tax pay for equal work. Comment.
Progressive taxation is sometimes inconsistent with equal after-tax pay for equal work. To
illustrate, suppose each of two persons is paid $1,000 for doing the same job. If the two
individuals do not pay the same marginal tax rate, then one individual is left with less after-tax
pay for doing the same job the other person does. Simply put, sometimes you have to choose
between progressive taxation and equal after-tax pay for equal work.
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Fiscal Policy and the Federal Budget 199
A cyclical deficit will disappear when the economy returns to full-employment, while a structural
deficit will not.
9. What is the difference between discretionary fiscal policy and automatic fiscal
policy?
When changes in government expenditures and taxes are brought about deliberately through
government actions, fiscal policy is said to be discretionary. In contrast, a change in either
government expenditures or taxes that occurs automatically in response to economic events is
referred to as automatic fiscal policy.
10. According to Buchanan and Wagner, why is there a political bias towards
expansionary fiscal policy and not contractionary fiscal policy?
Expansionary fiscal policy is likely to be more popular among the citizens than a
contractionary policy. If the political environment is such that the people do not want the
government to reduce spending benefits or raise taxes, then the government is less
likely to introduce these measures. Economic policies often have political dimensions
and politics often trumps economics.
Crowding out may occur because individuals substitute government goods for private goods or
because financing the deficit pushes interest rates upward causing investment to fall.
12. Why is crowding out an important issue in the debate over the use of fiscal
policy?
Those who advocate the use of fiscal policy believe it is capable of affecting the aggregate
demand curve and therefore Real GDP. Crowding out calls the effectiveness of fiscal policy
into question. For example, if an increase in government purchases causes private
expenditures to fall by the same amount, then there is complete crowding out and th e
aggregate demand curve does not shift. Thus, there is no change in Real GDP.
13. Some economists argue for the use of fiscal policy to solve economic problems;
some argue against it. What are some of the arguments on both sides?
This answer is given with respect to demand-side fiscal policy only. Those in favor of the use of
fiscal policy often argue that the economy is not always self-regulating and that sometimes it
needs a push to move it in the right direction. Fiscal policy is that push. Those against the use of
fiscal policy often argue that the economy is self-regulating, that the existence of lags can turn a
potentially effective fiscal policy measure into the “wrong medicine at the wrong time,” and that
the existence of crowding out places a question mark over the effectiveness of fiscal policy.
14. Give a numerical example to illustrate the difference between complete crowding
out and incomplete crowding out.
Answers will vary. An example of complete crowding out would be if the government spends $1
million on food stamps and spending by food stamp recipients falls by $1 million. An example of
incomplete crowding out would be if the government spends $1 million on food stamps and
spending by food stamp recipients falls by $0.8 million.
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200 Chapter 11
15. The debate over using government spending and taxing powers to stabilize the
economy involves more than technical economic issues. Do you agree or
disagree? Explain your answer.
Agree. Two technical issues that divide economists have to do with crowding out (Is there
crowding out or not?) and the existence and importance of lags (Are there lags? To what degree
do they diminish the effectiveness of fiscal policy? Are there ways to get around them?).
Besides disagreeing on technical points, economists may disagree as to the ethical decision to
run budget deficits, the long-run political consequences of permitting government to run
continuous annual deficits, and much more. Simply put, economic debates are not always
strictly limited to technical economic issues.
16. Is crowding out equally likely under all economic conditions? Explain your
answer.
No. The closer the economy is to its production possibilities frontier (i.e., full employment)
and/or the steeper the SRAS curve, the greater the likelihood of significant crowding out. The
condition of the financial market is also important. The tighter the supply of money and/or
loanable funds, the greater the likelihood of reduced private borrowing in the case of a budget
deficit.
17. Tax cuts will likely affect aggregate demand and aggregate supply. Does it matter
which is affected more? Explain in terms of the AD-AS framework.
Yes. If AD and SRAS both increase, real output will increase. However, the effect on the price
level depends upon the relative magnitudes of the changes in AD and SRAS. If AD increases by
more than SRAS, then the price level will rise. If SRAS increases by more than AD, then the
price level will fall., If AD and SRAS increase proportionally, then the price level should remain
constant.
18. Explain how, under expansionary fiscal policy, expansionary fiscal policy can, ,
destabilize the economy.
The government has to know a great deal to implement fiscal policy properly, including the true
state of the economy, and the values of Natural Real GDP and the MPC. If the government, for
example, were to misread the state of the economy as declining when in fact it were not, the
implementation of expansionary fiscal policy could turn equilibrium into an inflationary gap.
19. Identify and explain the five lags associated with fiscal policy.
The five types of lags include the data lag (policymakers are not aware of changes in the
economy as soon as they happen); the wait-and-see lag (policymakers rarely enact
counteractive measures immediately); the legislative lag (it can take months for policymakers to
propose a fiscal policy measure, build support for it, and get it passed); the transmission lag
(fiscal policy measures take time to be put into effect); and the effectiveness lag (after a policy
measure is implemented, it takes time to affect the economy).
20. Suppose the economy is in a recessionary gap, and both Smith and Jones
advocate expansionary fiscal policy. Does it follow that both Smith and Jones
favor so-called big government?
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Fiscal Policy and the Federal Budget 201
Not necessarily. Expansionary fiscal policy only results in permanently larger government if the
expenditure increases undertaken to shift the aggregate demand curve are left in place after the
need for the policy has passed. Also, Smith may prefer more government spending (bigger
government) while Jones prefers tax cuts (smaller government) when it comes to expansionary
fiscal policy.
21. Will tax cuts that the public perceives to be temporary affect the SRAS and LRAS
curves differently than tax cuts that are perceived to be permanent? Explain your
answer.
A temporary tax cut will not alter people’s work behavior because it is temporary and may not
impact SRAS, and should not impact LRAS at all. A permanent decrease in taxes should result
in a permanent change in the behavior of people toward greater work effort, resulting in
permanent rightward shifts of both the SRAS curve and the LRAS curve.
22. What is the difference between a marginal tax rate and an average tax rate?
A marginal tax rate is the rate paid on additional income while an average tax rate is the rate
paid on all income.
23 Will tax revenue necessarily rise if tax rates are lowered? Explain your answer.
No. The answer depends on how the change in the tax rate affects the tax base. If the tax rate
cut does not cause a large enough increase in the tax base, then tax revenue will fall.
24. Georgia Dickens is sitting with a friend at a coffee shop and they are talking about
the new tax bill. Georgia thinks that cutting tax rates at this time would be wrong:
“Lower tax rates,” she says, “will lead to a larger budget deficit, and the budget
deficit is already plenty big.” Do lower tax rates mean a larger deficit? Why or why
not?
Lower tax rates do not necessarily lead to a larger deficit. Lower tax rates could lead to higher
tax revenues which would lead to a smaller budget deficit. What matters is whether the
percentage cut in tax rates is larger or smaller than the percentage rise in the tax base.
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202 Chapter 11
3. What is the marginal tax rate on the 10,001st dollar? What is the marginal tax rate
on the 10,000th dollar?
4. What is the average tax rate of someone with a taxable income of $13,766?
The taxes paid are $1,100 + 15% of 3,766 = $1,664.90. That is an average tax rate of
$1,664.90/$13,766 = 12.09%.
5. A hypothetical society has three income earners, and all three must pay income
taxes. The taxable income of Smith is $40,000, the taxable income of Jones is
$100,000 and the taxable income of Brown is $200,000. (a) How much tax revenue
is raised under a proportional income tax where the tax rate is 10 percent? How
much is raised if the tax rate is 15 percent? (b) A progressive system is installed,
with a rate of 5 percent on an income of $0-$40,000, a rate of 8 percent on income
from $40,001 to $100,000, and a rate of 15 percent on all income over $100,000.
Will this system raise more or less tax revenue than a proportional tax rate of 10
percent? Explain your answer.
Total income is $340,000. (a) At a 10 percent flat rate, tax payments would be $34,000; at a 15
percent flat rate, tax payments would be $51,000. (b) With the progressive income tax system
specified, tax payments would be $40,000.
6. Show graphically show how fiscal policy works in the ideal case.
The two graphs that make up Exhibit 2 in the text explains this.
7. Illustrate graphically how government can use supply-side fiscal policy to get an
economy out of a recessionary gap.
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Fiscal Policy and the Federal Budget 203
SRAS1
LRAS1
Price
level
SRAS2
AD1
0 Q1 QN Real GDP
In the above figure, the economy is initially at Q1 in a recessionary gap. Government lowers
marginal tax rates, thus increasing the incentive to engage in productive activities (such as
work) and the SRAS curves shifts rightward from SRAS1 to SRAS2. At point 2, the economy is
long-run equilibrium.
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204 Chapter 11
(a) The economy is at Q1 in a recessionary gap and government increases AD too much,
resulting in an inflationary gap at Q2.
(b) The government shifts AD from AD1 to AD2, which moves the economy to QN.
(c) The government shifts AD from AD1 to AD2, which fails to move the economy completely to
Q N.
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