FYUG EVEN SEMESTER EXAM, 2024 ECONOMICS (2nd Semester) Course No.: ECOIDC-151T (Foundation of Economics-II)

Time: 3 Hours | Full Marks: 70 | Pass Marks: 28

SECTION-A

Answer any twenty questions (All 25 solved for full coverage): 1 x 20 = 20

1. Define macroeconomics.

Macroeconomics is the branch of economics that studies the behavior and performance of an economy as a whole, focusing on aggregate variables such as national income, total employment, and inflation.

2. Give two examples of two macroeconomic variables.

3. What is called a two-sector economy?

A two-sector economy is a simplified economic model consisting only of households and business firms.

4. Who are economic agents?

Economic agents are individuals or institutions (such as consumers, producers, or the government) that make decisions influencing economic activities.

5. Write two examples of stocks.

  • Total wealth.
  • Inventory of a firm at a specific point in time.

6. Define GDP_MP.

GDP_MP (Gross Domestic Product at Market Price) is the total market value of all final goods and services produced within the domestic territory of a country during a year, inclusive of indirect taxes but exclusive of subsidies.

7. What is depreciation reserve fund?

A depreciation reserve fund is an account where a business sets aside money periodically to replace fixed assets when they wear out or become obsolete.

8. Define personal income.

Personal income is the total income actually received by individuals and households from all sources (including transfer payments) before payment of personal direct taxes.

9. What is meant by transfer payment?

Transfer payment refers to a payment made by the government or an institution to an individual for which no productive service is rendered in return (e.g., old-age pensions or student scholarships).

10. Write two examples of leakages.

  • Savings.
  • Imports.

11. What is a Laissez-faire economy?

A Laissez-faire economy is a free-market system where the government does not interfere in economic transactions, allowing private individuals and firms to operate without regulation.

12. Who said, "supply always creates its own demand"?

This statement is known as Say's Law, attributed to the French economist Jean-Baptiste Say.

13. What is called full employment?

Full employment is an economic situation where all available labor resources are being used in the most efficient way possible, and anyone willing to work at the current wage rate can find a job.

14. Define MPP_L.

MPP_L (Marginal Physical Product of Labor) is the additional output produced by employing one more unit of labor while keeping all other inputs constant.

15. What is the fundamental assumption of the classical theory of employment?

The fundamental assumption is that there is automatic full employment in the economy in the long run.

16. Define a consumption function.

A consumption function describes the functional relationship between total consumption expenditure and the level of national income.

17. Can MPC take the value zero?

Yes, theoretically, Marginal Propensity to Consume (MPC) can be zero if an individual decides to save the entirety of an additional unit of income.

18. What is the value of investment multipliers when MPC is 0.50?

The multiplier (K) is calculated as K = 1 / (1 - MPC). For MPC = 0.50, K = 1 / (1 - 0.50) = 2.

19. State one relationship between APC and MPC.

As income increases, both APC and MPC tend to decline, but MPC falls faster than APC.

20. What is called ex-ante investment?

Ex-ante investment refers to the planned or intended investment that entrepreneurs desire to make at different levels of income.

21. Define money.

Money is anything that is generally accepted as a medium of exchange, a measure of value, a store of value, and a standard for deferred payments.

22. Write one function of a commercial bank.

One primary function is the acceptance of deposits from the public.

23. What is overdraft facility?

An overdraft facility allows a current account holder to withdraw more money than they actually have in their account, up to a pre-approved limit.

24. Name two determinants of money supply in an economy.

  • The monetary base (High-powered money).
  • The reserve ratio maintained by commercial banks.

25. Write one agency function of a commercial bank.

Acting as an agent for customers in the collection and payment of checks or bills.


SECTION-B

Answer any five questions: 2 x 5 = 10

26. Distinguish between stocks and flows. [2]

A stock is a quantity measured at a specific point in time (e.g., wealth or capital), whereas a flow is a quantity measured over a specified period of time (e.g., income or investment).

27. What are the components of a four-sector economy? [2]

A four-sector economy includes: 1. Households, 2. Business Firms, 3. The Government, and 4. The External (Rest of the World) sector.

28. Distinguish between real national income and nominal national income. [2]

Nominal national income is the value of final goods and services measured at current market prices, while real national income is the value measured at constant (base-year) prices to adjust for inflation.

29. Point out two difficulties in estimation of national income. [2]

  • The problem of double counting (counting the same product more than once).
  • Difficulty in valuing non-marketed services, such as those provided by a housewife.

30. State two assumptions of Say's law of market. [2]

  • Perfect competition exists in both labor and product markets.
  • The economy is a free enterprise system without government interference.

31. What, according to classical economists, ensures full employment in the long run? [2]

According to classical economists, flexibility in wages, prices, and interest rates ensures the economy automatically returns to full employment.

32. Define effective demand. [2]

Effective demand is the level of aggregate demand which is exactly equal to the aggregate supply in an economy, determining the equilibrium level of income and employment.

33. State two features of investment multiplier. [2]

  • It represents the multiple increase in national income resulting from a given initial increase in investment.
  • The size of the multiplier is directly related to the Marginal Propensity to Consume (MPC).

34. Point out two important roles of a central bank. [2]

  • Issuing currency notes (Bank of Issue).
  • Acting as a lender of last resort to commercial banks.

35. Write two limitations of credit creation by commercial banks. [2]

  • The Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR) imposed by the central bank.
  • The availability of collateral or creditworthy borrowers in the market.

SECTION-C

Answer any five questions: 8 x 5 = 40

36. Explain the scope and importance of macroeconomics. [4+4=8]

Scope: Macroeconomics covers the theory of national income, employment, money, general price levels, and economic growth. It examines how these large-scale factors interact to determine the overall state of an economy.

Importance: It is crucial for formulating government policies, understanding the causes of economic fluctuations (like booms and recessions), and facilitating comparisons of economic performance between different countries.

38. Discuss the working of circular flow in a three-sector economy. [8]

In a three-sector economy, the government is added to the household and firm sectors. Households and firms pay taxes to the government, which represents a leakage. The government, in turn, provides transfer payments to households and subsidies to firms, while also making direct purchases of goods and services, which act as injections into the flow.

39. Explain in brief the value-added method of estimation of national income. [8]

The value-added method (also known as the product method) measures national income by summing the value added by every producing enterprise in the domestic territory during a year.

Value Added = Value of Output - Intermediate Consumption

To avoid double counting, only the value added at each stage of production is considered, rather than the total value of sales at every stage.

42. State and explain Keynes' psychological law of consumption with its limitations. [8]

Keynes' psychological law of consumption states that as income increases, consumption also increases, but by a smaller amount than the increase in income. This implies that some portion of the additional income is always saved.

Limitations: The law assumes a stable social and economic environment. It may not hold true during periods of war, hyperinflation, or significant changes in the distribution of wealth, where consumption habits may shift drastically regardless of income levels.

44. Explain the different quantitative instruments of credit control of the central bank of a country. [8]

Quantitative instruments are tools used by the central bank to regulate the total volume of credit in the economy:

  • Bank Rate: The interest rate at which the central bank lends to commercial banks.
  • Open Market Operations (OMO): The buying and selling of government securities to influence bank reserves.
  • Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR): The percentage of total deposits that banks must keep with the central bank.
  • Statutory Liquidity Ratio (SLR): The percentage of deposits that banks must maintain in liquid assets like gold or government securities.

Would you like me to explain the Qualitative instruments of credit control (like margin requirements) that often complement the quantitative ones?