1. PUTTING IT ALL
TOGETHER
MODULE 45

2. BASIC MACROECONOMIC MODELS
We can use the basic macroeconomic
models to analyze scenarios and
evaluate policy recommendations.
This approach can be used in problems
involving any macroeconomic
model, including models of AD and
AS, production possibilities, money
markets, and the Phillips curve.

3. A STRUCTURE FOR MACROECONOMIC
ANALYSIS
 No matter what the specific question
is, most macroeconomic problems have
the following components:
1. A starting point
2. A pivotal event (a change in the
economy of a policy response to the
initial situation)
3. Secondary and long-run effects of the
event (effects and move to long-run
equilibrium)

4. THE STARTING POINT
 Most often you will use an AD-AS model
to evaluate macroeconomic scenarios.
 There are three possible starting points:
1. Long-run macroeconomic equilibrium:
AD and SRAS both intersect on the
LRAS, equilibrium at potential output.

5. THE STARTING POINT
2. A recessionary gap: Short run
macroeconomic equilibrium with
aggregate output level below potential
output (AD and SRAS intersect at a
point below LRAS)

6. THE STARTING POINT
3. Inflationary gap: Short run
macroeconomic equilibrium with
aggregate output level above potential
output (AD and SRAS intersect at a
point to the right of LRAS)

7. THE PIVOTAL EVENT
The group of determinants of change is
put into small sets of major factors that
influence macroeconomic models in
Table 45.1 on page 446.
The major factors are matched with the
curves they affect.
Many curves are shifted by changes in
only two or three major factors.

8. THE PIVOTAL EVENT
Even for the AD curve, which has the
largest amount of associated factors, you
can simplify the task by asking yourself if
the event affects consumer
spending, investment
spending, government spending, or net
exports.
If the answer to any of these questions is
yes, then aggregate demand shifts.

9. THE PIVOTAL EVENT
A shift in the long-run aggregate supply
curve is caused only by events that affect
labor productivity or the number of
workers.
Remember that having correctly labeled
axes on your graph is crucial to correct
analysis.

10. FACTORS THAT SHIFT AGGREGATE
DEMAND AND AGGREGATE SUPPLY
AGGREGATE SHORT-RUN LONG-RUN
DEMAND AGGREGATE SUPPLY AGGREGATE SUPPLY
Expectations Commodity prices Productivity
Wealth Nominal wages • Physical capital
Size of existing capital Productivity • Human capital
stock
Fiscal and monetary Business taxes • Technology
policy
Net exports Quantity of resources
Interest rates
Investment spending

11. FACTORS THAT SHIFT
DEMAND AND SUPPLY
DEMAND SUPPLY
Income Input prices
Prices of substitutes and Prices of substitutes and
complements complements in production
Tastes Technology
Consumer expectations Producer expectations
Number of consumers Number of producers

12. FACTORS THAT SHIFT THE
LOANABLE FUNDS MARKET
DEMAND CURVE SUPPLY CURVE
1. Investment opportunities 1. Private saving behavior
2. Government borrowing 2. Capital inflows

13. FACTORS THAT SHIFT THE
MONEY MARKET
DEMAND CURVE SUPPLY CURVE
1. Aggregate price level 1. Supply set by the Federal
Reserve
2. Real GDP
3. Technology (related to the
money market)
4. Institutions (related to the
money market)

14. FACTORS THAT SHIFT THE
FOREIGN EXCHANGE MARKET
DEMAND SUPPLY
Foreigners’ purchases of Domestic residents’ purchases of:
domestic: • Goods
• Goods • Services
• Services • Assets
• assets

15. THE PIVOTAL EVENT
Often the event is a policy response to
an undesirable starting point (such as a
recessionary or inflationary gap).
Expansionary policy is used to combat a
recession and contractionary policy is
used to combat inflationary pressures.

16. THE PIVOTAL EVENT
The Federal Reserve can implement
each type of monetary policy (increase or
decrease the money supply) or the
government can implement expansionary
or contractionary fiscal policy by raising
or lowering taxes or government
spending, or both.

17. THE INITIAL EFFECT OF THE
EVENT
The event will create short-run effects in the
models.
In the short-run fiscal and monetary policy both
affect the economy by shifting the AD curve.
To illustrate the effect of a policy response,
shift the AD curve on your starting point graph
and indicate the effects of the shift on the
aggregate price level and aggregate output.

18. SECONDARY AND LONG-RUN EFFECTS
OF THE EVENT
In addition to the initial short-run effects
of any event, there will be secondary
effects and the economy will move to its
long-run equilibrium after the short-run
effects run their course.
Negative or positive demand shocks
move the economy away from long-run
macroeconomic equilibrium.

19. SECONDARY AND LONG-RUN EFFECTS
OF THE EVENT
In the absence of policy responses, such
events will eventually be offset through
changes in the short-run aggregate
supply resulting from changes in nominal
wage rates.
This will move the economy back to
long-run macroeconomic equilibrium.

20. SECONDARY AND LONG-RUN EFFECTS
OF THE EVENT
If the short-run effects of an action result
in changes in the aggregate price level or
real interest rate, there will be secondary
effects throughout the open economy.
International capital flows and
international trade will be affected as a
result of the initial effects experienced in
the economy.

21. SECONDARY AND LONG-RUN EFFECTS
OF THE EVENT
A price level decrease will encourage
exports and discourage imports, causing
an appreciation in the domestic currency
on the foreign exchange market.
A change in the interest rate affects AD
through changes in investment and
consumer spending.

22. SECONDARY AND LONG-RUN EFFECTS
OF THE EVENT
Changes in the interest rate affect AD
through changes in imports or exports
caused by the currency appreciation and
depreciation.
These secondary effects act to reinforce
the effects of monetary policy.

23. LONG RUN EFFECTS
While deviations from potential output
are corrected in the long-run, other
effects may remain.
For example, in the long run, the use of
fiscal policy affects the federal budget.
Changes in taxes or government
spending that lead to budget deficits can
“crowd out” private investment spending
in the long run.

24. LONG RUN EFFECTS
The government’s increased demand for
loanable funds drives up the interest
rate, decreases investment spending,
and partially offsets the initial increase in
AD.
If the deficit were addressed by printing
money, that would lead to problems with
inflation in the long run.

25. LONG RUN EFFECTS
In the long run, monetary policy affects
only the aggregate price level, not real
GDP.
Because money is neutral, changes in
the money supply have on effect on the
real economy.
The aggregate price level and nominal
values will be affected by the same
proportion, leaving real values
unchanged (including the real interest
rate).