Question

1. According to the Phillips curve, policymakers could reduce both inflation and unemployment by
A. increasing the money supply.
B. decreasing government expenditures.
C. increasing government expenditures.
D. raising taxes.
E. None of the above is correct.

which of the following statements is (are) correct?
(x) The natural rate of unemployment is the rate of unemployment that the economy tends to move to in the long run and it is not dependent on the money supply.
(y) A vertical long-run Phillips curve is consistent with the principle of monetary neutrality and it implies that the natural rate of unemployment is independent of the inflation rate.
(z) Government policy that creates structural unemployment via minimum wage laws or a change in frictional unemployment via increased unemployment benefits can alter the natural rate of unemployment.
A. (x), (y) and (z)
B. (x) and (y) only
C. (x) and (z) only
D. (y) and (z) only
E. (y) only

According to the long-run Phillips curve as described in the textbook, in the long run, unemployment depends upon factors such as
(x) the power of unions and minimum wage laws that alter the amount of structural unemployment.
(y) the nature of the job search process and the amount and duration of unemployment benefits.
(z) fiscal policy that reduces the amount of cyclical unemployment.
A. (x), (y) and (z)
B. (x) and (y) only
C. (x) and (z) only
D. (y) and (z) only
E. (z) only

Answer 1

Question 1 answer :- E

Explanation -

The Phillips curve shows the inverse relationship between inflation and unemployment: as unemployment decreases, inflation increases.

The concept behind the Phillips curve states the change in unemployment within an economy has a predictable effect on price inflation. The inverse relationship between unemployment and inflation is depicted as a downward sloping, concave curve, with inflation on the Y-axis and unemployment on the X-axis. Increasing inflation decreases unemployment, and vice versa. Alternatively, a focus on decreasing unemployment also increases inflation, and vice versa.

Stagflation occurs when an economy experiences stagnant economic growth, high unemployment and high price inflation. This scenario, of course, directly contradicts the theory behind the Philips curve. The United States never experienced stagflation until the 1970s, when rising unemployment did not coincide with declining inflation. Between 1973 and 1975, the U.S. economy posted six consecutive quarters of declining GDP and at the same time tripled its inflation.

In the United States, the most famous period during which inflation and unemployment were positively correlated was the 1970s. Termed stagflation, the combination of high inflation, high unemployment and sluggish economic growth that plagued this decade came about for several reasons. President Richard Nixon removed the U.S. dollar from the gold standard. Instead of being tied to a commodity with intrinsic value, the currency was left to float, its value subject to market whims.

Positive correlation between inflation and unemployment can also be a good thing – as long as both levels are low. The late 1990s featured a combination of unemployment below 5% and inflation below 2.5%. An economic bubble in the tech industry was largely responsible for the low unemployment rate, while cheap gas amid tepid global demand helped keep inflation low. In 2000, the tech bubble burst, resulting in an unemployment spike, and gas prices began to climb. From 2000 to 2020, the relationship between inflation and unemployment once again followed the Phillips curve, but far less