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ECON 105

How does monetary policy move the economy?

Move money supply and interest rates, then follow the effects on spending, output and prices. Learn the chain and practise with ten worked questions in Solve.

Demand and equilibrium · Step 1 of 12

Holding money has an opportunity cost

Move along demand or shift demand
Interest rate (%)
M₁rEMD
Money ($ billion)
MD. Marked point E.
MD: money demandE: M = 800; r = 5.00%
Cedar Island is our invented economy, and all its amounts below are in $ billion. Money is convenient for purchases, but holding it means giving up interest on an alternative asset. As the interest rate rises, people want smaller money balances: this is the downward-sloping money demand curve.
Try it: Move the interest rate and follow the point along the same curve.
Interest rate (percent)5.00%
Money demand
800
Interest rate
5.00%
Interest lost
10
MD = k − h × r, where r is in percent.
MD = 1,200 − 80 × (5.00) = 800.
Interest given up = 200 × (5.00 ÷ 100) = 10.
Assume 200 held as money earns no interest. The alternative pays your chosen rate on that same 200.
Check yourself
A higher interest rate, with everything else fixed, causes…

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