The «Keynesian multiplier» has important implications for policy. The effect on demand of any exogenous increase in spending, such as an increase in government outlays is a multiple of that increase – until potential is reached. Thus, a government could stimulate a great deal of new production with a modest outlay: if the government spends, the people who receive this money then spend most on consumption goods and save the rest. This extra spending allows businesses to hire more people and pay them, which in turn allows a further increase in consumer spending. This process continues. At each step, the increase in spending is smaller than in the previous step, so that the multiplier process tapers off and allows the attainment of equilibrium.
Essential Vocabulary
1. macro-level
– макроуровень2. micro-level
– микроуровень3. aggregate demand
– совокупный спрос4. goods
5. deflation
6.supply-side economics
– экономика предложения7. gold standard
– золотой стандарт8. treaty
9. currency
10. peg
pegging
peg
11. centrally-planned economy
– плановая экономика12. effective demand
– эффективный (фактический) спрос13.interest rate
– процентная ставка14. real wage
– реальный уровень зарплаты (зарплата с поправкой на инфляцию)15. nominal wage
– номинальная зарплата16. barter
barter
17. trade (labor) union
– профсоюз18. depression
19. laissez faire
– экономическая доктрина, проповедующая минимальное вмешательство государства в экономику20. inelasticity
inelastic
elasticity
elastic
21. liquidity trap
– «ликвидная ловушка»22. floor
23. bond holder
– владелец облигаций24. deviation
deviate
25. accelerator effect
– эффект акселератора (ускорителя) (взаимосвязь темпов экономического роста и уровня инвестиций)26. tax (price) hike
– повышение налогов (цен)27. buying (purchasing) power
– покупательная способность28. expansionary policy
– политика экономического роста29. counter-cyclical
– антициклический30. deficit spending
– дефицитное расходование31. outlay
32. crowding out
crowd out
33. government bond
– правительственная облигация34.public goods
– товары и услуги, которые служат пользе всех и являются общедоступными35. slack
slack
36. demand-side
– на стороне спроса37. cooling
38. multiplier
multiplier
39. exogenous
Exercise 1. Answer the following questions.
1. What is the most famous book by John M.Keynes? 2. What is the driving factor of the economic process according to Keynes? 3. In what way did Keynes’ theory conflict with the supply-side economics? 4. How did Keynes explain the level of output and employment in the economy? 5. How did Keynes regard the determination of wages? 6. What was the problem with excessive savings in Keynes’ views? 7. What is the «liquidity trap»? 8. How did Keynes justify the active government policy? 9. Why did the classic economists regard Keynesianism as «fiscal madness»? 10. What is Keynesian multiplier?
Exercise 2*. Find terms in the text that match definitions given below and make sentences of your own with each term.
1. the theory that excessive central government borrowing on capital markets will consume funds otherwise available for private investment
2. notes and coins that are the current medium of exchange in a country
3. a form of international exchange practiced until the 1930s. Each country’s national currency was linked by a fixed rate to gold and varied in volume with the amount of gold held