2.6.1
Objectives of Monetary Policy
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Monetary Policy Objectives
Along with fiscal policy, monetary policy is a tool which is used to smooth business cycles and achieve macroeconomic stability.

Multiple objectives
- In making decisions about the money supply, a central bank decides whether to raise or lower interest rates and, in this way, to influence macroeconomic policy, whose goal is low unemployment and low inflation.
- The central bank is also responsible for regulating all or part of the nation’s banking system to protect bank depositors and insure the health of the bank’s balance sheet.

Central banks around the world
- We call the organization responsible for conducting monetary policy and ensuring that a nation’s financial system operates smoothly the central bank.
- Most nations have central banks or currency boards. Some prominent central banks around the world include the European Central Bank, the Bank of Japan, and the Bank of England.
- In the United States, we call the central bank the Federal Reserve—often abbreviated as just “the Fed.”

Closing output gaps
- Similar to fiscal policy, monetary policy can be used to close output gaps:
- When a recessionary output gap exists, expansionary monetary policy is most appropriate.
- When an inflationary output gap exists, contractionary monetary policy is most appropriate.
1Microeconomics
1.1Competitive Markets: Demand & Suply
1.2Elasticity
1.3Government Intervention
1.4Market Failure
1.4.1Types of Market Failure1.4.2Introduction to Externalities1.4.3Negative Externalities1.4.4Policy for Negative Externalities1.4.5Positive Externalities1.4.6The Deadweight Welfare Loss of Externalities1.4.7Case Study - The Externalities of Education1.4.8Public Goods & the Free-Rider Problem1.4.9Asymmetric Information1.4.10End of Topic Test - Market Failure1.4.11Application Questions - Market Failure
1.5HL: Theory of the Firm & Market Structures
2Macroeconomics
2.1The Level of Overall Economic Activity
2.2Aggregate Demand & Aggregate Supply
2.2.1The Aggregate Demand Curve2.2.2Components of Aggregate Demand2.2.3Shape of the Aggregate Demand Curve2.2.4Shifts in Aggregate Demand2.2.5IB Multiple Choice - Aggregate Demand2.2.6Short & Long-Run Aggregate Supply2.2.7Alternative Models of LRAS2.2.8Equilibrium in the AD-AS Model2.2.9Output Gaps & the AD-AS Model
2.3Macroeconomic Objectives
2.3.1Introduction to Unemployment2.3.2Limitations of Unemployment2.3.3Types of Unemployment2.3.4Causes & Impact of Unemployment2.3.5Defining Inflation2.3.6Measuring Inflation2.3.7Use of Index Numbers2.3.8The Consumer Price Index2.3.9Consequences of Inflation2.3.10Causes of Inflation2.3.11Inflation & Unemployment Tradeoff2.3.12The Short-Run Phillips Curve2.3.13The Long-Run Phillips Curve
2.4Economic Growth, Poverty & Inequality
2.5Fiscal Policy
2.6Monetary Policy
2.7Supply-Side Policies
3The Global Economy
3.1International Trade
3.2Exchange Rates
3.3The Balance of Payments
3.4Economic Integration
3.5Terms of Trade
3.6Economic Development
3.7The Role of Domestic & International Factors
3.8The Role of International Trade
3.9The Role of Foreign Aid
Jump to other topics
1Microeconomics
1.1Competitive Markets: Demand & Suply
1.2Elasticity
1.3Government Intervention
1.4Market Failure
1.4.1Types of Market Failure1.4.2Introduction to Externalities1.4.3Negative Externalities1.4.4Policy for Negative Externalities1.4.5Positive Externalities1.4.6The Deadweight Welfare Loss of Externalities1.4.7Case Study - The Externalities of Education1.4.8Public Goods & the Free-Rider Problem1.4.9Asymmetric Information1.4.10End of Topic Test - Market Failure1.4.11Application Questions - Market Failure
1.5HL: Theory of the Firm & Market Structures
2Macroeconomics
2.1The Level of Overall Economic Activity
2.2Aggregate Demand & Aggregate Supply
2.2.1The Aggregate Demand Curve2.2.2Components of Aggregate Demand2.2.3Shape of the Aggregate Demand Curve2.2.4Shifts in Aggregate Demand2.2.5IB Multiple Choice - Aggregate Demand2.2.6Short & Long-Run Aggregate Supply2.2.7Alternative Models of LRAS2.2.8Equilibrium in the AD-AS Model2.2.9Output Gaps & the AD-AS Model
2.3Macroeconomic Objectives
2.3.1Introduction to Unemployment2.3.2Limitations of Unemployment2.3.3Types of Unemployment2.3.4Causes & Impact of Unemployment2.3.5Defining Inflation2.3.6Measuring Inflation2.3.7Use of Index Numbers2.3.8The Consumer Price Index2.3.9Consequences of Inflation2.3.10Causes of Inflation2.3.11Inflation & Unemployment Tradeoff2.3.12The Short-Run Phillips Curve2.3.13The Long-Run Phillips Curve
2.4Economic Growth, Poverty & Inequality
2.5Fiscal Policy
2.6Monetary Policy
2.7Supply-Side Policies
3The Global Economy
3.1International Trade
3.2Exchange Rates
3.3The Balance of Payments
3.4Economic Integration
3.5Terms of Trade
3.6Economic Development
3.7The Role of Domestic & International Factors
3.8The Role of International Trade
3.9The Role of Foreign Aid
Practice questions on Objectives of Monetary Policy
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