Econ 501 Spring 2021 Midterm Examination
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Econ 501
Spring 2021
Midterm Examination
1. Consider the following three countries that produce Big Macs, Starbuck Veinte Coffees, and Einstein Bagel Donuts.
Price Data
|
Big Mac |
Starbuck Veinte |
Einstein Bagels |
United States |
$4.00 |
$3.00 |
$1.00 |
China |
25 Yuan |
50 Yuan |
5 Yuan |
Indonesia |
30,000 Rupiah |
30,000 Rupia |
15,000 Rupiah |
Sales Data
Country |
Big Macs |
Starbuck Veintes |
Einstein Bagels |
United States |
$10,000 |
$15,000 |
$5,000 |
China |
50,000 Yuan |
75,000 Yuan |
1000 Yuan |
Indonesia |
900,000 Rupia |
1,200,000 Rupiah |
450,000 Rupiah |
Exchange Rates (with US dollar)
Country |
Exchange rate |
China |
6Y/$ |
Indonesia |
15,000R/$ |
a. Use the exchange rate method to compute GDP measures for each country that are directly comparable. (10 pts)
b. Use the purchasing power parity method to compute GDP measures for each country that are directly comparable. (Note, be sure to explain your choice of international prices.) (20 pts)
2. Consider the following birth and death rates as functions of per capita consumption.
a. Use the 3 diagram Malthusian model (with no capital or technological change) to show the steady state levels of consumption and population. (20 pts)
b. Show how consumption and population change over time for every possible initial population. (I want to time plots here, one for consumptions and one for populations.) (20 pts)
3. Prior to the Pandemic, former President Donald Trump was credited for the booming US stock market on account of dismantling a large amount of government regulation, particularly with respect to the environment.
a. Explain how this action increases TFP. Full credit requires an example using a production function. (15 pts)
b. Using the Combined Malthus and Solow model, show how this policy change affects a country that has not started the process of economic growth and another country that started the process a long time ago. (10 pts)
4. A general principle of the system of national income and product accounts is that if something is included in GDP, then it is included in expenditures and it is included in gross national income.
a. Explain how this is applied to owner occupied housing. (20 pts)
b. Explain how this is applied to investments in intangible capital (other than software, and R&D, and education). (20 pts)
5. Consider the following growth Model
(C) = (1 − ) (Y) = −
(K) +1 = (1 − ) +
(N) +1 = (1 + )
(P) +1 =
The new element in this model is that the price of capital falls each period by rate γK . The idea is that each period one unit of output saved can buy converted into a greater quantity of physical capital because improvements in the technology for producing machines. For example, in 2010 one unit of output saved could be converted into one machine, but in 2020 that same unit of output saved could be converted into 2 machines.
a. Take the Aggregate representation above and convert it into its per capita representation. (10 pts)
b. Solve for the growth rate of the per capita output, per capita capital, the price of capital, the wage rate and the rental price of capital. (25 pts)
c. Use the data in the below table to go through Step #3 of the calibration procedure to obtain C/Y, X/Y, rK/Y, wK/Y and PK/Y. (15 pts)
Expenditures: Claims to Value Added Inputs
GDP |
Gross National Income |
Capital and Land |
Personal Consumption Expenditures Durables = $ 20 Non –Durables and Services = $55 |
Wages Salaries and Other Comp. = $60 Capital Consumption Allowance = 5 Net Interest Paid by Business and Mortgages = 10 |
Residential = $50 |
Gross Private Investment Residential Investment = $10 Non- Residential Investment = $10 Inventory Investment = -$5 |
Business Transfers = 0 Rental Income = $10 Corporate Profits = $15 Profits of Government Enterprises = 0 |
Non-Residential = $150 Structures =$100 Equipment = 50 |
Government Expenditures Government Consumption = $10 Government Investment = $5 |
Taxes on Production and Imports = 0 Proprietors Income = 0 |
Government =$60 Structures = 40 Equipment = 10 Software = 10 |
Net Exports = -$5 |
|
Land = $90 |
d. Using the observations you derived in part (b) as well as the observation that population grows at 1% per year and per capita GDP grows at 2% per year, complete Step #4 of the calibration procedure so as to assign parameter values for s, A, θ, δ, γK and γN . Be sure to explain the steps and show your work. (15 pts)
2022-03-09