Figure 7.4: Contrasting Nominal Exchange Rates in Flexible (Japan) vs. Fixed (Denmark) Regimes

Monetary Policy Constraints Under a Fixed Exchange Rate

A country's central bank decides to lower its domestic interest rate to stimulate economic activity. Analyze how the effectiveness of this monetary policy action is influenced by the country's exchange rate system, assuming the country allows for the free movement of capital.

Policy Autonomy and Exchange Rate Regimes

A country's policymakers want to maintain the ability to set their own domestic interest rates to manage the national economy. They also wish to allow investment capital to flow freely in and out of the country. Given these two objectives, what is the necessary characteristic of their exchange rate system?

A small open economy with free capital movement undertakes an expansionary fiscal policy by increasing government spending. How will the final impact on the country's total output differ depending on whether it has a fixed or a flexible exchange rate regime?

For a country committed to a fixed exchange rate and allowing free movement of capital, an attempt by its central bank to combat a domestic recession by lowering its policy interest rate will be a highly effective tool for stimulating the economy.

Monetary Policy Effectiveness and Exchange Rate Regimes

A country with a fixed exchange rate and free capital mobility experiences a sudden increase in investor risk aversion, leading to significant capital outflows. To maintain its currency peg, what is the most immediate and necessary action for the country's central bank, and what is the likely consequence for the domestic economy?

Consider a country with a flexible exchange rate and a high degree of capital mobility. If its central bank decides to implement a contractionary monetary policy by significantly raising the domestic interest rate, what is the most likely sequence of effects on the country's currency value and its trade balance?

Match each macroeconomic policy action with its relative effectiveness in influencing aggregate output, given the specified exchange rate regime and assuming perfect capital mobility.