Question 1

Why does the LM curve shift when the price level changes?

Accepted Answer

The LM curve shifts because price level changes alter the real money supply. When prices rise, each unit of money buys fewer goods, reducing real money balances. This creates excess money demand at the current interest rate, forcing people to sell bonds. Bond prices fall and interest rates rise until equilibrium restores at a higher rate across all income levels, shifting the LM curve left.

Question 2

What happens to interest rates when the price level increases?

Accepted Answer

When the price level increases, interest rates rise. The nominal money supply remains constant, but its purchasing power decreases. People need more money for transactions, so they sell bonds to raise cash. This bond selling reduces bond prices and pushes interest rates higher until the money market reaches equilibrium at the new, elevated interest rate level.

Question 3

How does a falling price level affect the LM curve?

Accepted Answer

A falling price level shifts the LM curve to the right. As prices decline, the real money supply increases because each unit of money now buys more goods and services. People have excess cash and purchase bonds, raising bond prices and lowering interest rates. At every income level, a lower interest rate is needed to maintain money market equilibrium.

Question 4

What role does the bond market play in LM curve shifts?

Accepted Answer

The bond market is central to LM curve shifts. When prices rise and real money supply falls, people sell bonds to obtain cash, driving bond prices down and interest rates up. Conversely, when prices fall and real money supply increases, people buy bonds, raising bond prices and lowering interest rates. These bond market adjustments transmit price-level changes into interest rate movements.

Question 5

Why does a business need more money when prices rise throughout the economy?

Accepted Answer

When prices rise, a business needs more money because each unit of currency buys fewer goods and services. If a business regularly purchases supplies, the same quantity now costs more. Similar adjustments occur across households and firms, increasing overall money demand. Since the nominal money supply is fixed, this increased demand for money puts upward pressure on interest rates.

Question 6

How does the LM curve relate to money market equilibrium at different price levels?

Accepted Answer

The LM curve represents all combinations of interest rates and income where money demand equals money supply at a given price level. When the price level changes, the real value of the fixed nominal money supply changes, requiring different interest rates to restore equilibrium at each income level. This causes the entire LM curve to shift rather than moving along it.

Question 7

What is the relationship between real money supply and LM curve position?

Accepted Answer

Real money supply directly determines the LM curve's position. A higher real money supply allows equilibrium at lower interest rates, shifting the LM curve right. A lower real money supply requires higher interest rates for equilibrium, shifting the LM curve left. Since real money supply equals nominal money supply divided by the price level, price changes shift the LM curve by altering this real value.

Shift of the LM Curve II

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