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The U.S. government is in the midst of spending more than \(1 billion on seven buildings containing more than 100,000 square feet of space to be used for the study of infectious diseases. Prior to the government's decision to construct these buildings, a few universities had been planning to build essentially the same facilities using privately obtained funds. After construction on the government buildings began, however, the universities dropped their plans. Evaluate whether the government's \)1 billion expenditure is actually likely to push U.S. real GDP above the level it would have reached in the absence of the government's construction spree.

Short Answer

Expert verified

To conclude, the government's $1 billion building spending does not necessarily raise real GDP over the level it would have achieved if the government had not gone on a construction binge.

Step by step solution

01

Introduction 

The given is the government's decision to develop these structures, a few colleges had planned to construct roughly the same facilities with privately obtained cash.

The objective is to determine whether the government is likely to increase the real GDP

02

Explanation

No, the government's one-billion-dollar expenditure has no effect on real GDP. An increase in government spending will be offset by a drop in private spending. This is due to the fact that universities abandoned their construction plans when government construction began.

As a result, aggregate demand and actual GDP stay the same.

03

Explanation 

As a result of the government's involvement in the activity in order to compete with the private sector, fiscal policy is impacted by direct expenditure.

It's worth noting that the government spending multiplier will be 0 if all direct expenditures are offset.

04

Explanation 

To sum up, the government's $1 billion building spending does not necessarily raise real GDP over the level it would have achieved if the government had not gone on a construction binge.

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Most popular questions from this chapter

In May and June of 2008, the federal government issued one-time tax rebates - checks returning a small portion of taxes previously paid to millions of U.S residents, and U.S. real disposable income temporarily jumped by nearly $500 billion. Household real consumption spending did not increase in response to the short-lived increase in real disposable income. Explain how the logic of the permanent income hypothesis might help to account for this apparent non relationship between real consumption and real disposable income in the late spring of 2008.

Based on Schwinn's conclusions, is the government likely to be able to boost real GDP with an increase in government spending if it has raised and lowered its expenditures a number of times in previous months? Explain your reasoning.

2. Why do you suppose that many economists perceive a trade-off between short-term stabilization benefits of unemployment compensation and a contribution to a higher unemployment rate in the long run?

Determine whether each of the following is an example of a situation in which a direct expenditure offset to fiscal policy occurs.

a. In an effort to help rejuvenate the nation's railroad system, a new government agency buys unused track, locomotives, and passenger and freight cars, many of which private companies would otherwise have purchased and put into regular use.

b. The government increases its expenditures without raising taxes. To cover the resulting budget deficit, it borrows more funds from the private sector, thereby pushing up the market interest rate and discouraging private planned investment spending.

c. The government finances the construction of a classical music museum that otherwise would never have received private funding.

1. How does unemployment compensation function as an automatic stabilizer?

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