Under a Fixed Exchange Rate System, the Government Bears the Responsibility

question 27

Multiple Choice

Under a fixed exchange rate system, the government bears the responsibility to ensure that the BOP is near zero. If the sum of the current and capital accounts do not approximate zero, the government is expected to intervene in the foreign exchange market by buying or selling official foreign exchange reserves. If the sum of the first two accounts is LESS THAN ZERO, a ________ demand for the domestic currency exists in the world. To preserve the fixed exchange rate, the government must then intervene in the foreign exchange market and ________ domestic currency for foreign currencies or gold so as to bring the BOP back near zero.

• A) surplus; sell
• B) surplus; buy
• C) deficit; sell
• D) deficit; buy

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Definitions:

Risk-Free Rate

The theoretical rate of return of an investment with zero risk, typically represented by the yield on government bonds.

Optimal Risky Portfolio

A portfolio of investments that maximizes expected return for a given level of risk by carefully selecting and weighting risky assets.

Expected Return

The anticipated amount of profit or loss an investment is likely to generate over a specific period.

Risk-Free Asset

A risk-free asset refers to an investment that theoretically provides a certain return with no risk of financial loss.