LU11 The Influence of Monetary and Fiscal Policy on Aggregate Demand

How Monetary Policy Influences Aggregate Demand

The aggregate demand curve slopes downward for three reasons:

– The wealth effect

– The interest-rate effect

– The exchange-rate effect

The Theory of Liquidity Preference (Keynes)

The money supply is controlled by BNM through:

click to edit

• Open-market operations

• Changing the reserve requirements

• Changing the discount rate

Money Demand

Equilibrium in the Money Market

According to the theory of liquidity preference:


Assume the following about the economy:

• The interest rate adjusts to balance the supply and demand for money.



• There is one interest rate, called the equilibrium interest rate, at which the quantity of money demanded equals the quantity of money supplied

click to edit

• The price level is stuck at some level.

• For any given price level, the interest rate adjusts to balance the supply and demand for money.

• The level of output responds to the aggregate demand for goods and services

The Downward Slope of the Aggregate-Demand Curve

click to edit

• Price level is one determinant of the quantity of money demanded.

• Higher price level increases the quantity of money demanded for any given interest rate.

• Higher money demand leads to a higher interest rate.

• Quantity of goods and services demanded falls.

Changes in the Money Supply

click to edit

• BNM can shift the aggregate demand curve when it changes monetary policy.

• An increase in the money supply shifts the money supply curve to the right.

• Without a change in the money demand curve, the interest rate falls.

• Falling interest rates increase the quantity of goods and services demanded

How Fiscal Policy Influences Aggregate Demand

• Fiscal policy refers to the government’s choices regarding the overall level of government purchases or taxes.


• Fiscal policy influences saving, investment, and growth in the long run.

There are two macroeconomic effects from the change in government purchases:

 The multiplier effect

 The crowding-out effect

Refers to the additional shifts in aggregate demand that result when expansionary fiscal policy increases income and thereby increases consumer spending
Multiplier = 1/(1 – MPC)

This reduction in demand that results when a fiscal expansion raises the interest rate is called the crowding-out effect.

A Formula for the Spending Multiplier
If the MPC = 3/4, then the multiplier will be:
Multiplier = 1/(1 – 3/4) = 4