1. Economic Fluctuations
Topic 8:
Introduction to
Economic Fluctuations
(chapter 9)
This chapter has two main objectives. First, to motivate the study of business cycles, the subject of the five chapters in Part IV. Second, to introduce the model of aggregate supply and demand, thus providing students with an overall context for what follows. Having this context will allow students to better understand the role played by each of the more detailed pieces of the model (Keynesian Cross, IS-LM, theories of short-run aggregate supply, etc) as students learn them in the following chapters.
This chapter is less difficult and a bit shorter than most other chapters in the text, and all of the concepts it introduces are all developed in more detail in the following chapters of Part IV. Therefore, you might consider spending a little less class time on this chapter than on other chapters in the book.
This chapter derives the AD curve from the Quantity Theory of Money, a simple theory that students learned in an earlier chapter; hence, this provides a simple and quick way of deriving an AD curve from theory. As a theory of aggregate demand, though, the Quantity Theory is very incomplete - it omits fiscal policy, interest rates, and net exports, among other things. But, this chapter merely aims to introduce the AD curve and the AD/AS model, and makes clear that the following three chapters will develop the theory of aggregate demand in greater detail.
Some professors, when teaching this chapter, merely present the downward-sloping AD curve rather than deriving it from the Quantity Theory. Although this is more ad hoc or “hand-waving” than deriving the AD curve from a theory, these professors offer the following arguments: First, they note that this saves time. Second, they believe that deriving the AD curve from the Quantity Theory requires students to learn things that they will have to “un-learn” in the following three chapters (such as the intuition for the AD curve’s negative slope). Third, most students are familiar with the AD curve already, having seen it in a principles of economics course, and therefore will accept it without seeing it derived from a theory. (Indeed, deriving the AD curve from the Quantity Theory may seem to them contrary to what they learned in their principles course).
I think good arguments can be made for either position, and encourage you to do whatever you find most appropriate, effective, and comfortable for you and your students.

2. Chapter objectives difference between short run & long run
introduction to aggregate demand
aggregate supply in the short run & long run
see how model of aggregate supply and demand can be used to analyze short-run and long-run effects of “shocks”

3. Real GDP Growth in the United States
Average growth rate = 3.5%
Point out the recessions, where GDP growth is negative for two or more quarters.
1974:2 through 1975:2
1980:2 through 1980:4
1982:1 through 1982:4
1991:1 through 1991:3
Source: Department of Commerce, Bureau of Economic Analysis: Growth rate of real GDP (chained 1996 dollars)
Note: Recession dates may not precisely match official NBER recession dates, but data here do match that used in the text.

4. The economy behaves much differently when prices are sticky.
Time horizons
Long run: Prices are flexible, respond to changes in supply or demand
Short run: many prices are “sticky” at some predetermined level
The economy behaves much differently when prices are sticky.

5. In Classical Macroeconomic Theory,
(what we studied in chapters 3-8)
Output is determined by the supply side:
supplies of capital, labor
technology
Changes in demand for goods & services (C, I, G ) only affect prices, not quantities.
Complete price flexibility is a crucial assumption,
so classical theory applies in the long run.
Classical macroeconomic theory is what we learned in chapters This slide recaps an important lesson from classical theory, which stands in sharp contrast to what we’re about to cover now.

6. When prices are sticky
…output and employment also depend on demand for goods & services,
which is affected by
fiscal policy (G and T )
monetary policy (M )
other factors, like exogenous changes in C or I.
…and, in an open economy, net exports. (See chapter 12.)

7. The model of aggregate demand and supply
the paradigm that most mainstream economists & policymakers use to think about economic fluctuations and policies to stabilize the economy
shows how the price level and aggregate output are determined
shows how the economy’s behavior is different in the short run and long run

8. Aggregate demand
The aggregate demand curve shows the relationship between the price level and the quantity of output demanded.
For this chapter’s intro to the AD/AS model, we use a simple theory of aggregate demand based on the Quantity Theory of Money.
Chapters develop the theory of aggregate demand in more detail.

9. The Quantity Equation as Agg. Demand
From Chapter 4, recall the quantity equation
M V = P Y
and the money demand function it implies:
(M/P )d = k Y where V = 1/k = velocity.
For given values of M and V, these equations imply an inverse relationship between P and Y:
P = (M V) / Y

10. The downward-sloping AD curve
An increase in the price level causes a fall in real money balances (M/P ),
causing a decrease in the demand for goods & services. AD Y P
The textbook explains different ways of thinking about the AD curve’s slope. Here’s one that I find works for students:
An increase in the price level causes a fall in real money balances, and therefore a fall in the demand for goods & services (because the demand for output is proportional to real money balances according to the simple money demand function that is implied by the quantity theory of money).

11. Shifting the AD curve
AD2
AD1 Y P
P = (M V) / Y
Rise in M
An increase in the money supply shifts the AD curve to the right.
For future reference (a bunch of slides later in this chapter), it will be useful to see how a change in M shifts the AD curve.
The tops of p.244 and 245 give some simple intuition for the shift. Here’s the idea: With velocity fixed, the quantity equation implies that PY is determined by M. An increase in M causes an increase in PY, which means higher Y for each value of P, or higher P for each value of Y.
Or: for a given value of P, an increase in M implies higher real money balances. In the simple money demand function associated with the Quantity Theory, the demand for real balances is proportional to the demand for output, so output must rise at each P in order for real money demand to rise and equal the new, higher supply of real balances M/P.
Or, if you like, just have your students take on faith that an increase in the money supply shifts the AD curve to the right for now, telling them that they will learn how this works in Chapters 10 and 11.

12. Aggregate Supply in the Long Run
Recall from chapter 3: In the long run, output is determined by factor supplies and technology
is the full-employment or natural level of output, the level of output at which the economy’s resources are fully employed.
Some textbooks also use the term “potential GDP” to mean the full-employment level of output.
“Full employment” means that unemployment equals its natural rate.

13. Aggregate Supply in the Long Run
Recall from chapter 3: In the long run, output is determined by factor supplies and technology
Full-employment output does not depend on the price level,
so the long run aggregate supply (LRAS) curve is vertical:

14. The long-run aggregate supply curve
LRAS
The LRAS curve is vertical at the full-employment level of output.

15. Long-run effects of an increase in M
AD2
AD1 Y P
LRAS
An increase in M shifts the AD curve to the right.
In the long run, this increases the price level… P2 P1
[The textbook does a fall in AD (Figure 9-5 on p.246); these slides do an increase.]
Notice that the results in this graph are exactly as we learned in chapters 3-8: a change in the money supply affects the price level, but not the quantity of output. Here, we are seeing these results on a graph with different variables on the axes (P and Y), but it’s the same model.
…but leaves output the same.

16. Aggregate Supply in the Short Run
In the real world, many prices are sticky in the short run.
For now (and throughout Chapters 9-12), we assume that all prices are stuck at a predetermined level in the short run…
…and that firms are willing to sell as much as their customers are willing to buy at that price level.
Therefore, the short-run aggregate supply (SRAS) curve is horizontal:
The assumption that all prices are fixed in the short run is extreme. Chapter 13 derives the SRAS curve under more realistic assumptions, and Chapter 19 (section 19-2) explores price stickiness in more detail.

17. The short run aggregate supply curve
The SRAS curve is horizontal:
The price level is fixed at a predetermined level, and firms sell as much as buyers demand.
SRAS
Notice that the results in this graph are exactly as we learned in chapters 3-8: a change in the money supply affects the price level, but not the quantity of output. Here, we are seeing these results on a graph with different variables on the axes (P and Y), but it’s the same model.
Consider example of catalogue company: publishes price,
and takes orders for quantity

18. Short-run effects of an increase in M
AD2
AD1 Y P
In the short run when prices are sticky,…
…an increase in aggregate demand…
SRAS Y2
[The textbook (Figure 9-7 on p.248) does a decrease in AD, these slides do an increase.]
What about the unemployment rate? Remember from chapter 2: Okun’s law says that unemployment and output are negatively related. In the graph here, in order for firms to increase output, they require more workers. Employment rises, and the unemployment rate falls.
…causes output to rise. Y1

19. From the short run to the long run
Over time, prices gradually become “unstuck.” When they do, will they rise or fall?
In the short-run equilibrium, if
then over time, the price level will
rise
fall
You might want to discuss the intuition for the price adjustment in each case.
First, suppose aggregate demand is higher than the full-employment level of output in the economy’s initial short-run equilibrium. Then, there is upward pressure on prices: In order for firms to produce this above-average level of output, they must pay their workers overtime and make their capital work at a high intensity, which causes more maintenance, repairs, and depreciation. For all these reasons, firms would like to raise their prices. In the short run, they cannot. But over time, prices gradually become “unstuck,” and firms can increase prices in response to these cost pressures.
Instead, suppose that output is below its natural rate. Then, there is downward pressure on prices: Firms can’t sell as much output as they’d like at their current prices, so they would like to reduce prices. With lower than normal output, firms won’t need as many workers as normal, so they cut back on labor, and the unemployment rate rises above the “natural rate of unemployment.” The high unemployment rate puts downward pressure on wages. Wages and prices are “stuck” in the short run, but over time, they fall in response to these pressures.
Finally: if output equals its normal (or “natural”) level, then there is no pressure for prices to rise or fall. Over time, as prices become “unstuck,” they will simply remain constant.
remain constant
This adjustment of prices is what moves the economy to its long-run equilibrium.

20. The SR & LR effects of M > 0
AD2
A = initial equilibrium
AD1 Y P
LRAS
B = new short-run eq’m after Fed increases M C P2
SRAS B A Y2
This slide puts together the pieces that have been developed over the previous slides: the short-run and long-run effects, as well as the adjustment of prices over time that causes the economy to move from the short-run equilibrium at point B to the long-run equilibrium at C.
The economy starts at point A; output and unemployment are at their “natural” rates. The Fed increases the money supply, shifting AD to the right. In the short run, prices are sticky, so output rises. The new short-run equilibrium is at point B in the graph.
In order for firms to increase output, they hire more workers, so unemployment falls below the natural rate of unemployment, putting upward pressure on wages. The high level of demand for goods & services at point B puts upward pressure on prices.
Over time, as prices become “unstuck,” they begin to rise in response to these pressures. The price level rises and the economy moves up its (new) AD curve, from point B toward point C.
This process stops when the economy gets to point C: output again equals the “natural rate of output,” and unemployment again equals the natural rate of unemployment, so there is no further pressure on prices to change.
C = long-run equilibrium

21. How shocking!!!
shocks: exogenous changes in aggregate supply or demand
Shocks temporarily push the economy away from full-employment.
An example of a demand shock: exogenous decrease in velocity
If the money supply is held constant, then a decrease in V means people will be using their money in fewer transactions, causing a decrease in demand for goods and services:
[The example in the textbook is an exogenous INCREASE in velocity.]
The exogenous decrease in velocity corresponds to an exogenous increase in demand for real money balances (relative to income & transactions). This might occur in response to a wave of credit card fraud, which presumably would make nervous consumers more inclined to use cash in their transactions. If there’s an exogenous increase in real money demand (i.e., an increase NOT caused by an increase in Y), then M/P must increase as well; if the Fed holds M constant, then P must fall. Thus, the increase in real money demand causes a decrease in the value of P associated with each Y, and the AD curve shifts down.
The velocity shock is the only AD shock we can analyze at this point, because (for this chapter only) we have derived the AD curve from the Quantity Theory of Money. However, if you have not derived the AD curve from the Quantity Theory, as discussed in the notes accompanying the title slide of this chapter, then you could pick any number of AD shocks: a stock market crash causes consumers to cut back on spending; a fall in business confidence causes a decrease in investment; a recession in a country with which we trade causes causes an exogenous decrease in their demand for our exports.

22. The effects of a negative demand shock
AD1
The shock shifts AD left, causing output and employment to fall in the short run Y P
AD2
LRAS
SRAS B A Y2
Over time, prices fall and the economy moves down its demand curve toward full-employment. C P2
Note the economy’s “self-correction” mechanism:
When in a recession, the economy --- left to its own devices --- “fixes” itself: the gradual adjustment of prices helps the economy recover from the shock and return to full employment.

23. Supply shocks
A supply shock alters production costs, affects the prices that firms charge. (also called price shocks)
Examples of adverse supply shocks:
Bad weather reduces crop yields, pushing up food prices.
Workers unionize, negotiate wage increases.
New environmental regulations require firms to reduce emissions. Firms charge higher prices to help cover the costs of compliance.
(Favorable supply shocks lower costs and prices.)

24. CASE STUDY: The 1970s oil shocks
Early 1970s: OPEC coordinates a reduction in the supply of oil.
Oil prices rose 11% in % in % in 1975
Such sharp oil price increases are supply shocks because they significantly impact production costs and prices.
Oil is required to heat the factories in which goods are produced, and to fuel the trucks that transport the goods from the factories to the warehouses to the Walmarts. A sharp increase in the price of oil, therefore, has a substantial effect on production costs.

25. CASE STUDY: The 1970s oil shocksAD
The oil price shock shifts SRAS up, causing output and employment to fall. Y P
LRAS
SRAS2 B
In absence of further price shocks, prices will fall over time and economy moves back toward full employment. Y2
SRAS1 A A
And, as output falls from Ybar to Y2 in the graph, we would expect to see unemployment increase above the natural rate of unemployment. (Recall from chapter 2: Okun’s law says that output and unemployment are inversely related.)
Note the phrase “in absence of further price shocks.” As we will see shortly, just as the economy was recovering from the first big oil shock, a second one came along.

26. CASE STUDY: The 1970s oil shocks
Predicted effects of the oil price shock:
inflation 
output 
unemployment 
…and then a gradual recovery.
This slide first summarizes the model’s predictions from the preceding slide, and then presents data (from the text, p.253) that supports the model’s predictions.

27. CASE STUDY: The 1970s oil shocks
Late 1970s:
As economy was recovering, oil prices shot up again, causing another huge supply shock!!!
Data source: See p.254 of the textbook.

28. CASE STUDY: The 1980s oil shocks
1980s: A favorable supply shock-- a significant fall in oil prices.
As the model would predict, inflation and unemployment fell:
A few slides back, we did the analysis of an adverse supply shock. It might be worth noting that the predicted effects of a favorable supply shock are just the opposite: in the short run, the price level (or inflation rate) falls, output rises, and unemployment falls.
Looking at the graph: at first glance, it may seem that the fall in oil prices doesn’t occur until But remind students to look at the left-hand scale, on which 0 is in the middle, not at the bottom. Oil prices fell about 10% in 1982, and generally fell during most years between 1982 and 1986.

29. Stabilization policy
def: policy actions aimed at reducing the severity of short-run economic fluctuations.
Example: Using monetary policy to combat the effects of adverse supply shocks:
Chapter 14 is devoted to stabilization policy.

30. Stabilizing output with monetary policy
AD1 Y P
LRAS
The adverse supply shock moves the economy to point B.
SRAS2 B Y2
SRAS1 A

31. Stabilizing output with monetary policy
AD2
AD1
But the Fed accommodates the shock by raising agg. demand. Y P
LRAS
SRAS2 B C Y2 A
results: P is permanently higher, but Y remains at its full-employment level.
Note: If the Fed correctly anticipates the sign and magnitude of the shock, then the Fed can respond as the shock occurs rather than after, and the economy never would go to point B - it would go immediately to point C.

32. Chapter summary
1. Long run: prices are flexible, output and employment are always at their natural rates, and the classical theory applies.
Short run: prices are sticky, shocks can push output and employment away from their natural rates.
2. Aggregate demand and supply: a framework to analyze economic fluctuations

33. Chapter summary 3. The aggregate demand curve slopes downward.
4. The long-run aggregate supply curve is vertical, because output depends on technology and factor supplies, but not prices.
5. The short-run aggregate supply curve is horizontal, because prices are sticky at predetermined levels.

34. Chapter summary
6. Shocks to aggregate demand and supply cause fluctuations in GDP and employment in the short run.
7. The Fed can attempt to stabilize the economy with monetary policy.