2024 CFA Level I Exam: CFA Study Preparation

The Ricardian Equivalence theorem suggests that when a government tries to stimulate demand by increasing debt-financed government spending, demand remains unchanged. This is because the public will save its excess money in order to pay for future tax increases that will be initiated to pay off the debt. The theory implies that policymakers would most likely favor ______ to combat a recession.

A. fiscal policy
B. monetary policy
C. They would favor neither policy particularly.

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Correct Answer: B

The basic idea behind Ricardo's theory is that no matter how a government chooses to increase spending, whether with debt financing or tax financing, the outcome will be the same and demand will remain unchanged. The major arguments against Ricardo's theory are due to the unrealistic assumptions on which the theory is based, such as the assumption of the existence of perfect capital markets, the ability for individuals to borrow and save whenever they want, and the assumption that individuals will be willing to save for a future tax increase even though they may not see it in their lifetimes. Furthermore, the theory provided by Ricardo goes against the more popular theories provided by Keynesian economics.

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