INSIGHT UPSC QUIZ

GS Economy Monetary and Fiscal Policy
Q.

The term “liquidity trap” in an economy refers to:

1. People preferring to hold their wealth in money balance.

2. Additional money injected is unable to increase the demand for bonds.

3. Increase in money supply is unable to lower the rate of interest.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

Explanation:

ANSWER: (D) 

  • If supply of money in the economy increases and people purchase bonds with this extra money, demand for bonds will go up, bond prices will rise and rate of interest will decline. 
  • However, if the market rate of interest is already low enough so that everybody expects it to rise in future, causing capital losses, nobody will wish to hold bonds. 

Everyone in the economy will hold their wealth in money balance and if additional money is injected within the economy, it will be used up to satiate people’s craving for money balances without increasing the demand for bonds and without further lowering the rate of interest (below the floor min.). Such a situation is called a liquidity trap (Everyone is sure of a future rise in interest rate and a fall in bond prices). 

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