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Read the passage and answer the question given below.
Is it possible to decrease inflation without causing a recession and its concomitant increase in unemployment? The orthodox answer is “no.” whether they support the “inertia” theory of inflation (that today’s inflation rate is caused by yesterday’s inflation, the state of the economic cycle, and external influences such as import prices) or the “rational expectations” theory (that inflation is caused by workers’ and employers’ expectations, coupled with a lack of credible monetary and fiscal policies), most economists agree that tight monetary and fiscal policies, which cause recessions, are necessary to decelerate inflation. They point out that in the 1980’s, many European countries and the United States conquered high (by these countries’ standards) inflation, but only by applying tight monetary and fiscal policies that sharply increased unemployment. Nevertheless, some governments’ policymakers insist that direct controls on wages and prices, without tight monetary and fiscal policies, can succeed in decreasing inflation. Unfortunately, because this approach fails to deal with the underlying causes of inflation, wage and price controls eventually collapse, the hitherto-repressed inflation resurfaces, and in the meantime, though the policymakers succeed in avoiding a recession, a frozen structure of relative prices imposes distortions that do damage to the economy’s prospects for long-term growth.
Q. Which of the following, if true, would most strengthen the author’s conclusion about the use of wage and price controls?
  • a)
    Countries that repeatedly use wage and price controls tend to have lower long-term economic growth rates than do other countries.
  • b)
    Countries that have extremely high inflation frequently place very stringent controls on wages and prices in an attempt to decrease the inflation.
  • c)
    Some countries have found that the use of wage and price controls succeeds in decreasing inflation but also causes a recession.
  • d)
    Policymakers who advocate the use of wage and price controls believe that these controls will deal with the underlying causes of inflation.
  • e)
    Policymakers who advocate the use of wage and price controls are usually more concerned about long-term economic goals than about short-term economic goals.
Correct answer is option 'A'. Can you explain this answer?
Most Upvoted Answer
Read the passage and answer the question given below.Is it possible to...
The author's conclusion is that wage and price controls, although they may avoid a recession in the short term, eventually lead to distortions and damage to the economy's long-term growth prospects. Option (A) states that countries that repeatedly use wage and price controls tend to have lower long-term economic growth rates than other countries. This information directly supports the author's argument by highlighting the negative impact of wage and price controls on long-term economic growth.
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Community Answer
Read the passage and answer the question given below.Is it possible to...
Explanation:

Strengthening the Author's Conclusion:
- The author's conclusion is that wage and price controls are not an effective long-term solution to decreasing inflation, as they do not address the underlying causes of inflation and can lead to economic distortions.
- Option A would strengthen this conclusion by providing evidence that countries that repeatedly use wage and price controls tend to have lower long-term economic growth rates than countries that do not use such controls.
- This supports the idea that wage and price controls are not conducive to long-term economic growth and stability, aligning with the author's argument against their effectiveness in combating inflation.
- By showing a negative correlation between the use of wage and price controls and long-term economic growth rates, this option reinforces the author's position that these controls are not a sustainable solution to inflation.
Therefore, option A would most strengthen the author's conclusion about the use of wage and price controls in combating inflation without causing a recession.
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Irrespective of the general state of the economy, paying less for the same thing appeals to most consumers, who seem to have an intuitive dislike for inflation. But much as we may like to pay less, a sustained decline in prices, deflation, may not be in our best interests. Deflation, in fact, is considered to be a bigger evil than inflation, and evokes strong action by policymakers who would try everything possible to prop up prices. Deflation often results from a slowdown in which reduction in demand vis--vis supply causes prices to dip. With a sharp decline in prices, consumers tend to postpone purchases in the belief that prices will head further lower. This adds to the pressure on businesses, which in addition to a fall in prices also see an accumulation of inventory. Production cuts are hence resorted to, resulting in factory closures and consequent layoffs or salary cuts. With unemployment increasing, income levels in the economy fall, leading to further cuts in consumer spending and more pressure on prices. A vicious cycle emerges; the cascade effect is felt across sectors; and the economy goes into defeatist mode.To prevent deflations and to tackle the downward spiral caused by them, governments resort to large-scale spending, undertaking massive projects to increase employment, incomes, and prices and pumping in huge sums of money to propel demand. For instance, in the aftermath of the financial market crash in 2008, the US government undertook big-ticket stimulus measures and QE (quantitative easing) to revive the economy.However, not all dips in prices are bad. A fall in prices of goods and services due to technological innovations and increased competition could actually benefit both the consumers and the producers. Such a situation is very different from deflation, which affects prices across the economy on a sustained basis (mainly due to decreasing demand or liquidity problems) and which should indeed be considered a red flag.Which of the following is mentioned in the passage?

Irrespective of the general state of the economy, paying less for the same thing appeals to most consumers, who seem to have an intuitive dislike for inflation. But much as we may like to pay less, a sustained decline in prices, deflation, may not be in our best interests. Deflation, in fact, is considered to be a bigger evil than inflation, and evokes strong action by policymakers who would try everything possible to prop up prices. Deflation often results from a slowdown in which reduction in demand vis--vis supply causes prices to dip. With a sharp decline in prices, consumers tend to postpone purchases in the belief that prices will head further lower. This adds to the pressure on businesses, which in addition to a fall in prices also see an accumulation of inventory. Production cuts are hence resorted to, resulting in factory closures and consequent layoffs or salary cuts. With unemployment increasing, income levels in the economy fall, leading to further cuts in consumer spending and more pressure on prices. A vicious cycle emerges; the cascade effect is felt across sectors; and the economy goes into defeatist mode.To prevent deflations and to tackle the downward spiral caused by them, governments resort to large-scale spending, undertaking massive projects to increase employment, incomes, and prices and pumping in huge sums of money to propel demand. For instance, in the aftermath of the financial market crash in 2008, the US government undertook big-ticket stimulus measures and QE (quantitative easing) to revive the economy.However, not all dips in prices are bad. A fall in prices of goods and services due to technological innovations and increased competition could actually benefit both the consumers and the producers. Such a situation is very different from deflation, which affects prices across the economy on a sustained basis (mainly due to decreasing demand or liquidity problems) and which should indeed be considered a red flag.Which of the following describes the function of the final paragraph?

Kazuko Nakane’s history of the early Japanese immigrants to central California’s Pajaro Valley focuses on the development of farming communities there from 1890 to 1940. The Issei (first-generation immigrants) were brought into the Pajaro Valley to raise sugar beets. Like Issei laborers in American cities, Japanese men in rural areas sought employment via the “boss” system. The system comprised three elements: immigrant wage laborers; Issei boardinghouses where laborers stayed; and labor contractors, who gathered workers for a particular job and then negotiated a contract between workers and employer. This same system was originally utilized by the Chinese laborers who had preceded the Japanese. A related institution was the “labor club,” which provided job information and negotiated employment contracts and other legal matters, such as the rental of land, for Issei who chose to belong and paid an annual fee to the cooperative for membership.When the local sugar beet industry collapsed in 1902, the Issei began to lease land from the valley’s strawberry farmers. The Japanese provided the labor and the crop was divided between laborers and landowners. The Issei thus moved quickly from wage-labor employment to sharecropping agreements. A limited amount of economic progress was made as some Issei were able to rent or buy farmland directly, while others joined together to form farming corporations. As the Issei began to operate farms, they began to marry and start families, forming an established Japanese American community. Unfortunately, the Issei’s efforts to attain agricultural independence were hampered by government restrictions, such as the Alien Land Law of 1913. But immigrants could circumvent such exclusionary laws by leasing or purchasing land in their American-born children’s names.Nakane’s case study of one rural Japanese American community provides valuable information about the lives and experiences of the Issei. It is, however, too particularistic. This limitation derives from Nakane’s methodology—that of oral history—which cannot substitute for a broader theoretical or comparative perspective. Future research might well consider two issues raised by her study: were the Issei of the Pajaro Valley similar to or different from Issei in urban settings, and what variations existed between rural Japanese American communities?Several Issei families join together to purchase a strawberry field and the necessary farming equipment. Such a situation best exemplifies which of the following, as it is described in the passage?

Kazuko Nakane’s history of the early Japanese immigrants to central California’s Pajaro Valley focuses on the development of farming communities there from 1890 to 1940. The Issei (first-generation immigrants) were brought into the Pajaro Valley to raise sugar beets. Like Issei laborers in American cities, Japanese men in rural areas sought employment via the “boss” system. The system comprised three elements: immigrant wage laborers; Issei boardinghouses where laborers stayed; and labor contractors, who gathered workers for a particular job and then negotiated a contract between workers and employer. This same system was originally utilized by the Chinese laborers who had preceded the Japanese. A related institution was the “labor club,” which provided job information and negotiated employment contracts and other legal matters, such as the rental of land, for Issei who chose to belong and paid an annual fee to the cooperative for membership.When the local sugar beet industry collapsed in 1902, the Issei began to lease land from the valley’s strawberry farmers. The Japanese provided the labor and the crop was divided between laborers and landowners. The Issei thus moved quickly from wage-labor employment to sharecropping agreements. A limited amount of economic progress was made as some Issei were able to rent or buy farmland directly, while others joined together to form farming corporations. As the Issei began to operate farms, they began to marry and start families, forming an established Japanese American community. Unfortunately, the Issei’s efforts to attain agricultural independence were hampered by government restrictions, such as the Alien Land Law of 1913. But immigrants could circumvent such exclusionary laws by leasing or purchasing land in their American-born children’s names.Nakane’s case study of one rural Japanese American community provides valuable information about the lives and experiences of the Issei. It is, however, too particularistic. This limitation derives from Nakane’s methodology—that of oral history—which cannot substitute for a broader theoretical or comparative perspective. Future research might well consider two issues raised by her study: were the Issei of the Pajaro Valley similar to or different from Issei in urban settings, and what variations existed between rural Japanese American communities?Which of the following best describes a “labor club,” as defined in the passage?

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Read the passage and answer the question given below.Is it possible to decrease inflation without causing a recession and its concomitant increase in unemployment? The orthodox answer is “no.” whether they support the “inertia” theory of inflation (that today’s inflation rate is caused by yesterday’s inflation, the state of the economic cycle, and external influences such as import prices) or the “rational expectations” theory (that inflation is caused by workers’ and employers’ expectations, coupled with a lack of credible monetary and fiscal policies), most economists agree that tight monetary and fiscal policies, which cause recessions, are necessary to decelerate inflation. They point out that in the 1980’s, many European countries and the United States conquered high (by these countries’ standards) inflation, but only by applying tight monetary and fiscal policies that sharply increased unemployment. Nevertheless, some governments’ policymakers insist that direct controls on wages and prices, without tight monetary and fiscal policies, can succeed in decreasing inflation. Unfortunately, because this approach fails to deal with the underlying causes of inflation, wage and price controls eventually collapse, the hitherto-repressed inflation resurfaces, and in the meantime, though the policymakers succeed in avoiding a recession, a frozen structure of relative prices imposes distortions that do damage to the economy’s prospects for long-term growth.Q. Which of the following, if true, would most strengthen the author’s conclusion about the use of wage and price controls?a)Countries that repeatedly use wage and price controls tend to have lower long-term economic growth rates than do other countries.b)Countries that have extremely high inflation frequently place very stringent controls on wages and prices in an attempt to decrease the inflation.c)Some countries have found that the use of wage and price controls succeeds in decreasing inflation but also causes a recession.d)Policymakers who advocate the use of wage and price controls believe that these controls will deal with the underlying causes of inflation.e)Policymakers who advocate the use of wage and price controls are usually more concerned about long-term economic goals than about short-term economic goals.Correct answer is option 'A'. Can you explain this answer?
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Read the passage and answer the question given below.Is it possible to decrease inflation without causing a recession and its concomitant increase in unemployment? The orthodox answer is “no.” whether they support the “inertia” theory of inflation (that today’s inflation rate is caused by yesterday’s inflation, the state of the economic cycle, and external influences such as import prices) or the “rational expectations” theory (that inflation is caused by workers’ and employers’ expectations, coupled with a lack of credible monetary and fiscal policies), most economists agree that tight monetary and fiscal policies, which cause recessions, are necessary to decelerate inflation. They point out that in the 1980’s, many European countries and the United States conquered high (by these countries’ standards) inflation, but only by applying tight monetary and fiscal policies that sharply increased unemployment. Nevertheless, some governments’ policymakers insist that direct controls on wages and prices, without tight monetary and fiscal policies, can succeed in decreasing inflation. Unfortunately, because this approach fails to deal with the underlying causes of inflation, wage and price controls eventually collapse, the hitherto-repressed inflation resurfaces, and in the meantime, though the policymakers succeed in avoiding a recession, a frozen structure of relative prices imposes distortions that do damage to the economy’s prospects for long-term growth.Q. Which of the following, if true, would most strengthen the author’s conclusion about the use of wage and price controls?a)Countries that repeatedly use wage and price controls tend to have lower long-term economic growth rates than do other countries.b)Countries that have extremely high inflation frequently place very stringent controls on wages and prices in an attempt to decrease the inflation.c)Some countries have found that the use of wage and price controls succeeds in decreasing inflation but also causes a recession.d)Policymakers who advocate the use of wage and price controls believe that these controls will deal with the underlying causes of inflation.e)Policymakers who advocate the use of wage and price controls are usually more concerned about long-term economic goals than about short-term economic goals.Correct answer is option 'A'. Can you explain this answer? for GMAT 2024 is part of GMAT preparation. The Question and answers have been prepared according to the GMAT exam syllabus. Information about Read the passage and answer the question given below.Is it possible to decrease inflation without causing a recession and its concomitant increase in unemployment? The orthodox answer is “no.” whether they support the “inertia” theory of inflation (that today’s inflation rate is caused by yesterday’s inflation, the state of the economic cycle, and external influences such as import prices) or the “rational expectations” theory (that inflation is caused by workers’ and employers’ expectations, coupled with a lack of credible monetary and fiscal policies), most economists agree that tight monetary and fiscal policies, which cause recessions, are necessary to decelerate inflation. They point out that in the 1980’s, many European countries and the United States conquered high (by these countries’ standards) inflation, but only by applying tight monetary and fiscal policies that sharply increased unemployment. Nevertheless, some governments’ policymakers insist that direct controls on wages and prices, without tight monetary and fiscal policies, can succeed in decreasing inflation. Unfortunately, because this approach fails to deal with the underlying causes of inflation, wage and price controls eventually collapse, the hitherto-repressed inflation resurfaces, and in the meantime, though the policymakers succeed in avoiding a recession, a frozen structure of relative prices imposes distortions that do damage to the economy’s prospects for long-term growth.Q. Which of the following, if true, would most strengthen the author’s conclusion about the use of wage and price controls?a)Countries that repeatedly use wage and price controls tend to have lower long-term economic growth rates than do other countries.b)Countries that have extremely high inflation frequently place very stringent controls on wages and prices in an attempt to decrease the inflation.c)Some countries have found that the use of wage and price controls succeeds in decreasing inflation but also causes a recession.d)Policymakers who advocate the use of wage and price controls believe that these controls will deal with the underlying causes of inflation.e)Policymakers who advocate the use of wage and price controls are usually more concerned about long-term economic goals than about short-term economic goals.Correct answer is option 'A'. Can you explain this answer? covers all topics & solutions for GMAT 2024 Exam. Find important definitions, questions, meanings, examples, exercises and tests below for Read the passage and answer the question given below.Is it possible to decrease inflation without causing a recession and its concomitant increase in unemployment? The orthodox answer is “no.” whether they support the “inertia” theory of inflation (that today’s inflation rate is caused by yesterday’s inflation, the state of the economic cycle, and external influences such as import prices) or the “rational expectations” theory (that inflation is caused by workers’ and employers’ expectations, coupled with a lack of credible monetary and fiscal policies), most economists agree that tight monetary and fiscal policies, which cause recessions, are necessary to decelerate inflation. They point out that in the 1980’s, many European countries and the United States conquered high (by these countries’ standards) inflation, but only by applying tight monetary and fiscal policies that sharply increased unemployment. Nevertheless, some governments’ policymakers insist that direct controls on wages and prices, without tight monetary and fiscal policies, can succeed in decreasing inflation. Unfortunately, because this approach fails to deal with the underlying causes of inflation, wage and price controls eventually collapse, the hitherto-repressed inflation resurfaces, and in the meantime, though the policymakers succeed in avoiding a recession, a frozen structure of relative prices imposes distortions that do damage to the economy’s prospects for long-term growth.Q. Which of the following, if true, would most strengthen the author’s conclusion about the use of wage and price controls?a)Countries that repeatedly use wage and price controls tend to have lower long-term economic growth rates than do other countries.b)Countries that have extremely high inflation frequently place very stringent controls on wages and prices in an attempt to decrease the inflation.c)Some countries have found that the use of wage and price controls succeeds in decreasing inflation but also causes a recession.d)Policymakers who advocate the use of wage and price controls believe that these controls will deal with the underlying causes of inflation.e)Policymakers who advocate the use of wage and price controls are usually more concerned about long-term economic goals than about short-term economic goals.Correct answer is option 'A'. Can you explain this answer?.
Solutions for Read the passage and answer the question given below.Is it possible to decrease inflation without causing a recession and its concomitant increase in unemployment? The orthodox answer is “no.” whether they support the “inertia” theory of inflation (that today’s inflation rate is caused by yesterday’s inflation, the state of the economic cycle, and external influences such as import prices) or the “rational expectations” theory (that inflation is caused by workers’ and employers’ expectations, coupled with a lack of credible monetary and fiscal policies), most economists agree that tight monetary and fiscal policies, which cause recessions, are necessary to decelerate inflation. They point out that in the 1980’s, many European countries and the United States conquered high (by these countries’ standards) inflation, but only by applying tight monetary and fiscal policies that sharply increased unemployment. Nevertheless, some governments’ policymakers insist that direct controls on wages and prices, without tight monetary and fiscal policies, can succeed in decreasing inflation. Unfortunately, because this approach fails to deal with the underlying causes of inflation, wage and price controls eventually collapse, the hitherto-repressed inflation resurfaces, and in the meantime, though the policymakers succeed in avoiding a recession, a frozen structure of relative prices imposes distortions that do damage to the economy’s prospects for long-term growth.Q. Which of the following, if true, would most strengthen the author’s conclusion about the use of wage and price controls?a)Countries that repeatedly use wage and price controls tend to have lower long-term economic growth rates than do other countries.b)Countries that have extremely high inflation frequently place very stringent controls on wages and prices in an attempt to decrease the inflation.c)Some countries have found that the use of wage and price controls succeeds in decreasing inflation but also causes a recession.d)Policymakers who advocate the use of wage and price controls believe that these controls will deal with the underlying causes of inflation.e)Policymakers who advocate the use of wage and price controls are usually more concerned about long-term economic goals than about short-term economic goals.Correct answer is option 'A'. Can you explain this answer? in English & in Hindi are available as part of our courses for GMAT. Download more important topics, notes, lectures and mock test series for GMAT Exam by signing up for free.
Here you can find the meaning of Read the passage and answer the question given below.Is it possible to decrease inflation without causing a recession and its concomitant increase in unemployment? The orthodox answer is “no.” whether they support the “inertia” theory of inflation (that today’s inflation rate is caused by yesterday’s inflation, the state of the economic cycle, and external influences such as import prices) or the “rational expectations” theory (that inflation is caused by workers’ and employers’ expectations, coupled with a lack of credible monetary and fiscal policies), most economists agree that tight monetary and fiscal policies, which cause recessions, are necessary to decelerate inflation. They point out that in the 1980’s, many European countries and the United States conquered high (by these countries’ standards) inflation, but only by applying tight monetary and fiscal policies that sharply increased unemployment. Nevertheless, some governments’ policymakers insist that direct controls on wages and prices, without tight monetary and fiscal policies, can succeed in decreasing inflation. Unfortunately, because this approach fails to deal with the underlying causes of inflation, wage and price controls eventually collapse, the hitherto-repressed inflation resurfaces, and in the meantime, though the policymakers succeed in avoiding a recession, a frozen structure of relative prices imposes distortions that do damage to the economy’s prospects for long-term growth.Q. Which of the following, if true, would most strengthen the author’s conclusion about the use of wage and price controls?a)Countries that repeatedly use wage and price controls tend to have lower long-term economic growth rates than do other countries.b)Countries that have extremely high inflation frequently place very stringent controls on wages and prices in an attempt to decrease the inflation.c)Some countries have found that the use of wage and price controls succeeds in decreasing inflation but also causes a recession.d)Policymakers who advocate the use of wage and price controls believe that these controls will deal with the underlying causes of inflation.e)Policymakers who advocate the use of wage and price controls are usually more concerned about long-term economic goals than about short-term economic goals.Correct answer is option 'A'. Can you explain this answer? defined & explained in the simplest way possible. Besides giving the explanation of Read the passage and answer the question given below.Is it possible to decrease inflation without causing a recession and its concomitant increase in unemployment? The orthodox answer is “no.” whether they support the “inertia” theory of inflation (that today’s inflation rate is caused by yesterday’s inflation, the state of the economic cycle, and external influences such as import prices) or the “rational expectations” theory (that inflation is caused by workers’ and employers’ expectations, coupled with a lack of credible monetary and fiscal policies), most economists agree that tight monetary and fiscal policies, which cause recessions, are necessary to decelerate inflation. They point out that in the 1980’s, many European countries and the United States conquered high (by these countries’ standards) inflation, but only by applying tight monetary and fiscal policies that sharply increased unemployment. Nevertheless, some governments’ policymakers insist that direct controls on wages and prices, without tight monetary and fiscal policies, can succeed in decreasing inflation. Unfortunately, because this approach fails to deal with the underlying causes of inflation, wage and price controls eventually collapse, the hitherto-repressed inflation resurfaces, and in the meantime, though the policymakers succeed in avoiding a recession, a frozen structure of relative prices imposes distortions that do damage to the economy’s prospects for long-term growth.Q. Which of the following, if true, would most strengthen the author’s conclusion about the use of wage and price controls?a)Countries that repeatedly use wage and price controls tend to have lower long-term economic growth rates than do other countries.b)Countries that have extremely high inflation frequently place very stringent controls on wages and prices in an attempt to decrease the inflation.c)Some countries have found that the use of wage and price controls succeeds in decreasing inflation but also causes a recession.d)Policymakers who advocate the use of wage and price controls believe that these controls will deal with the underlying causes of inflation.e)Policymakers who advocate the use of wage and price controls are usually more concerned about long-term economic goals than about short-term economic goals.Correct answer is option 'A'. Can you explain this answer?, a detailed solution for Read the passage and answer the question given below.Is it possible to decrease inflation without causing a recession and its concomitant increase in unemployment? The orthodox answer is “no.” whether they support the “inertia” theory of inflation (that today’s inflation rate is caused by yesterday’s inflation, the state of the economic cycle, and external influences such as import prices) or the “rational expectations” theory (that inflation is caused by workers’ and employers’ expectations, coupled with a lack of credible monetary and fiscal policies), most economists agree that tight monetary and fiscal policies, which cause recessions, are necessary to decelerate inflation. They point out that in the 1980’s, many European countries and the United States conquered high (by these countries’ standards) inflation, but only by applying tight monetary and fiscal policies that sharply increased unemployment. Nevertheless, some governments’ policymakers insist that direct controls on wages and prices, without tight monetary and fiscal policies, can succeed in decreasing inflation. Unfortunately, because this approach fails to deal with the underlying causes of inflation, wage and price controls eventually collapse, the hitherto-repressed inflation resurfaces, and in the meantime, though the policymakers succeed in avoiding a recession, a frozen structure of relative prices imposes distortions that do damage to the economy’s prospects for long-term growth.Q. Which of the following, if true, would most strengthen the author’s conclusion about the use of wage and price controls?a)Countries that repeatedly use wage and price controls tend to have lower long-term economic growth rates than do other countries.b)Countries that have extremely high inflation frequently place very stringent controls on wages and prices in an attempt to decrease the inflation.c)Some countries have found that the use of wage and price controls succeeds in decreasing inflation but also causes a recession.d)Policymakers who advocate the use of wage and price controls believe that these controls will deal with the underlying causes of inflation.e)Policymakers who advocate the use of wage and price controls are usually more concerned about long-term economic goals than about short-term economic goals.Correct answer is option 'A'. Can you explain this answer? has been provided alongside types of Read the passage and answer the question given below.Is it possible to decrease inflation without causing a recession and its concomitant increase in unemployment? The orthodox answer is “no.” whether they support the “inertia” theory of inflation (that today’s inflation rate is caused by yesterday’s inflation, the state of the economic cycle, and external influences such as import prices) or the “rational expectations” theory (that inflation is caused by workers’ and employers’ expectations, coupled with a lack of credible monetary and fiscal policies), most economists agree that tight monetary and fiscal policies, which cause recessions, are necessary to decelerate inflation. They point out that in the 1980’s, many European countries and the United States conquered high (by these countries’ standards) inflation, but only by applying tight monetary and fiscal policies that sharply increased unemployment. Nevertheless, some governments’ policymakers insist that direct controls on wages and prices, without tight monetary and fiscal policies, can succeed in decreasing inflation. Unfortunately, because this approach fails to deal with the underlying causes of inflation, wage and price controls eventually collapse, the hitherto-repressed inflation resurfaces, and in the meantime, though the policymakers succeed in avoiding a recession, a frozen structure of relative prices imposes distortions that do damage to the economy’s prospects for long-term growth.Q. Which of the following, if true, would most strengthen the author’s conclusion about the use of wage and price controls?a)Countries that repeatedly use wage and price controls tend to have lower long-term economic growth rates than do other countries.b)Countries that have extremely high inflation frequently place very stringent controls on wages and prices in an attempt to decrease the inflation.c)Some countries have found that the use of wage and price controls succeeds in decreasing inflation but also causes a recession.d)Policymakers who advocate the use of wage and price controls believe that these controls will deal with the underlying causes of inflation.e)Policymakers who advocate the use of wage and price controls are usually more concerned about long-term economic goals than about short-term economic goals.Correct answer is option 'A'. Can you explain this answer? theory, EduRev gives you an ample number of questions to practice Read the passage and answer the question given below.Is it possible to decrease inflation without causing a recession and its concomitant increase in unemployment? The orthodox answer is “no.” whether they support the “inertia” theory of inflation (that today’s inflation rate is caused by yesterday’s inflation, the state of the economic cycle, and external influences such as import prices) or the “rational expectations” theory (that inflation is caused by workers’ and employers’ expectations, coupled with a lack of credible monetary and fiscal policies), most economists agree that tight monetary and fiscal policies, which cause recessions, are necessary to decelerate inflation. They point out that in the 1980’s, many European countries and the United States conquered high (by these countries’ standards) inflation, but only by applying tight monetary and fiscal policies that sharply increased unemployment. Nevertheless, some governments’ policymakers insist that direct controls on wages and prices, without tight monetary and fiscal policies, can succeed in decreasing inflation. Unfortunately, because this approach fails to deal with the underlying causes of inflation, wage and price controls eventually collapse, the hitherto-repressed inflation resurfaces, and in the meantime, though the policymakers succeed in avoiding a recession, a frozen structure of relative prices imposes distortions that do damage to the economy’s prospects for long-term growth.Q. Which of the following, if true, would most strengthen the author’s conclusion about the use of wage and price controls?a)Countries that repeatedly use wage and price controls tend to have lower long-term economic growth rates than do other countries.b)Countries that have extremely high inflation frequently place very stringent controls on wages and prices in an attempt to decrease the inflation.c)Some countries have found that the use of wage and price controls succeeds in decreasing inflation but also causes a recession.d)Policymakers who advocate the use of wage and price controls believe that these controls will deal with the underlying causes of inflation.e)Policymakers who advocate the use of wage and price controls are usually more concerned about long-term economic goals than about short-term economic goals.Correct answer is option 'A'. Can you explain this answer? tests, examples and also practice GMAT tests.
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