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Free Questions › CFA › Economics
Free CFA Economics Practice Questions & Answers
2,050 exam-style Economics questions. Pick your answer, hit Check answer, and see the worked solution — free to start, no signup.
100% free · No login to startQuestion 721
Indirect taxes have the advantage that they:
Select an option first.
Correct answer: B — Can be adjusted quickly and influence spending immediately
Explanation: ✔ Why correct: Indirect taxes can be changed rapidly and affect prices instantly. ✘ Why others wrong: A: Opposite. C & D: Incorrect.
Question 722
Indirect taxes can also be used to:
Select an option first.
Correct answer: B — Discourage harmful behavior like smoking
Explanation: ✔ Why correct: Higher taxes on tobacco/alcohol discourage consumption. ✘ Why others wrong: A, C, D: Incorrect.
Question 723
A disadvantage of direct taxes is that they:
Select an option first.
Correct answer: B — Require long notice periods and system adjustments
Explanation: ✔ Why correct: Payroll systems require time to adjust. ✘ Why others wrong: A: Opposite. C & D: Not necessarily true.
Question 724
Welfare and social transfers are difficult to change quickly because:
Select an option first.
Correct answer: B — They require administrative adjustments
Explanation: ✔ Why correct: Changing eligibility and payments requires administrative work. ✘ Why others wrong: A, C, D: Incorrect.
Question 725
Capital spending plans take longer to implement because:
Select an option first.
Correct answer: B — They require detailed planning, permissions, and construction
Explanation: ✔ Why correct: Infrastructure projects require long lead times. ✘ Why others wrong: A, C, D: Incorrect.
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Question 726
Despite long lags, capital spending is valuable because:
Select an option first.
Correct answer: B — It adds to productive potential
Explanation: ✔ Why correct: Infrastructure increases long-term capacity. ✘ Why others wrong: A, C, D: Incorrect.
Question 727
Direct taxes affect behavior because they:
Select an option first.
Correct answer: B — Reduce disposable income and affect work decisions
Explanation: ✔ Why correct: Higher income taxes reduce incentives to work/save. ✘ Why others wrong: A, C, D: Incorrect.
Question 728
Vertical equity means:
Select an option first.
Correct answer: B — Higher incomes pay more taxes
Explanation: ✔ Why correct: Vertical equity = richer pay more. ✘ Why others wrong: A: Horizontal equity. C & D: Opposite.
Question 729
Horizontal equity means:
Select an option first.
Correct answer: B — People in similar situations pay the same
Explanation: ✔ Why correct: Horizontal equity = equal treatment for equals. ✘ Why others wrong: A, C, D: Incorrect.
Question 730
A tax that is too complex violates the principle of:
Select an option first.
Correct answer: B — Simplicity
Explanation: ✔ Why correct: Complexity undermines ease of compliance. ✘ Why others wrong: A, C, D: Not the simplicity principle.
Question 731
Indirect taxes can be adjusted quickly because:
Select an option first.
Correct answer: B — They affect prices immediately
Explanation: ✔ Why correct: Indirect taxes change prices instantly, influencing spending. ✘ Why others wrong: A: Some admin needed. C & D: Incorrect.
Question 732
Direct taxes are slower to adjust because:
Select an option first.
Correct answer: A — They require payroll and administrative changes
Explanation: ✔ Why correct: Income-based taxes require system updates. ✘ Why others wrong: B, C, D: Incorrect.
Question 733
Capital spending takes longer to implement because:
Select an option first.
Correct answer: B — It requires detailed planning and construction
Explanation: ✔ Why correct: Infrastructure projects involve long lead times. ✘ Why others wrong: A, C, D: Incorrect.
Question 734
A criticism of fiscal stimulus is that:
Select an option first.
Correct answer: B — It may take effect after conditions have changed
Explanation: ✔ Why correct: Long lags mean stimulus may arrive too late. ✘ Why others wrong: A, C, D: Not accurate.
Question 735
Capital spending is still valuable because:
Select an option first.
Correct answer: B — It increases long-term productive capacity
Explanation: ✔ Why correct: Infrastructure boosts future output. ✘ Why others wrong: A, C, D: Incorrect.
Question 736
Direct taxes influence behavior because they:
Select an option first.
Correct answer: B — Reduce disposable income and affect work incentives
Explanation: ✔ Why correct: Higher income taxes reduce incentives to work or invest. ✘ Why others wrong: A, C, D: Incorrect.
Question 737
Fiscal policy cannot fully stabilize aggregate demand mainly because:
Select an option first.
Correct answer: B — Policy lags and uncertainty cannot be eliminated
Explanation: ✔ Why correct: Recognition, action, and impact lags make perfect stabilization impossible. ✘ Why others wrong: A: Governments do use fiscal tools. C: Fiscal policy does affect demand. D: Taxes can be changed, just slowly.
Question 738
The recognition lag occurs because:
Select an option first.
Correct answer: B — Economic data arrive late and are revised
Explanation: ✔ Why correct: Data are delayed and often revised, so downturns are recognized late. ✘ Why others wrong: A: Opposite of reality. C: Action lag, not recognition lag. D: Impact lag.
Question 739
The action lag refers to:
Select an option first.
Correct answer: B — The delay in implementing fiscal decisions
Explanation: ✔ Why correct: Implementation—especially capital spending—takes months or years. ✘ Why others wrong: A: Recognition lag. C: Not a policy lag. D: Not the definition.
Question 740
The impact lag refers to:
Select an option first.
Correct answer: A — The time before fiscal actions influence the economy
Explanation: ✔ Why correct: Even after implementation, effects take time to show in economic indicators. ✘ Why others wrong: B & C: Other lags. D: Not the concept.
Question 741
Fiscal policy is difficult because forecasting models:
Select an option first.
Correct answer: B — Have a poor track record predicting economic turning points
Explanation: ✔ Why correct: Forecasting models often fail to predict shifts in demand or investment. ✘ Why others wrong: A & D: False. C: Policymakers do use models.
Question 742
Private sector behavior can complicate fiscal policy because:
Select an option first.
Correct answer: C — Consumption and investment may rise when stimulus is announced
Explanation: ✔ Why correct: Private responses can amplify or offset fiscal actions, making calibration difficult. ✘ Why others wrong: A & B: Opposite of reality. D: Private behavior is central.
Question 743
Raising aggregate demand toward full employment may cause:
Select an option first.
Correct answer: C — Tight labor markets and rising inflation
Explanation: ✔ Why correct: As labor markets tighten, wages and prices rise. ✘ Why others wrong: A & B: Opposite effects. D: Incorrect.
Question 744
A large existing budget deficit makes fiscal stimulus difficult because:
Select an option first.
Correct answer: A — Markets may demand higher interest rates
Explanation: ✔ Why correct: Investors may view additional borrowing as risky, raising borrowing costs. ✘ Why others wrong: B: Opposite. C & D: Not the mechanism.
Question 745
Fiscal expansion may be ineffective if:
Select an option first.
Correct answer: B — The economy is already at full employment
Explanation: ✔ Why correct: If the economy is already at full employment, extra demand causes inflation, not output growth. ✘ Why others wrong: A: Fiscal policy is effective when demand is low. C & D: Not relevant.
Question 746
A central bank is typically the sole supplier of:
Select an option first.
Correct answer: B — Domestic currency
Explanation: ✔ Why correct: Central banks legally hold the monopoly on issuing domestic currency. ✘ Why others wrong: A, C, D: Not exclusive central bank functions.
Question 747
Money that is not convertible into a commodity and derives value by decree is called:
Select an option first.
Correct answer: B — Fiat money
Explanation: ✔ Why correct: Fiat money has value because the government declares it legal tender. ✘ Why others wrong: A & D: Commodity-linked. C: Not money.
Question 748
Fiat money must be accepted in exchange for goods and services because it is:
Select an option first.
Correct answer: B — Legal tender
Explanation: ✔ Why correct: Legal tender laws require acceptance for payment. ✘ Why others wrong: A: Not optional. C & D: Not required.
Question 749
Central banks abandoned gold convertibility because:
Select an option first.
Correct answer: B — It limited monetary flexibility
Explanation: ✔ Why correct: Gold standards restrict monetary expansion and crisis response. ✘ Why others wrong: A, C, D: Not historically accurate.
Question 750
As suppliers of fiat currency, central banks must:
Select an option first.
Correct answer: A — Maintain confidence in the currency’s value
Explanation: ✔ Why correct: Confidence is essential for fiat money to function. ✘ Why others wrong: B: No longer used. C & D: Not realistic.
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