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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 1591
Government borrowing may crowd out private investment because:
Select an option first.
Correct answer: B — It raises interest rates by competing for savings
Explanation: ✔ Why correct: More government borrowing raises interest rates, reducing private investment. ✘ Why others wrong: A: Opposite. C & D: Not the mechanism.
Question 1592
Transfer payments include:
Select an option first.
Correct answer: B — Welfare, pensions, unemployment benefits
Explanation: ✔ Why correct: Transfer payments support household income but do not buy goods/services. ✘ Why others wrong: A, C, D: These are government expenditures, not transfers.
Question 1593
Transfer payments are excluded from GDP because:
Select an option first.
Correct answer: B — They do not reflect payment for production
Explanation: ✔ Why correct: GDP counts payments for goods/services, not income redistribution. ✘ Why others wrong: A, C, D: Incorrect.
Question 1594
Current government spending includes:
Select an option first.
Correct answer: B — Regular spending on health, education, defense
Explanation: ✔ Why correct: Current spending covers recurring services. ✘ Why others wrong: A: Capital spending. C & D: Too narrow.
Question 1595
Capital expenditure includes:
Select an option first.
Correct answer: B — Roads, hospitals, schools
Explanation: ✔ Why correct: Capital spending builds long-term infrastructure. ✘ Why others wrong: A, C, D: Not capital investment.
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Question 1596
Capital expenditure affects:
Select an option first.
Correct answer: B — Long-term productive potential
Explanation: ✔ Why correct: Infrastructure increases future productive capacity. ✘ Why others wrong: A, C, D: Not the main effect.
Question 1597
Government spending is justified economically to:
Select an option first.
Correct answer: A — Provide public goods like defense
Explanation: ✔ Why correct: Defense and similar public goods benefit all citizens. ✘ Why others wrong: B, C, D: Not valid justifications.
Question 1598
Government spending is justified socially to:
Select an option first.
Correct answer: B — Guarantee minimum income for poorer households
Explanation: ✔ Why correct: Welfare programs redistribute income. ✘ Why others wrong: A, C, D: Not goals.
Question 1599
Government spending can influence economic objectives by:
Select an option first.
Correct answer: A — Managing aggregate demand
Explanation: ✔ Why correct: Fiscal policy affects demand, inflation, and employment. ✘ Why others wrong: B, C, D: Not fiscal roles.
Question 1600
Direct taxes include:
Select an option first.
Correct answer: C — Income and corporate taxes
Explanation: ✔ Why correct: Direct taxes are levied on income, wealth, and profits. ✘ Why others wrong: A, B, D: These are indirect taxes.
Question 1601
Indirect taxes include:
Select an option first.
Correct answer: C — Sales taxes and excise duties
Explanation: ✔ Why correct: Indirect taxes apply to spending on goods/services. ✘ Why others wrong: A, B, D: Direct taxes.
Question 1602
Taxes can be justified because they:
Select an option first.
Correct answer: B — Raise revenue and redistribute income
Explanation: ✔ Why correct: Taxes fund spending and adjust income distribution. ✘ Why others wrong: A: Not the purpose. C & D: Incorrect.
Question 1603
A desirable attribute of tax policy is simplicity, meaning:
Select an option first.
Correct answer: B — Tax liability should be easy to understand and enforce
Explanation: ✔ Why correct: Simplicity reduces compliance and enforcement costs. ✘ Why others wrong: A, C, D: Not attributes.
Question 1604
Efficiency in tax policy means:
Select an option first.
Correct answer: A — Taxes should distort behavior as little as possible
Explanation: ✔ Why correct: Efficient taxes minimize distortions in work and investment decisions. ✘ Why others wrong: B, C, D: Opposite of efficiency.
Question 1605
A philosophical debate in tax policy concerns whether taxes should:
Select an option first.
Correct answer: A — Encourage “good” activities and discourage “bad” ones
Explanation: ✔ Why correct: Economists debate whether taxes should guide behavior. ✘ Why others wrong: B, C, D: Not serious policy positions.
Question 1606
Fairness in tax policy includes:
Select an option first.
Correct answer: A — Horizontal and vertical equity
Explanation: ✔ Why correct: Horizontal = equal treatment; vertical = richer pay more. ✘ Why others wrong: B, C, D: Not definitions of fairness.
Question 1607
Progressive taxes mean:
Select an option first.
Correct answer: B — Higher incomes pay a higher percentage
Explanation: ✔ Why correct: Progressive systems increase tax rates with income. ✘ Why others wrong: A: Flat tax. C & D: Incorrect.
Question 1608
Revenue sufficiency means tax policy should:
Select an option first.
Correct answer: A — Raise enough revenue to fund spending
Explanation: ✔ Why correct: Taxes must generate adequate revenue. ✘ Why others wrong: B, C, D: Not the definition.
Question 1609
A conflict in tax policy may arise because:
Select an option first.
Correct answer: B — Revenue sufficiency may conflict with fairness or efficiency
Explanation: ✔ Why correct: Raising revenue may require policies that reduce fairness or efficiency. ✘ Why others wrong: A, C, D: Incorrect.
Question 1610
Supply-side economists argue that income taxes:
Select an option first.
Correct answer: B — Reduce incentives to work and invest
Explanation: ✔ Why correct: Higher taxes reduce incentives for labor and investment. ✘ Why others wrong: A & C: Opposite. D: Evidence shows limited effect on savings.
Question 1611
The Laffer Curve suggests that:
Select an option first.
Correct answer: C — There is a tax rate that maximizes revenue
Explanation: ✔ Why correct: The curve shows revenue rises then falls as tax rates increase. ✘ Why others wrong: A & B: Too simplistic. D: False.
Question 1612
Fairness analysis of tax systems requires:
Select an option first.
Correct answer: B — Large datasets on income groups
Explanation: ✔ Why correct: Evaluating fairness requires detailed income distribution data. ✘ Why others wrong: A, C, D: Insufficient.
Question 1613
Many countries analyze tax changes by:
Select an option first.
Correct answer: B — Assessing impacts on different income groups
Explanation: ✔ Why correct: Governments study distributional effects of tax changes. ✘ Why others wrong: A, C, D: Not accurate.
Question 1614
Tax reform debates include whether:
Select an option first.
Correct answer: B — A flat tax should replace progressive taxes
Explanation: ✔ Why correct: Flat vs progressive tax is a major debate. ✘ Why others wrong: A, C, D: Not mainstream proposals.
Question 1615
Another tax reform debate concerns whether:
Select an option first.
Correct answer: B — Investment should be immediately deductible
Explanation: ✔ Why correct: Immediate expensing is a major corporate tax debate. ✘ Why others wrong: A, C, D: Not universally supported.
Question 1616
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: Not true.
Question 1617
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 1618
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 1619
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 1620
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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