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Comprehension:

Read the passage carefully and answer the questions based on the passage:

Determination of Income and Employment

When, at a particular price level, aggregate demand for final goods equals aggregate supply of final goods, the final goods or product market reaches its equilibrium. Aggregate demand for final goods consists of ex ante consumption, ex ante investment, government spending etc. The rate of increase in ex ante consumption due to a unit increment in income is called marginal propensity to consume. For simplicity we assume a constant final goods price and constant rate of interest over short run to determine the level of aggregate demand for final goods in the economy. We also assume that the aggregate supply is perfectly elastic at this price. Under such circumstances, aggregate output is determined solely by the level of aggregate demand. This is known as effective demand principle. An increase in autonomous spending causes aggregate output of final goods to increase by a larger amount through the multiplier process. Full employment level of income is that level of income where all the factors of production are fully employed in the production process. The equilibrium attained at the point of equality of Y and AD by itself does not signify full employment of resources. Equilibrium only means that if left to itself the level of income in the economy will not change even when there is unemployment in the economy. The equilibrium level of output may be more or less than the full employment level of output.

A change in autonomous spending causes aggregate output of final goods to change by a large or small amount due to?

Solution

✅ Correct Option: 4

Option 1 -> Change in consumption is a result of the process, not the mechanism itself.

Option 2 -> Change in investment is a type of autonomous spending, not the amplification mechanism.

Option 3 -> These are assumptions in simplified models, not the cause of output magnification.

Option 4 -> The multiplier mechanism is the process that amplifies changes in autonomous spending.


Hence, Multiplier Mechanism -> When autonomous spending changes (such as investment, government spending, or exports), it triggers a chain reaction through the economy. The initial spending becomes income for recipients, who then spend a portion based on their marginal propensity to consume (MPC). This spending becomes income for others, who also spend a portion, and so on. The multiplier effect is calculated as 1/(1-MPC) or 1/MPS. For example, if MPC is 0.8, the multiplier is 5, meaning a 100increaseinautonomousspendingultimatelyincreasesaggregateoutputby100 increase in autonomous spending ultimately increases aggregate output by 500. This mechanism explains why small changes in autonomous spending can cause large changes in total output -> correct

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