ECON 410 · Section 3 · Module D — Deeper Dive Interactive Lab

Money demand · QTM forecasting · Cagan dynamics · Hyperinflation · Practice — Mankiw Ch.4–5

Money demand calculator

Compare constant-velocity and interest-elastic money demand. Set Y, v, i and see real money balances M/P.
150
1.5
5

Constant velocity

M^d/P = k·Y = (1/v)·Y
k = 1/v0.667
Real money demand M^d/P100.0

Demand depends ONLY on Y. Interest rate doesn't matter in this version.

Interest-elastic (Cagan)

M^d/P = Y/(1+i)
1/(1+i)0.952
Real money demand M^d/P142.9

Higher i → less cash held. Money demand falls when interest rates rise.

Try this:
  • Set i = 0%. The two money demands differ only by the factor (1+i) vs v.
  • Crank i up to 50%. Cagan demand falls sharply; constant-velocity is unchanged.
  • This is why expected-inflation matters in Cagan but not in simple QTM.

QTM long-run inflation forecaster

Set money growth and output growth; the simple QTM predicts inflation. Compare to actual historical data.
7
3.0
0.0
2.0
QTM-predicted inflation π = ΔM% − ΔY% + Δv%
4.0%
Fisher nominal rate i = r + π^e
6.0%

How close does this come to real episodes?

EpisodeΔM% (M2)ΔY%QTM-predicted πActual π
U.S. 1960s7%4%3%2.5%
U.S. 1970s10%3%7%7.4%
U.S. 2010s (post-QE)6%2%4%1.8% (V fell)
U.S. 2020–2225%1%24%4.7% avg (V fell sharply)
Argentina 2023120%0%120%211% (V expansion)
Zimbabwe 200810^12 %negative10^12 %10^11 % (V exploded)

QTM is a LONG-RUN benchmark. In hyperinflations, velocity rises sharply (people don't want to hold cash), making actual π HIGHER than ΔM% alone would predict. At low inflation, V can fall (post-QE), making π LOWER than ΔM% predicts.

Surprise vs anticipated money increase

M doubles in period 2 (from 100 → 200) and stays at 200. Pick the scenario; see how inflation moves.

Choose scenario

Both use constant-velocity demand. In the anticipated case, students who go through the Cagan model with interest-elastic demand would see P_1 already rise; here we use the simple version where P depends only on current M.

Period-by-period dynamics

PeriodM_tP_tπ_t (actual)E_{t-1} π_t (expected)M/P

Time path of P

Surprise case: Inflation jumps to 100% in period 2 (the surprise period), then immediately returns to 0%. Markets had E_1 π_2 = 0; actual π_2 = 100% — a 100-pp forecast error. Real money balances M/P unchanged in equilibrium.

Hyperinflation case explorer

Click a case to learn why it started, peak rate, and how (if) it ended. All four required FISCAL reform — not just monetary policy.

Common thread (Sargent 1982)

Every hyperinflation has two ingredients in its END: (1) Credible fiscal reform — the government commits to a balanced budget so it no longer needs to print money to fund spending. (2) Central bank independence — the institutional barrier that prevents future political pressure to inflate. Pure monetary tightening without fiscal reform fails because markets correctly anticipate that the government will return to printing as soon as the deficit becomes unbearable. This is why Argentina's repeated stabilization attempts (1985, 1991, 2001, 2024) succeed or fail based on FISCAL credibility, not Central Bank rhetoric.

Practice quiz — Section 3 v3

10 questions from Practice Exam 2 Q1–10 style. Instant feedback.
Score: 0/10