ap macro relationships

Variable 1

Variable 2

Type of Relationship

Explanation

Inflation

Unemployment

Inverse (Short-run)

As inflation rises, unemployment tends to fall (Phillips Curve)

Interest Rates

Investment Spending

Inverse

Higher rates = more expensive to borrow → less investment

Taxes

Consumer Spending

Inverse

Higher taxes = less disposable income

Government Spending

Aggregate Demand (AD)

Direct

More government spending = higher AD

Interest Rates

Aggregate Demand (AD)

Inverse

Higher rates discourage borrowing and spending

Money Supply

Interest Rates

Inverse

More money = lower interest rates

Interest Rates

Unemployment

Direct

Higher rates = less investment = fewer jobs

Inflation

Value of Money

Inverse

Higher inflation erodes purchasing power

Unemployment

Wages

Inverse (long-run)

High unemployment = downward pressure on wages

Real GDP

Unemployment

Inverse

More output = more jobs needed

Price Level

Purchasing Power

Inverse

Higher prices = less you can buy with the same amount of money

Nominal Interest Rate

Inflation

Direct

Lenders demand higher rates when expecting inflation (Fisher effect)