While a Television News Reporter Might State That "Today the Fed

Multiple Choice

While a television news reporter might state that "Today the Fed lowered the federal funds rate from 5.5 percent to 5.25 percent," a more precise account of the Fed's action would be as follows:

A) "Today the Fed told its bond traders to conduct open-market operations in such a way that the equilibrium federal funds rate would decrease to 5.25 percent."
B) "Today the Fed lowered the discount rate by a quarter of a percentage point, and this action will force the federal funds rate to drop by the same amount."
C) "Today the Fed took steps to decrease the money supply by an amount that is sufficient to decrease the federal funds rate to 5.25 percent."
D) "Today the Fed took a step toward contracting aggregate demand, and this was done by lowering the federal funds rate to 5.25 percent."