Final answer:
The concept of the multiplier effect is used to calculate the total increase in spending resulting from a change such as a stimulus, given the MPC of 0.80. The spending multiplier, in this case, is 5, which means the initial change in spending is magnified fivefold throughout the economy. Thus, a second round stimulus payment changing spending by $100 billion will lead to a $500 billion increase in total economic spending.
Step-by-step explanation:
When the marginal propensity to consume (MPC) is 0.80, it implies that for every additional dollar of income, consumption will increase by $0.80. The remaining $0.20 represents the marginal propensity to save (MPS). If we apply the concept of the multiplier effect, which is the expansion of a country's money supply that results from banks being able to lend, we can calculate the total increase in spending from a stimulus.
Given an initial change in spending, we use the spending multiplier to determine the total impact on the economy. The spending multiplier is calculated as 1 / (1 - MPC), which in this case would be 1 / (1 - 0.8) or 5. Therefore, if the government issues a second round of stimulus payments that changes total spending by $100 billion, the total increase in spending in the economy would be $100 billion multiplied by the spending multiplier, resulting in a $500 billion increase in total spending.
In this scenario, the stimulus payments initiate a chain reaction of spending, where each round prompts further consumption according to the MPC. Over time, the effect of the original stimulus diminishes, but it still results in a larger overall increase in economic activity than the initial amount of spending.