Final answer:
With $20 million in cash reserves and a 5% reserve ratio, the banking system can support a maximum of $400 million in deposits. The correct answer is E) $400 million.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question asks about the maximum amount of deposits the banking system can support based on a given amount of cash reserves and a target reserve ratio. If the banks in the banking system collectively have $20 million in cash reserves and a target reserve ratio of 5%, the maximum amount of deposits that can be supported is calculated as follows:
Maximum deposits = Cash reserves / Reserve ratio
Maximum deposits = $20,000,000 / 0.05
Maximum deposits = $400 million.
Therefore, the correct answer is E) $400 million.