Final answer:
The open-economy macroeconomic model examines the trade balance and the exchange rate. It helps in analyzing the interplay between economic growth, unemployment, inflation, and international trade dynamics.
Step-by-step explanation:
The student has asked about what the open-economy macroeconomic model examines. The correct answer is a. the trade balance and the exchange rate. This model is key in analyzing macroeconomic issues such as the relationship between economic growth and changes in the unemployment rate. Historically, periods of lower unemployment often correlate with higher inflation, as seen from 1997 to 2000, while higher unemployment can coincide with lower inflation, evident in the early 2000s. This inverse relationship is partially explained by the Phillips Curve, a concept suggesting that inflation and unemployment have a stable and inverse short-run relationship. Moreover, understanding the reasons behind changes in the current account deficit, as it significantly rose and then declined in 2009, involves examining international trade and capital flows, where foreign capital influences the alignment of domestic savings with domestic investment.