Which of the following are considered monetary policy tools?

Monetary policy tools are mechanisms that central banks use to manage the money supply and influence interest rates in order to achieve economic objectives such as controlling inflation, maintaining employment, and fostering economic growth. Open market operations involve the buying and selling of government securities to adjust the amount of money circulating in the economy, which directly influences interest rates. Changes to the discount rate, which is the interest rate that commercial banks pay to borrow funds from the central bank, also serve to influence overall lending rates in the economy. Adjusting reserve requirements dictates the amount of funds that banks must hold in reserve, which impacts their ability to create loans and, consequently, the money supply.

The other options listed are not classified as monetary policy tools. Tax alterations and government spending modifications pertain to fiscal policy, which involves government budgets and taxation decisions to influence the economy. Import and export tariffs adjustments are trade policy tools that affect international trade rather than domestic monetary conditions. Wage control measures and price ceilings are forms of price control aimed at influencing the cost of living and the economy, but they do not adjust the overall money supply or interest rates like monetary policy tools do. Thus, the primary suite of tools for monetary policy is correctly represented by the first choice.