4.2 - Aggregate Supply Policies Flashcards
Capacity Constraints
Factors that prevent or constrain an economy from producing more goods and services, such as skill shortages and infrastructure bottlenecks
Aggregate Supply
The total volume of good and services that all suppliers have produced and supplied over a period of time
Aggregate Supply Policies
- Government strategies that seek to grow the productive capacity or potential of the economy, especially in the long term, by increasing the willingness and ability of suppliers of goods and services to produce
- Aim to improve living standards by improving supply conditions, helping to achieve macroeconomic goals
- Includes measures that:
o Increase efficiency in resource use
o Increase the quantity of resources available
o Incentivise businesses to expand capacity
o Increase levels of competition to encourage efficiency
o Address capacity constraints
Efficient Allocation of Resources and Aggregate Supply
- Productive Efficiency → economy maximising outputs from a given level of inputs → expands production and productive capacity → increases AS
- Dynamic Efficiency → ensures resources are reallocated quickly through innovative means → expands production and productive capacity → increases AS
- Intertemporal Efficiency
o Short term: restricts access to resources → decreases AS
o Long term: mitigates effects of climate change, eg. crop destruction, extreme weather → increases production and productive capacity → increases AS - Allocative Efficiency → economy maximising outputs from a given level of inputs → expands production and productive capacity → increases AS
Aggregate Supply Policies and International Competitiveness
- AS Policies → increased efficiency and production → Australian goods and services cheaper in foreign terms → increased international competitiveness
Aggregate Supply Policies and Strong and Sustainable Economic Growth
- Increased AS → allows for greater production → increased economic activity → increased economic growth
- Increased AS → expands productive capacity → reduces cost inflationary pressures → reduced inflation
Aggregate Supply Policies and Low Inflation
- Increased AS → expands productive capacity → reduces cost inflationary pressures → reduced inflation
Aggregate Supply Policies and Full Employment
- Increased AS → expands productive capacity → increased production → increased derived demand for labour → increased employment
Aggregate Supply Policies and Living Standards
- Increased employment → improved material and non material living standards
- Increased access to goods and services → improved material and non material living standards
Infrastructure
- Physical or organisational structures within an economy that provide the foundation for economic activity to take place
- Investment in infrastructure is government capital expenditure (G2) to develop infrastructure
- Includes road, rail, gas, telecommunications, sewerage, water, seaports, airports and electricity
- Infrastructure Australia prioritises nationally significant infrastructure
- Examples:
o Inland Railway – cuts distance between Melbourne and Brisbane by 200km, reducing travel time to under 24hrs
o $120bn infrastructure pipeline
Impact of Infrastructure on Aggregate Supply
- Increased productivity, decreased costs and removal of capacity constraints → increased willingness and ability to produce → increased productive capacity → increased aggregate supply
Impact of Infrastructure on International Competitiveness
- AS Policies → increased efficiency and production → Australian goods and services cheaper in foreign terms → increased international competitiveness
Impact of Infrastructure on Strong and Sustainable Economic Growth
- Increased AS → allows for greater production → increased economic activity → increased economic growth
- Increased AS → expands productive capacity → reduces cost inflationary pressures → reduced inflation
Impact of Infrastructure on Low Inflation
- Increased AS → expands productive capacity → reduces cost inflationary pressures → reduced inflation
Impact of Infrastructure on Full Employment
- Increased AS → expands productive capacity → increased production → increased derived demand for labour → increased employment
Impact of Infrastructure on Living Standards
- Increased employment → improved material and non material living standards
- Increased access to goods and services → improved material and non material living standards
Trade Liberalisation
- Government policy initiatives designed to promote free trade or reduce barriers to trade, including quotas, tariffs and subsidies