Chapter 6 - Measurement Of Macroeconomic Performance Flashcards
What is a policy objective?
A target or goal that a government wishes to achieve or ‘hit’
What is short run economic growth?
Growth of real output resulting from using idle resources (movement from a point inside the ppf to on the ppf)
What is long run economic growth?
An increase in the countries potential level of real output, and an outward shift of the economy’s production possibility frontier
Gross domestic product (GDP)
The total number of goods and services produced in an economy over a period of time
What is the difference between real GDP and nominal GDP?
Real GDP has been adjusted for price changes or inflation whereas nominal GDP is GDP measured at the current market prices, without removing the effects of inflation
Beveridge definition of full employment
3% or less of the labour force are unemployed
What is the free-market definition of full employment?
The number of workers whom employers wish to hire equals the number of workers wanting to work
What is better about Beveridge’s definition of full employment?
It accepts that withers will always be some unemployment because the economy is always changing
Why do free-market economists prefer their definition of full employment?
They think the first definition is too arbitrary and lacking any theoretical underpinning
Claimant count
The method of measuring unemployment according to those people who are claiming unemployment-related benefits
Labour force survey
A quarterly sample survey of households in the UK which seeks info about personal circumstances and their labour market status during a period of 1-4 weeks
What is inflation?
A persistent or continuing rise in the average price level
If the price of a particular good or service within an economy changes, is this inflation?
No, inflation occurs when most prices are rising by some degree across the whole economy
What does controlling inflation mean?
Achieving a low inflation rate rather than absolute price stability (a zero rate of inflation is extremely rare)
What is the target inflation rate in the UK?
2%
What is deflation?
A persistent or continuing fall in the average price level