Macro Key Words Flashcards
Absolute advantage
A country’s ability to produce a good using less resources than another country
Aggregate demand curve
The relationship between the level of aggregate demand and the overall price level; shows planned expenditure at any given possible overall price level
Appreciation
A rise in the exchange rate within a floating exchange rate system
Automatic stabilisers
Effects by which government expenditure adjusts to offset the effects of recession and boom without the need for active intervention
Average propensity to consume
The proportion of income that households devote to consumer expenditure
Balance of payments
A set of accounts showing the transactions conducted between residents of a country and the rest of the world
Bank rate
The interest rate that is set by the Monetary Policy Committee of the Bank of England in order to influence inflation
Canons of Taxation
Four maxims devised by Adam Smith, setting out the characteristics of a good tax
Capital account of the balance of payments
Account identifying transactions in (physical) capital between the residents of a country and the rest of the world
Capital productivity
Measure of output per unit of capital
Claimant count of unemployment
The number of people claiming the Jobseekers Allowance each month
Comparative advantage
A country’s ability to produce a good relatively more efficiently (I.e. at lower opportunity cost) than another country
Consumer price index (CPI)
A measure of the general level of prices in the UK, adopted as the government’s inflation target since December 2003
Consumption function
The relationship between consumer expenditure and disposable income; its position depends upon other factors that affect how much households spend on consumer expenditure
Cost-push inflation
Inflation initiated by an increase in the costs faced by firms, arising on the supply side of the economy
Current account of the balance of payments
Account identifying transactions in goods and services between the residents of a country and the rest of the world
Cyclical unemployment
Unemployment that arises during the downturn of the economic cycle, such as recession
Deflation
A situation in which the average level of prices is falling- this is negative inflation
Demand-deficient unemployment
Unemployment that arises because of a deficiency of aggregate demand in the economy, so that equilibrium level of output is below full employment
Demand pull inflation
Inflation initiated by an increase in aggregate demand
Depreciation
A fall in the exchange rate within a floating exchange rate system; a fall in value of physical capital equipment over time as it is subject to wear and tear
Devaluation
Process whereby a government reduces the price of its currency the price of its currency relative to an agreed rate in terms of forge in exchange
Discouraged workers
People who have been unable to find employment and who are no longer looking for work
Disposable income
The income that households have to devote to consumption and saving, taking into account payments of direct taxes and transfer payments
Economically inactive
Those people of working age who are not looking for work, for a variety of reasons
Effective exchange rate
The exchange rate for a country relative to a weighted average of currencies of its trading partners
Exchange rate
The price of one currency in terms of another
Exchange Rate Mechanism (ERM)
A system that was set up by a group of European countries in 1979 with the objective of keeping member countries’ currencies relatively stable against each other
Financial account of the balance of payments
Account identifying transactions in financial assets between the residents of a country and the rest of the world
Fiscal policy
Decisions made by the government on is expenditure, taxation and borrowing
Fixed exchange rate
A system in which the government of a country agrees to fix the value of its currency in terms of that of another country
Flat rate tax system
A system of income tax in which each taxpayer pays the same rate of tax on income
Floating exchange rate
A system in which the exchange rate is permitted to find its own level in the market
Forge in exchange reserves
Stocks of forge in currency and gold owned by the central bank of a country to enable it to meet any mismatch between the demand and supply of the country’s currency
Frictional unemployment
Unemployment associated with the job search: that is, people who are between jobs
Full employment
A situation where people who are economically active in the workforce and are willing and able to work (at going wage rates) are able to find employment