Macroeconomics Flashcards
GDP
the total market value of all final goods and services produced in an economy in a given period of time (produced within borders)
National Income Accounting
measurement of the economy’s income or value of output
Nominal GDP
refers to the value of goods and services in terms of prices at the time of measurement
Real GDP
refers to a measure of value that accounts for price changes over time (ie adjusted for inflation)
GDP per capita
refers to the total GDP of a country divided by its population to account for population growth or difference between countries
Purchasing Power Parity
special exchange rates between currencies to equate the buying power of each currency
GNI
total income received by residents (regardless of location of factors), equal to GDP plus or minus foreign income (add money earnt abroad, subtract money earnt onshore that is received offshore)
Business cycle
fluctuations in the growth of real output/GDP, consisting of alternating periods of expansion and contraction
Expansion
positive growth in real GDP (upwards-sloping portion); resource employment and inflation increases
Peak
represents the maximum real GDP, the end of a period of expansion; low unemployment and high inflation
Contraction
negative growth in real GDP (downwards-sloping portion); resource employment decreases and inflation slows, if lasts over 6 months classified as a recession
Trough
represents the minimum real GDP, the end of a period of contraction; high unemployment
Value of output unconsidered in GDP
- Non-market transactions (if clean house yourself, grow own food)
- Informal transactions (ie pay in cash and do not declare)
- Parallel market transactions
- Depreciation (if replaces past thing, ie house burnt then rebuilt counts as if added value)
Aspects of wellbeing GDP does not consider
- Composition of output (eg spent on healthcare, education, food instead of nuclear weapons)
- Distribution of income (inequality unconsidered)
- Quality improvements (better quality computer over time for same price)
- Negative externalities unconsidered (eg environmental damage)
- Depletion of natural resources
- Leisure (less work lower GDP yet increased wellbeing)
- Health significant factor despite healthcare (eg even if good healthcare poor diet affects well-being)
- Quality of life factors (conflict, freedom, traffic, etc)
OECD Better Life Index
Measures key aspects of individuals’ lives, ie housing, environment, social network, work-life balance, personal security, education, health, democratic processes
- Doesn’t rank the 11 indicators so making comparisons can be difficult
- Only a small number of countries
Happiness Index
surveys that require participants to rank their level of happiness based on an assortment of quality of life factors
- Index changes over time to reflect changing importance but this makes comparisons over time less valid
Happy Planet Index
Measure of sustainable wellbeing, ranking countries by how efficiency they deliver long, happy lives, using our limited environmental resources
- Ignores some key factors e.g. Human rights violations
- Australia regularly ranks highly in quality of life measures BUT ranks 105 on Happy Planet Index