AS Macroeconomics: C5-9 Flashcards

-Economic Growth -Inflation -Unemployment -Balance of Payments

1
Q

What does being economically active/ economically inactive mean?

A

-economically active:those ppl who are at work or who are willing to work. Also, called the workforce and these include unemployed ppl.
-economically inactive:those people who are not available to work, such as students/ ppl unable to work etc…

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2
Q

How are employment/ unemployment measured?

A

-employment: number of people in work/ total who are economically active x 100
-
unemployment:
number of people out of work/ total who are economically active x 100

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3
Q

What are the five causes of unemployment and definitions?

A

-Cyclical:lack of spending in the economy means ppl are out of work. During recessions.
-Structural:industries are in decline and workers skills are becoming obselete.
-Frictional:where ppl are in between jobs
-Seasonal:where ppl are out of work for some periods of the year.
-Classical/real wage inflexibility:problems with supply side of labour e.g. minimum wage is too high. National wage may be set above the equilibrium wage.

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4
Q

What are the costs of unemployment to the person, firms and the government?

A

-person: no income, low self-esteem
-firms: ppl don’t spend as much in shops
-government: they have to spend more on JSA and they receive less in income tax.

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5
Q

What are the two measures of unemployment?

A

-ILO Measure:uses a questionnaire (labour force survey) to ask ppl aged 16-65 whether they have been out of work over the last 4 weeks and are rdy to start within two weeks.
-Claimant Count: records ppl who are successfully claiming JSA.

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6
Q

Why might ILO be higher than Claimant Count and why might the CC rise relative to the ILO measure of unemployment?

A

-there are strict criteria for claiming JSA and many are not eligible. E.G. have high levels of savings, spouse with a high income etc…
-CC records people who receive a financial reward for declaring themselves unemployed, whereas the ILO method has no reward for saying your unemployed. So during a recession, the JSA tends to rise relative to ILO. Ppl have a stronger incentive to claim JSA and are less likely to have high levels of savings/spouses with high incomes.

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7
Q

What is the distinction between unemployment and underemployment?

A

-unemployed ppl don’t have a job. But many ppl have jobs which dont offer them enough hours. These underemployed ppl are NOT taken into account in unemployment figures. So unemployment figures may under-represent the problem of joblessness.
-therefore, an evaluation point could be ppl are also overqualified for the work they do, as well as wishing to work more hours or on a stable contract.

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8
Q

What is the significance of increase employment?

A

-increased incomes (rise in living standards)
-improved skills and human capital or workers.
-multiplier effect (increased incomes lead to increased spending, so firms might see increased profits)
-higher government taxation revenue (more ppl pay tax and spend-VAT and corporation tax-)

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9
Q

What is the significance of decreased unemployment and inactivity?

A

-falling government spending on JSA and other benefits.
-decreased unemployment can have exponential benefits because ppl who are out of the job market for a long period become increasingly unemployable.
-the job market becomes more flexible
-deceased dependency ratios (number of inactive ppl that active and employed ppl are supporting directly/indirectly)

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10
Q

What is the relation between migration and employment/unemployment?

A

-migration can occur when ppl are searching for work/better paid work, to escape from social or political problems in original country etc…
-if immigrants come to a country to fill vacancies, then immigration leads to an increase in employment.
-but if immigrants are looking for work/displace other ppl from work, then employment may be unchanged and unemployment might increase.

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11
Q

What is the balance of payments?

A

-record of international payments over the course of a year.

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12
Q

What is the current account and what does it include?

A

-the current account records payments for transactions between countries in the present year (other than investment).
-trade in goods
-trade in services
-investment income (rewards for investment only)
-transfers (tax payments to foreign governments)

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13
Q

What is a current account deficit?

A

-more money outflow (imports) than money inflow (exports)

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14
Q

What are the causes of a current account deficit?

A

-the currency is too strong relative to other countries. e.g. if the pound buys too many then people holding euros will not want to buy goods and services from the UK + people in the UK will be keen to buy things from the Euro area (DEMAND-SIDE)
-high rates of inflation relative to other countries (SUPPLY-SIDE)
-high wage costs relative to other countries (SUPPLY SIDE)
-high level of growth in a country, meaning people with higher incomes tend to buy imports from abroad. (DEMAND-SIDE)

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15
Q

How do high wage costs/inflation cause a current account deficit?

A

-high wages increase production costs therefore exports are less price-competitive, making them less attractive to foreign buyers.
-high inflation rates increase price of domestic goods, less price-competitive, reducing foreign demand.

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16
Q

Why are supply-side factors causing a current account deficit more important to consider?

A

-supply-side reasons affect the competitiveness of exports.
-these are way more destructive than demand-side reasons. This is because they are hard to rectify and long-term.

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17
Q

What is the consequence of a current account deficit?

A

-shift inwards (C+I+G+ (X-M))

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18
Q

What are some evaluations for the consequences of CA deficit?

A

1) if deficit is a small % of GDP?
2) indicator of a strong growing economy?
3) is it supply/demand side?

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19
Q

What are the causes of a current account surplus?

A

-the currency is too weak relative to other countries. e.g. if the pound buys few US dollars then people in the UK will find it difficult to buy things from outside UK. (demand-side)
-low rates of inflation relative to other countries (supply-side).
-low wage costs relative to other countries (supply-side). –> exports are more price competitive as production costs are low.
-low level of growth in a country, making it difficult to buy imports from abroad and creating a strong incentive for firms in the country to export.
-low incomes at home, high incomes abroad.(remittances increases exports).
-gains in comparative advantage –> country can specialise in a specific area and increase export revenues.

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20
Q

What are supply-side causes and demand-side causes of a current account surplus/deficit?

A

-supply-side:factors that affect the ability of a country to produce and export goods/services , or the costs of imports.
-demand-side:factors that influence domestic and foreign demand for a country’s goods and services.

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21
Q

What are consequences of a current account surplus?

A

-shift outwards in AD
-can harm international relations
-sign of an unbalanced economy –> vast majority of a country’s production will be for sales of exports

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22
Q

What is economic growth and potential economic growth?

A

-measure of an increase in real GDP. GDP is the total value of goods and services produced in a country in one year, or the total amount spent/earned.
-potential economic growth is a measure of the increase in capacity in an economy. It can be shown by a movement outwards of the PPF curve.

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23
Q

What is a recession?

A

-when a country has two consecutive quarters of negative economic growth.
-this can lead to firms closing, increased unemployment and fall in living standards.

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24
Q

What is the effects of economic growth on living standards?

A

-an increase in GDP is likely to cause an increase in standards of living, which means that people can afford more goods/services, or feel that their lives are better because they do not need to work as hard to achieve their requirements in life.
-however, a rising income does not necessarily make standards of living rise. It depends on how the extra money is distributed, whether inflation is being taken into account, the amount spent on investment and population change. It is better to look at GDP per capita.

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25
What are three reasons as to why an increase in GDP may not cause an increase in living standards?
-relative exchange rates -type of spending by government (is it spent on QOL issues) -size of economy you start with.
26
What are purchasing power parities (PPP) used for?
-they are used to compare GDP in different countries and take into account the cost of a 'basket of goods' that could be brought in each of the countries being compared.
27
What is gross national income (GNI)?
-GNI measures income received by a country both domestically (GDP) and net incomes from overseas. GNI and GNP measure output from the workers and companies of a particular nation, regardless of the country the income earners are based in.
28
What is 'national happiness'?
-an alternative way to measure standards of living in a country. -surveys attempt to measure subjective happiness, such as security and social interactions, alongside the traditional measures such as real incomes.
28
What is inflation?
-a sustained rise in the general price level. It is a weighted average of spending of all households in a country. Changes in the CPI are used as the measure of inflation.
28
What is CPI and RPI?
-CPI: does not include housing costs such as mortgage interest repayments and rent. -RPI includes housing costs.
29
What is deflation and disinflation?
-deflation: fall in the general price level. Sign of stagnation in an economy. -disinflation: occurs when prices rise more slowly than they have done in the past.
30
How do you calculate the rate of inflation (step by step)?
-in order to find a rate of inflation that represent the changes in cost of living that households experience: -weights are assigned to each item that is bought by the average household. -the LFS (living costs and food survey) collects information from a sample of nearly 7,000 households in the UK. -the weights show the proportion of income spent on each item. -it takes account 650 of the most commonly used goods and services. -price changes x weights = price index. -inflation is measured by calculating the % change in this index. -inflation is measured by CPI. -CPI is given as an index number. This means it is a number shown as a percentage relative to the base year. -inflation is usually shown on a year to year basis so you need to calculate the change over the original x 100.
31
What are the three causes of inflation?
-demand-pull inflation, cost-push inflation and growth in the money supply
32
How is demand-pull inflation a cause of inflation?
-occurs when aggregate demand (total demand) increases. Could be due to interest rates having fallen, the level of confidence has risen, the governments might be spending more, or because exports are rising relative to imports.
33
How is cost-push inflation a cause of inflation?
-occurs when aggregate supply decreases, the total costs of production increases. Could be due to oil prices rising, exchange rate has fallen (making imports more expensive), or because the minimum wage has risen in real terms.
34
How is growth in money supply a cause of inflation?
-some economists (monetarists) argue that inflation is mainly caused by increases in the money supply.
35
How may inflation not be a true representation of changes in living costs?
-it does not include housing costs, which are a significant item of expenditure for most households in the UK.
35
How can inflation be damaging for the economy?
-inflation above 3% may significantly damage international competitiveness (makes exports relatively expensive in foreign markets and imports from abroad seem cheap). This tends to worsen balance of payments. -it is damaging for people on fixed incomes. If people find their incomes do not rise in real terms, then they will get progressively worse off, even if in nominal terms, they are earning the same amount or more. -inflation is damaging to workers if the rate of inflation is higher than their nominal wage rises. In this case, their real income is falling. However, if wages rise faster than inflation, then real incomes rise. -high inflation rates might make the MPC decide on a rise in interest rates. This is known as tight monetary policy and can have damaging effects, for example on investment by firms (it falls as investment costs more), or for people paying off debts. -inflation can be damaging for the government because it makes it looks like it is unable to control the economy. But inflation is also good for governments if there are high levels of national debt. Debt does not change in its nominal value when there is inflation, so in real terms, it is cheaper to finance and to pay back.
36
What is aggregate demand?
-it is the total amount of planned spending on goods and services at any price level in an economy., -consumption (C) + investment (I) + government expenditure (G) + net exports-imports (X-M)
37
What are the four ways that the level of consumption may rise?
-if IR rise, then it costs us more to borrow and it increases incentive to save. -if householders feel secure in their job, then more likely to buy luxury goods. -wealth effect: an increase in share/house prices means households are willing and able to spend more -the higher the level of employment, the more will be spent in a country.
38
What are the seven things that influence investment (increases in capital stock)?
-rate of economic growth, if there is increase in GDP. firms will need more capital to meed increased demand. -confidence levels -interest rates -animal spirits (act on gut instinct) -access to credit (banks may not be willing to take risks in their lending) -government decisions (government cutting corporation tax) -gross investment (involves replacing old capital, business must keep investing)
39
What are some things that influence government expenditure?
-discretionary fiscal policy: governments can choose to some extent how much they spend and deliberately manipulate total spending in the economy by changing their own level of spending. -budget deficit (increases AD) -budget surplus (decreases AD)
40
What is net exports?
exports - imports
41
What are the four causes of changes in net exports?
-real income rising may cause a reduced inventive for domestic firms to export, because they can sell in domestic economy. -if exchange rate rises, exports are less competitive abroad and imports are more competitive in domestic economy. -changes in the state of the world economy (slowdown of Eurozone has caused UK exports to fall) -degree of protectionism : if there are high tariffs/quotas, then firms will find it difficult to export to certain countries.
42
What is aggregate supply and how is the graph drawn?
-the amount that all firms in the economy are willing to supply at various price levels (based on costs of production). -straight line sloping upwards (rising costs as firms try to produce more) and vertical part showing full employment. -if costs of production rises, the AS supply shifts upwards or decreases. -a movement along AS curve is caused by a change in price level.
43
What is short-run and long-run aggregate supply?
-SRAS: shows total planned output when prices can change but the prices and productivity of factor inputs are held constant. -LRAS: total planned output when both prices and average wage rates can change, it is a measure of a country's potential output. -in the short run, the SRAS is assumed to be upward sloping (it is responsive to a change in AD reflected in a change in the general price level) -in the long-run, the LRAS curve is assumed to be vertical (it does not change when the general price level changes)
44
What are the four factors that may cause a shift in AS in the short run?
**these are cost-related factors that affects firms willingness to supply at existing capacity, without changing economy's full potential** -change in cost of raw materials -change in international trade (tariffs mean higher import costs) -change in exchange rates (stronger pound= cheaper imports) -change in tax rates (cut in indirect tax reduces production costs)
44
What is national income?
-the amount received by various agents in an economy by households, firms and government.
44
What are seven factors that may cause in a shift in AS in the long run?
**-these factors affect the productive potential economy, how much it can produce when fully using all resources.** -tech advances -education and skills -demographic changes and migration -relative productivity changes -competition policy (if government encourage competition, firms try harder to be efficient) -changes in the minimum wage -changes in tax and benefit system
45
How does the circular flow of income work?
-money flows around the economy like a loop. -households provide labour and other resources to firms. -firms pay households wages, rent, dividends -households then spend money back on goods/services from firms
46
What are three forms of injections and withdrawals?
-injections: investment, government spending and exports -withdrawals: savings, taxes, imports
47
What happens to the equilibrium level of real national output when prices are too high/low?
-too high: business are making more goods, firms lower prices to attract buyer and this pushes price back down to eq. -too low: shortage of goods so prices rise, pushes price level up to eq.
47
What is the multiplier?
-shows the amount by which a change in an injection or leakage causes total spending in the economy to change. -if leakages from circular flow of income increases, then multiplier effect will be smaller. -the bigger the multiplier, the bigger the shift in AD
48
How do you calculate the multiplier?
-1/ (MPS+MPT+MPM) -MPS: change in saving/change in income
49
How do you calculate the total change in national income?
-multiplier x initial injection
50
What does output gaps mean and what are three reasons this can occur?
-output gaps are a sign that the country is not using its resources efficiently or at their maximum potential. -resources available are not suited for needs of economy -welfare system pays generously for people out of work -effects of relocation of production to other countries
51
When does economic growth occur?
-when there is an increase in AD/AS, meaning there is a new equilibrium output at a level where more is produced. -it occurs with multiplier effects when there is a shift in AD.
52
What is sustainable growth?
-highest rate of growth which does not compromise the welfare of future generations.
53
What is a boom,slump and recession?
-boom: rapid economic growth -slump: very slow growth -recession: two consecutive quarters of negative economic growth
53
What are the characteristics of a boom and recession?
-boom: there is often high unemployment, increasing living standards, increased investment and increased negative externalities -recession: high unemployment, lower inflation
54
What are factors which might cause an absence of growth (5)?
-weak governments, fixed exchange rates, lack of investment funds, lack of human capital, lack of access to international trade.
55