In the aftermath of the invasion, the Russian Ruble rallied, becoming one of the best-performing currencies in the world. This perplexed many commentators, who assumed sanctions on Russia would lead to rapid economic deterioration. But, the strength of the Russian Ruble masks the underlying reality. The high value of the Ruble was due to stringent …
The economics of happiness seeks to relate economic decisions to a wider measure of welfare and happiness rather than traditional measures of just income and wealth. Happiness economics attempts to evaluate a wider range of factors affecting well-being, quality of life and self-reported levels happiness. There are now several measures of happiness, such as Gross …
When people talk of UK debt, they usually refer to government debt. This is debt the government has borrowed to finance budget deficits (when government spending is greater than taxation revenue) There is also external debt, which is the net amount the UK (private and public sector) owes abroad. This external debt is high (2011, …
In theory, there is a strong link between the money supply and inflation. If the money supply rises faster than real output, then prices will usually rise. This means if a Central Bank prints more money, we will often (though not always!) get higher inflation. Explanation of why increased money supply causes inflation The money …
The Luddite fallacy is the mistaken belief that new technology leads to higher overall unemployment in the economy. New technology may cause disruption and some workers to lose their job, but the improved technology will also create jobs in other sectors of the economy – balancing out any jobs lost. Historical background In the early …
The sunk cost fallacy is when we continue an action because of our past decisions (time, money, resources) rather than a rational choice of what will maximise our utility at this present time. For example, because we order a big meal and have paid for it, we feel a pressure to eat all the food. …
The UK, along with many other countries, is experiencing a real cost of living crisis with inflation rising faster than average wages. The cost of living crisis is driven by higher transport costs, and energy and food prices, and this is forecast to continue to worsen over this winter. What are the various policies which …
Recently I wrote about impact of rising bond yields on long term bonds. There is uncertainty whether the rise in bond yields reflects economic growth or worries over government debt. This post explains the inverse relationship between bond yields and bond prices Bond Yield Curve Definition: The bond yield curve reflects the yield on government …