Capital controls are government measures to limit the flow of financial capital and financial assets. Capital controls include limits on foreign currency exchange, limits on the purchase of assets and taxes on financial transfers. Some economists argue that capital controls can help limit destabilising capital flows which cause banking crisis and economic booms and busts. …
Food prices are typically fairly stable in a recession. If the recession is very deep and it leads to a period of deflation (fall in the general price level) then food prices may fall by a similar amount. US Deflation 1929-33 For example, in the great depression (1929-33), we saw a prolonged fall in prices. …
Furlough schemes involve the government paying the wages of workers who would otherwise have been laid off. In the UK, the government pay 80% of wages up to £2,500 a month. Over 7.5 million jobs are now covered by the scheme. It is costing £8bn a month and has helped avoid a surge in unemployment. …
The policy trilemma refers to the trade-offs a government faces when deciding international monetary policy. In particular, the policy trilemma contends that it is not possible to have all three objectives at the same time, but has to choose two from the following three options: Free movement of capital Independent (autonomous) monetary policy Fixed (managed) …
A look at the arguments for and against privatisation. Privatisation involves selling state-owned assets to the private sector. It is argued the private sector tends to run a business more efficiently because of the profit motive. However, critics argue private firms can exploit their monopoly power and ignore wider social costs. Privatisation is often achieved …
Vulture capitalism refers to the practice of buying up struggling firms, stripping them off their assets and enabling a few venture capitalists to make a high profit at the expense of genuine business and ordinary workers. The term originates from the Vulture bird which looks for distressed animals and then finishes them off. Vulture capitalism …
The Renminbi (RMB) is the name of the Chinese Currency. Renminbi roughly translates as ‘people’s currency’ The Yuan refers to its unit of account. So for example, we might use the following sentences The Renminbi is the 6th largest traded currency in 2006. The Chinese government issues a 100 Yuan note. In practice, they can …
Sometimes governments may wish to reduce the value of their currency. A depreciation in the value of a currency would make exports cheaper, imports more expensive and can provide a boost to domestic demand. If the economy is stuck in recession or unemployment rising, reducing the value of a currency can help increase economic growth …