A key economic debate is the extent to which should governments intervene in the economy? At one extreme, free-market economists/libertarians, argue that government intervention should be limited to all but the most basic services, such as the protection of private property and the maintenance of law and order. At the other extreme, Marxist economists argue …
Supply-side policies are government attempts to increase productivity and increase efficiency in the economy. If successful, they will shift aggregate supply (AS) to the right and enable higher economic growth in the long-run. There are two main types of supply-side policies. Free-market supply-side policies involve policies to increase competitiveness and free-market efficiency. For example, privatisation, …
Comparative Advantage. A country has a comparative advantage if it can produce a good at a lower opportunity cost than another country. A lower opportunity cost means it has to forego less of other goods in order to produce it. Example of Output of two goods Textiles Books UK 1 4 India 2 3 Total …
Nationalisation occurs when the government take control of an industry previously owned by private firms. For example, after 1945, the Labour government nationalised key industries, such as railways, steel and electricity. The argument was that the government would be able to run the industries in the best interests of society. Arguments for Nationalisation include 1. …
A contestable market occurs when there is freedom of entry and exit into the market. In a contestable market, there will be low sunk costs. (Costs which can’t be recovered when leaving the market) Due to freedom of entry and exit – existing firms always face the threat of new firms entering the market. This …
Capitalism is an economic system characterised by: Lack of government intervention Means of production owned by private firms. Goods and services distributed according to price mechanism (as opposed to government price controls) Capitalism – pros and consWatch this video on YouTube Pros of capitalism “A society that puts equality before freedom will get neither. A …
Globalisation involves the increased integration and interdependence of the global economy. It means there will be a rise in trade, and increase in movement of labour and capital. There are both pros and cons of globalisation. The benefits include greater competition, lower prices, economies of scale. Critics argue globalisation can leave many left behind due …
Supernormal profit is all the excess profit a firm makes above the minimum return necessary to keep a firm in business. Supernormal profit is calculated by Total Revenue – Total Costs (where total cost includes all fixed and variable costs, plus minimum income necessary for the owner to be happy in that business.) Normal profit …