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 …
A look at some of the advantages and disadvantages of hosting a major sporting event. Hosting a major sporting event can give many economic, social and cultural benefits. However, the costs of hosting the event can also be quite high. What determines whether the benefits outweigh the costs? Advantages of hosting a major event 1. …
Monopolies are generally considered to have several disadvantages (higher price, fewer incentives to be efficient e.t.c). However, monopolies can also give benefits, such as – economies of scale, (lower average costs) and a greater ability to fund research and development. In certain circumstances, the advantages of monopolies can outweigh their costs. Advantages of Monopoly Research …
A minimum wage is a legal minimum for workers. It means workers are guaranteed a certain hourly wage – helping to reduce relative poverty. However, a minimum wage could have potential disadvantages – in particular, there is the risk of creating unemployment as firms cannot afford to employ workers. “It has always been a mystery …
Disadvantages of EU membership include: Cost. The costs of EU membership to the UK is £15bn gross (0.06% of GDP) – or £6.883 billion net. See UK government spending. (UKIP claim that the cost of EU membership in total amounts to £83bn gross if you include all possible costs, such as an ‘estimated’ £48bn of …
Readers Question: Explain with the help of diagrams the equilibrium of a firm having monopoly power in the market in the short-run and long-run? The diagram for a monopoly is generally considered to be the same in the short run as well as the long run. Profit maximisation occurs where MR=MC. Therefore the equilibrium is …
A look at the pros and cons of mergers. Are mergers in the public interest or are mergers just beneficial for top executives and shareholders?
A fixed exchange rate occurs when a country keeps the value of its currency at a certain level against another currency. Often countries join a semi-fixed exchange rate, where the currency can fluctuate within a small target level. For example, the European Exchange Rate Mechanism ERM was a semi-fixed exchange rate system. Summary The idea …