Taxation on goods, income or wealth influence economic behaviour and the distribution of resources. For example, higher taxes on carbon emissions will increase cost for producers, reduce demand and shift demand towards alternatives. Higher income tax can enable a redistribution of income within society, but may have an impact on reducing the incentives to work …
Definition of the underground economy. The underground economy involves economic transactions not measured by government statistics and ignoring government regulations and laws. It includes Illegal criminal activity Non-market activity – e.g. growing your own vegetables Legal activity which is hidden from authorities (e.g. to avoid paying tax) The underground economy may also be referred to …
Summary Education has positive benefits for the rest of society. If university education is left to market forces, there may be under-provision, and the economy may suffer from a lack of skilled graduates. Furthermore, in a free market, higher education would become the preserve of wealthy families who can afford to send their children to …
A look at some arguments for and against public/private healthcare provision. Should healthcare be left to the free market or should the government provide universal healthcare? Arguments for Public Health Care Healthcare is not a profit maximising industry. Doctors and nurses don’t need financial incentives to do a good job but are motivated by aims …
A merger occurs when two firms join together to form one. The new firm will have an increased market share, which helps the firm gain economies of scale and become more profitable. The merger will also reduce competition and could lead to higher prices for consumers. The main benefit of mergers to the public are: …
Government price controls are situations where the government sets prices for particular goods and services. Types of price controls Minimum prices – Prices can’t be set lower (but can be set above) Maximum price – Limit to how much prices can be raised (e.g. market rent) Buffer stocks – Where government keep prices within a certain …
The equimarginal principle states that consumers will choose a combination of goods to maximise their total utility. This will occur where The consumer will consider both the marginal utility MU of goods and the price. In effect, the consumer is evaluating the MU/price. This is known as the marginal utility of expenditure on each item …
Question number 3 from What would Keynes do? – If I enjoy drinking beer. How much should I drink? Key quote “My only regret in life is that I did not drink more champagne.” John Maynard Keynes. If something is good to do – does it mean it is good to do it to excess? This …