Irresponsible tax cuts

The current US administration is proposing tax cuts which ‘The Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget’, estimates it will include $5.8 trillion of total tax cuts over the decade and a net cost of $2.2 trillion through 2027. The problem with these tax cuts It is unclear how these tax cuts will be financed. An …

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Claimant count – unemployment

claimant-count-lfs unemployment

The claimant count records the number of people receiving unemployment benefits from the government. In the UK, the claimant count currently measures everyone who receives Job Seekers Allowance (JSA). To receive JSA, the applicant must be actively seeking work and provide evidence and commitment of efforts to find work. The claimant count method is one …

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Supply Side Economics – Pros and Cons

Laffer-Curve

Readers Question: What are the benefits of “supply-side” economics, particularly for the working class, the middle-class if you will? Supply-side policies encompass a range of different policies that seek to reduce tax rates and government intervention in the economy.  In the US, supply-side economics has become synonymous with the Laffer Curve theory and the Reagan …

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Solutions to national debt

Readers Question: Please is there any solution to national/public debt? National (public sector) debt is the outstanding level of debt owed by the government to the private sector. It is the accumulation of annual budget deficits. Do we need a solution? Firstly, it is worth evaluating whether we need an actual ‘solution.’ National debt has …

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Keynes Bibliography

Due to lack of space in the book, we have published full bibliography on this website. Bibliography Chapter 1 Is it OK to be selfish? Frank, R H (1988) Passions Within Reason: The Strategic Role of the Emotions, p. xi. New York: W W Norton & Co. Galbraith, J K (1982) “Recession economics”, The New …

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Who owns the Bank of England?

Readers Question: Who owns the Bank of England? The Bank of England is owned by the UK government. From Bank of England website “As a public organisation, wholly-owned by Government, and with a significant public policy role, the Bank is accountable to Parliament” Bank of England The Bank of England was set up by, ironically, …

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Price Elasticity of Demand – Short and Long Run

higher-price-oil-elasticity-time-lag

Demand tends to be more price inelastic in the short-run as consumers don’t have time to find alternatives. In the long-run, consumers become more aware of alternatives. Price elasticity of demand measures the responsiveness of demand to a change in price. Demand is price inelastic if a change in price causes a smaller % change …

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Importance of exports to the economy

Exports play an important role in the UK economy, influencing the level of economic growth, employment and the balance of payments. In the post-war period, lower transport costs, globalisation, economies of scale and reduced tariff barriers have all helped exports become a bigger share of national income. In 2011, exports of goods and services accounted …

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