The essential element of Keynesian economics is the idea the macroeconomy can be in disequilibrium (recession) for a considerable time. To help recover from a recession, Keynesian economics advocates higher government spending (financed by government borrowing) to kickstart an economy in a slump. Keynesian economics includes Disequilibrium in macroeconomy (insufficient demand) Imperfect labour markets (e.g. …
An examination of consumer and producer sovereignty. Also, an evaluation of which is stronger – who drives markets – is it, consumers or producers? Definition consumer sovereignty The ability and freedom of consumers to choose from a range of different goods and services. It means that ultimately it is consumers who will decide what is …
Definition of creative destruction This refers to the process of how capitalism leads to a constantly changing structure of the economy. Old industries and firms, which are no longer profitable, close down enabling the resources (capital and labour) to move into more productive processes. Creative destruction means that the company closures and job losses are good …
Diminishing marginal utility of income and wealth suggests that as income increases, individuals gain a correspondingly smaller increase in satisfaction and happiness. In layman’s terms – “more money may not make you happy” Alfred Marshall popularised concepts of diminishing marginal utility in his Principles of Economics (1890) “The additional benefit a person derives from a …
An ad valorem tax imposes a tax on a good or asset, depending on its value. The tax is usually expressed as a percentage. For example, in the UK, VAT is charged at 20% on most goods offered for sale. Ad valorem means – according to value. Thus it is a tax which is flexible …
The resource curse is the observation that countries endowed with a rich source of natural resources can struggle to make effective use of these and often end up with low levels of economic development than countries with low levels of natural resources. There are various reasons put forward to explain this resource curse, such as …
A regressive tax is a tax which takes a higher percentage of tax revenue from those on low incomes. As income increases, the proportion of your income paid in tax falls. Suppose there is a poll tax of £3,000 (paid regardless of income) In this case, the person earning £10,000 is paying 30% of their …
Nudge theory suggests consumer behaviour can be influenced by small suggestions and positive reinforcements. Proponents of nudge theory suggest that well-placed ‘nudges’ can reduce market failure, save the government money, encourage desirable actions and help increase the efficiency of resource use. Critics argue nudges can be misused and become a form of social engineering or …