Interest Rates and Balance of Payments

current-account-from-1987

Readers Question: Interest Rates are increased by the governments to bring down inflation rates, this makes exports price competitive as well, as a result, exports increase. However, an increase in interest rates can lead to an appreciation of the currency as demand for the currency increases. So this again increases the price of exports as …

Read more

Primary Products: Advantages and Disadvantages

primary-sector

What are the advantages and disadvantages for a developing economy, such as Ghana if it is dependent on primary products? Definition of Primary products: Raw materials and resources used in the productive process. Examples include metals, agricultural products and minerals. Advantages of Producing Primary Products For many developing economies, their main comparative advantage will be …

Read more

Polluter pays principle (PPP)

pollution-smog

The polluter pays principle  (PPP) is a basic economic idea that firms or consumers should pay for the cost of the negative externality they create. The polluter pays principle usually refers to environmental costs, but it could be extended to any external cost. In a purely free market, you would only face your private costs. …

Read more

Understanding Elasticity

effect-increase-supply-elasticity-volatility

Elasticity is a concept which involves examining how responsive demand (or supply) is to a change in another variable such as price or income. Price Elasticity of demand (PED) – measures the responsiveness of demand to a change in price Price elasticity of supply (PES) – measures the responsiveness of supply to a change in …

Read more

Economies of scope

Economies of scope occur when a firm can gain efficiencies from producing a wider variety of products. These efficiencies can involve lower average costs. It can also involve increased revenue from being able to increase sales in new, related markets. It is similar to concept of economies of scale – where higher output leads to …

Read more

Primary Products

Primary products are goods that are available from cultivating raw materials without a manufacturing process. Significant primary product industries include agriculture, fishing, mining, and forestry. Examples of Primary products oil water fish fruit crops wood Often developing countries have a comparative advantage in producing primary products. This is because many developing countries (e.g. in Africa …

Read more

Laissez-faire economics

laissez-faire-economics

Laissez-faire economics is defined as a situation with minimal government intervention. Under laissez-faire, governments and regulators ‘leave alone’ private firms to allow them to make decisions about production and output. In particular, laissez-faire involves zero / minimal government intervention on issues such as regulation, taxes and tariffs. Comparison between Laissez-Faire economics and social democracy Origin …

Read more

Item added to cart.
0 items - £0.00