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 …
Johann Hari wrote a piece on ‘The biggest lie in UK Politics’ Let’s start with a fact that should be on billboards across the land. As a proportion of GDP, Britain’s national debt has been higher than it is now for 200 of the past 250 years. Read that sentence again. Check it on any …
Readers Question: Has Japanese government debt always been so high, or is this a recent phenomenon, caused by the high public spending during the country’s ‘lost decade’? No, Japan’s national debt has definitely increased since the bubble burst in the late 1980s. Debt as a % of GDP has increased because of various spending increases …
Looking at graphs for the saving ratio, I noticed a paradox. When people felt it was a good time to save more, they actually saved less. When people felt it was a bad time to save, they actually save more. Is it a Good Time to Save? As part of the GFK consumer confidence survey. …
Definition: Gross fixed capital formation is essentially net investment. It is a component of the Expenditure method of calculating GDP. To be more precise Gross fixed capital formation measures the net increase in fixed capital. Gross fixed capital formation includes spending on land improvements, (fences, ditches, drains, and so on) plant, machinery, and equipment purchases; …
Readers Question: Is the fiscal policy effective/the best policy to deal with unemployment? It is an interesting question and one that is likely to generate different views from within the ranks of economists. To give a very rough overview: Keynesians say yes, fiscal policy can be effective in reducing unemployment. In a recession, expansionary fiscal policy …
International competitiveness measures the relative cost and value of a countries exports. For example, if UK goods and services become more expensive than its competitors, then the UK would see a decline in its international competitiveness. International competitiveness is determined by Short-run factors – inflation and exchange rate Long-run factors – Education, health-care, institutions, levels …
The natural or (equilibrium) level of unemployment is determined by calculating the level of unemployment when the labour market is in equilibrium. Diagram Showing Natural Rate of Unemployment The labour force includes everyone of working age who is either working or looking for work. The Aggregate Supply (AS) of labour is every one who is …