Readers Question If one looked at the UK’s Historical Debt to GDP ratio; at the time austerity was introduced; the Debt to GDP ratio was last at this 2010 level in 1966. Having lived in 1966 there was no massive economc requirement to reduce public spending at that time ie everything was fine. So was …
Governments intervene in markets to try and overcome market failure. The government may also seek to improve the distribution of resources (greater equality). The aims of government intervention in markets include Stabilise prices Provide producers/farmers with a minimum income To avoid excessive prices for goods with important social welfare Discourage demerit goods/encourage merit good Forms …
Definition of Market Failure – This occurs when there is an inefficient allocation of resources in a free market. Market failure can occur due to a variety of reasons, such as monopoly (higher prices and less output), negative externalities (over-consumed and costs to third party) and public goods (usually not provided in a free market) …
Any potential merger must give details to the OFT. If the OFT is concerned they can refer the merger to the Competition and Markets Authority, which can examine whether the merger is in the public interest. CMA has the power to investigate a merger if Turnover of the new firm exceeds £70 million or The …
An explanation of how wages are determined in a perfectly competitive labour market. A perfectly competitive labour market will have the following features Many firms Perfect information about wages and job conditions. Firms are offering identical jobs Many workers with the same skills Diagram of wage determination The equilibrium wage rate in the industry is …
Definition of Efficiency Wage Theory / Hypothesis The idea of the efficiency wage theory is that increasing wages can lead to increased labour productivity because workers feel more motivated to work with higher pay. Therefore if firms increase wages – some or all of the higher wage costs will be recouped through increased staff retention …
Capitalism is an economic system based on free markets and limited government intervention. Proponents argue that capitalism is the most efficient economic system, enabling improved living standards. However, despite its ubiquity, many economists criticise aspects of capitalism and point out is many flaws and problems. In short, capitalism can cause – inequality, market failure, damage …
The Labour Party manifesto commitment has numerous spending commitments. These are financed by a mixture of government borrowing and tax increases. Would the increase in spending and borrowing lead to higher interest rates? In summary – the most likely effect would be a short-term fiscal expansion, which could lead to higher growth, a rise in …