The Lib Dems have proposed a budget rule that would run a persistent current budget surplus of 1%. This means that current spending (day to day costs of government) should always be less than tax revenue. Borrowing would only be allowed to finance capital investment after an independent watchdog found that the return would be …
In 2008, Zimbabwe had the second highest incidence of hyperinflation on record. The estimated inflation rate for Nov 2008 was 79,600,000,000% That is effectively a daily inflation rate of 98.0. Roughly every day, prices would double. It was also a time of real hardship and poverty, with an unemployment rate of close to 80% and a …
Economic growth means an increase in real GDP. Economic growth means there is an increase in national output and national income. Economic growth is caused by two main factors: An increase in aggregate demand (AD) An increase in aggregate supply (productive capacity) See latest stats on economic growth Demand-side causes In the short term, economic …
How does a recession/economic downturn influence how firms will set the price of goods and services? A recession is a period of negative economic growth – falling real incomes and rising unemployment. In a recession, consumers are likely to have lower income and be more sensitive to prices. There is also the threat of unemployment …
A significant issue in the US political economy is the perceived transgressions of Chinese economic policy. These tend to revolve around: Undervalued Yuan – making Chinese imports cheaper Current account (trade) deficit. China exports more goods and services than imports – switching demand from US firms to Chinese firms. Copyright infringements and lack of intellectual …
Readers Question: Hi! Can you explain why floating exchange rates reduce the risks of currency speculation? What are those risks? Thank you very much! Currency speculation is when investors feel the exchange rate is wrongly valued and so buy/sell currency in the hope of making a profit. For example, if a currency is pegged at …
The business or trade cycle relates to the volatility of economic growth, and the different periods the economy goes through (e.g. boom and bust). There are many different factors that cause the economic cycle – such as interest rates, confidence, the credit cycle and the multiplier effect. Some economists also point to supply side explanations, …
An explanation of how the rate of interest influences the level of investment in the economy. Typically, higher interest rates reduce investment, because higher rates increase the cost of borrowing and require investment to have a higher rate of return to be profitable. Private investment is an increase in the capital stock such as buying …