Category: Essential Economics for Business: Ch 13

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Tobin’s nice little earner

Commentators and policy makers are casting far and wide to try to find policies that may offer solutions to the banking crisis and the financial situation it has caused. One proposal (considered in two articles below) is the introduction of a Tobin tax. A Tobin tax is a levy on currency transactions and the argument is that this will act as a disincentive for short-term speculation and therefore force traders in financial and currency markets to look more at medium- to long-term rather than short-term gain.

Tobin’s nice little earner Guardian (15/10/08)
Make state capitalism pay its way Guardian (26/9/08)

Questions

1. Explain what is meant by a Tobin tax.
2. Assess the arguments for and against the imposition of a Tobin tax on currency transactions.
3. Discuss whether changes to the regulatory structure of currency markets may be more effective than the introduction of a Tobin tax.
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The eurozone – our economic saviour?

As well as old theorists being brought out to help frame the financial crisis in a new context, old theories and policies seem to be getting a new airing as well. In the articles below various commentators consider whether joining the euro may offer a solution to our economic situation.

How the euro is gaining currency Guardian (6/10/08)
Contagion could fracture the eurozone Guardian (6/10/08)
Dithering Britain needs its own plan and it may hinge on joining the euro Guardian (1/10/08)

Questions

1. Explain how interest rates are set in the eurozone. To what extent might this act as a constraint on policy making in times of economic downturn?
2. Discuss the arguments for and against the UK joining the euro.
3. Assess reasons why joining the euro may be more appropriate for the UK now than a decade ago.
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Trade and aid – crunch time?

“10 million children die each year from preventable, poverty-related diseases; there are 1.4 billion people in the world surviving on less than $1.25 a day; and more than 70 million primary school-age children are out of school”. The Millennium Development Goals were targets set by the developed world to try to improve this situation by 2015. However, although world leaders met in September 2008 to renew their commitments to meeting these goals, the financial crisis has drawn attention away from these issues and focused most governments on narrower, domestic goals.

Women are key to fighting poverty BBC News Online (23/9/08)
A stagnant promise Guardian (24/9/08)

Questions

  1. Summarise the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and the progress that has been achieved towards meeting them.
  2. Assess the policies that have been adopted by developed countries to try to achieve the MDGs. Are they the most appropriate way to achieve these ends?
  3. Discuss whether the financial crisis has made it more difficult to achieve the targets set out by the MDGs.
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The Eurozone – hot or not?

The European Central Bank has its tenth anniversary this year and the year is shaping up to be one of the toughest of the last decade in terms of economic management. While the Eurozone has generally withstood the global credit crisis very well, there are some possible problems emerging and the ECB will have to manage interest rates carefully to cater for the conflicting demands from economies at different stages of the business cycle.

If the Eurozone is on fire, will the ECB get burnt? Observer (1/6/08)
More testing times ahead as the euro turns ten Times Online (26/5/08)
Euro growth better than expected BBC News Online (15/5/08)

Questions

1. Explain the role of the European Central Bank (ECB).
2. Assess the difficulties faced by the ECB in setting interest rates for the whole Eurozone.
3. Discuss the extent to which the economic performance of stronger countries in the Eurozone will be constrained by weaker-performing economies.
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Just enough power to save themselves – the emerging economies

Given the interdependence of the global economy, the economic slowdown in the West is likely to have worldwide knock-on effects. How serious will these effects be for the emerging economies of South East Asia? The following articles consider this question.

The decoupling debate The Economist (6/3/08)
Can Asia escape the effects of the downturn in the West? Times Online (17/3/08)
Just enough power to save themselves Times Online (25/3/08)

Questions

1. Explain the term emerging economy.
2. Discuss the extent to which the economic performance of the emerging economies will help reduce the likelihood of recession in the UK.
3. Discuss the extent to which the economic performance of the emerging economies is likely to be affected by recession in the USA.