Category: Essentials of Economics 9e

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The morally hazardous business cycle

“‘Capitalism,’ Schumpeter wrote, ‘is by nature a form or method of economic change and not only never is but never can be stationary … This process of Creative Destruction is the essential fact about capitalism”. In the article below William Keegan looks at this process of creative destruction and relates it to the current financial crisis and the downturn in the business cycle.

Moral hazard? It’s just another danger along the capitalist way Guardian (5/10/08)
Time To Drop The Baggage That Comes With Moral Hazard Financial Times (4/10/08)

Questions

1. Explain what is meant by the term ‘Creative Destruction’.
2. Explain what is meant by the term ‘Moral Hazard’.
3. “In theory, enlightened economic policies can moderate the workings of the business cycle”. Discuss possible policies that can moderate the workings of the business cycle.
4. Discuss the extent to which the recent economic boom was an ‘asset-price boom’ rather than a ‘traditional one’.
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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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Economic downturn – prime crime-time?

The article linked below looks at the extent to which economic downturn and rising inequality are likely to affect crime levels in the UK. Traditionally the view has been that an economic downturn will raise crime, but is it necessarily the downturn that is causing the increased crime?

Consumed by crime Guardian (24/9/08)

Questions

1. Explain why an economic downturn may lead to increased levels of crime.
2. Discuss the extent to which deregulation of markets may have exaggerated the relationship between crime and the level of economic growth.
3. Assess the view espoused in the article that “a culture obsessed with material goods” and “competitive individualism” have led to stronger link between crime and economic growth.
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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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Inflation back on the economic agenda

Rising food prices (5.5% increase over the past year) and rising energy costs have led to a rise in overall inflation. The consumer price index rose from 2.5% in March to 3% in April, triggering concerns that the Governor of the Bank of England, Mervyn King, would have once again to write an explanatory letter to the Chancellor for inflation going over its target rate.

Biggest jump in cost of living for six years surprises the city Guardian (4/5/08)
The danger of inflation fixation Guardian (14/5/08)
Dear Alistair …. Guardian (13/5/08)
Rising food prices send inflation surging to 3% Guardian (13/5/08)
Playing the percentage game for high stakes Guardian (9/5/08)
High street prices in biggest surge since 1992 Times Online (29/5/08)
UK inflation jumps to 3% in April BBC News Online (13/5/08)

Questions

1. Explain the principal factors that led to the sharp rise in the cost of living for April.
2. Assess the extent to which inflation may be higher for many groups in society than the consumer price index figures indicate.
3. Discuss the extent to which an interest rate increase would help to reduce inflation in a climate of rising food and energy prices.