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Chapter No.1
What is Macroeconomics?
• Macroeconomics is the study of the structure
and performance of national economies and
of the policies that governments use to try to
affect economic performance of a country.
Issues in Macroeconomics
• What determines a nation's long-run
economic growth?
• What causes a nation's economic activity to
fluctuate?
• What causes unemployment?
• What causes prices to rise?
• How does being part of a global economic
system affect nations' economies ?
• Can government policies be used to improve a
nation's economic performance?
Some Important Concepts
Long - Run Economic Growth
• Difference in standard of living in different
countries.
• Some economies experienced sustainable
economic growth.
• Some nations have never experienced sustained
growth or have had periods of growth offset by
periods of economic decline.
“ Hence the period of rapid economic growth which
is offset period of economic decline is known as long
run growth.”
Output of the U.S. economy
1869-2008
• The long-run growth in USA is a result of
increase in population and average
productivity of labour Force.
APL = TP/L
Business Cycle
• Macroeconomists use the term business cycle
to describe short-run, but sometimes sharp,
contractions and expansions in economic
activity.
• The downward phase of a business cycle,
during which national output may be falling or
perhaps growing only very slowly, is called a
recession.
Unemployment
• Unemployment is the number of people who
are available for work and are actively seeking
work but cannot find jobs.
• It is measured by unemployment rate.
Ur = Number of unemployed/Total labour force
• Recessions have led to significant increases in
unemployment.
Analytical Question
Can average labour productivity fall even though
total output is rising? Can the unemployment
rate rise even though total output is rising?
Inflation
• When the prices of most goods and services
are rising over time, the economy is said to be
experiencing inflation.
• The percentage increase in the average level
of prices over a year is called the inflation rate.
• High inflation also means that the purchasing
power of money erodes quickly.
Problem No.1
• Here are some macroeconomic data for the
country of O for the years 2008 and 2009.
2008 2009
Output 12000 14300
Employed 1000 1100
Unemployed 100 50
Total labour force 1100 1150
Prices 2 2.5
Required
a. Average labour productivity in 2008 and 2009.
b. The growth rate of average labour
productivity
between 2008 and 2009.
c. The unemployment rate in 2008 and 2009.
d. The inflation rate between 2008 and 2009.
What Macroeconomists Do?
• Macroeconomic Forecasting
• Macroeconomic Analysis
Monitoring of the economy and think about
the implications of current economic events.
• Macroeconomic Research
Economic Theory
• An economic theory is a set of ideas about the
economy that has been organized in a logical
framework. Most economic theories are
developed in terms of an economic model.
• Economic model is a simplified description of
some aspect of the economy, usually
expressed in mathematical form.
Economic Policy
• Set of instruction to control the performance
of the economy.
• There are two types of macro economic
policies
1. Fiscal Policy
2. Monetary Policy
Economic Analysis
• Positive Analysis
• Normative Analysis
Positive Analysis
• A positive analysis of an economic policy
examines the economic consequences of a
policy but doesn't address the question of
whether those consequences are desirable.
• e.g. if a tax is imposed on a good its price will
tend to rise.
Normative Analysis
• A normative analysis of policy tries to
determine whether a certain policy should be
used.
• e.g. a tax should be imposed on tobacco to
discourage smoking
Analytical Question 2
Which of the following statements are positive in nature
and which are normative?
a. A tax cut will raise interest rates.
b. A reduction in the payroll tax would primarily benefit
poor and middle-class workers.
c. Payroll taxes are too high.
d. A cut in the payroll tax would improve the President's
popularity ratings.
e. Payroll taxes should not be cut unless capital gains
taxes are cut also.
Classical Versus Keynesians
Classical Approach
• Adam Smith (1776)
• Published book Wealth of Nation.
• Concept of invisible hand
Keynesian Approach
• Great Depression (1936)
• John Maynard Keynes
• General theory of Employment, Interest and
Money
The Classical Approach
• Growth Rate =
• (Current – Previous/ Previous) X100
Difference b/w CPI and GDP price Index
• Flow Variables
• Variables that can measure per unit of time
• GDP
Circular Flow of Income In Closed
Economy