21 GNP, 22 Aggregate demand, 23 Aggregate demand, 24 Inflation, 25 Economic growth

Ýêîíîìèêî-ïðàâîâàÿ áèáëèîòåêà

Ó÷åáíèêîâ â áèáëèîòåêå - 334                                                                Èùèòå æå ïðåæäå Öàðñòâà Áîæèÿ è ïðàâäû Åãî, è ýòî âñå ïðèëîæèòñÿ âàì. (Ìàòô.6:33)


21 GNP

The gross national product (GNP) is the total value at - current or at constant prices of all final goods and services produced by a nation’s economy in a year (or any other standard period of time). “Gross” means before deduction of depreciation charges; “final” means that intermediate inputs are excluded (no double counting, or duplication). The GN at current prices is called the “nominal GNP”, the GNP at constant prices the “real GNP”. The real GNP may be calculated by applying a GNP deflator to the nominal GNP, the deflator corresponding to the rate of inflation for all final goods and services.

The most important items included in the GNP calculated under the expenditure (or flow-of-product) method are: personal consumption (durable and non-durable consumer goods and services), gross private domestic investment, government expenditure on goods and services, and net exports of goods and services. The GNP can also be calculated by adding up all types of income (such as wages, salaries, rents, profits, etc.) and depreciation (income method), or by adding up the values added by the industries composing the economy (output method).

Although the GNP is a very useful concept, its usefulness as a measure of national welfare and in international comparisons is increasingly being called into doubt by economists. The GNP has been criticised because it fails to include the value added by non-market activities (e.g., the work of housewives) and value of leisure, while, on the other hand, it does include “regrettable” i.e., expenditure intended to remedy some evil which might never have come into existence but for activities leading to a higher GNP (e.g., treatment of occupational diseases, anti-pollution expenditure). Furthermore, the GNP fails to account for the unwanted by-products (“bads”, or externalities”, in economic jargon) of the economic process, which certainly have to be taken into account when assessing the net benefit of this process to society as a whole. The prime example is certainly pollution.

Another shortcoming is that the GNP does not allow for the wealth - creating effect of consumer durables, which are treated as consumer expenditure (and not as investment). Is this misleading practice really only due to accounting problems, or at least also to a reflection of our “throw-away” society?

To remedy some of these defects, different measures of national welfare have been developed, of which the most important are NNW (net national welfare) and indices based on social indicators (e.g., number of cars and telephones, suicides, child mortality, etc.).

Vocabulary

the total value – çàãàëüíà âàðò³ñòü

deduction – â³äí³ìàííÿ, çíèæåííÿ, âèñíîâîê

to depreciate – çíåö³íþâàòè

depreciation charge – ïëàòà çíèæåííÿ âàðòîñò³

intermediate input – ïðîì³æíèé

to exclude – âèêëþ÷àòè, âèëó÷àòè

duplication – ïîäâîºííÿ

current prices – ïîòî÷í³ ö³íè

constant prices – ïîñò³éí³ ö³íè

deflator – äåôëÿòîð (ñêîðî÷åííÿ, çíèæåííÿ)

leisure – äîçâ³ëëÿ

pollution – çàáðóäíåííÿ

regrettables – ïðèêðîù³

to remedy – â³äøêîäóâàòè, âèïðàâëÿòè

externalities – çîâí³øí³ îáñòàâèíè

to assess – îö³íþâàòè ìàéíî äëÿ îïîäàòêóâàííÿ

net benefit – ÷èñòèé ïðèáóòîê

shortcoming – âàäà, äåôåêò

net national welfare – ÷èñòèé íàö³îíàëüíèé ïðèáóòîê

indices – ³íäåêñè.

². Complete the sentences using the text:

1.    The gross national product is the total … .

2.    The GNP at current prices is called … .

3.    The most important items included in the GNP calculated under the expenditure method are: … .

4.    The GNP fails to account for … .

5.    Another shortcoming is that … .

6.    To remedy some of these defects … .

II. Answer these questions, basing your answers on the text:

1.    What is the definition of GNP?

2.    What does «Gross» mean?

3.    What does «final»mean?

4.    How is the GNP at current prices called?

5.    How is the GNP at constant prices called?

6.    How may the real GNP be calculated?

7.    What items are included in the GNP calculated under the expenditure method?

8.    Why has the GNP been criticised?

9.    What are the shortcomings of the GNP?

10.   What different measures of national welfare have been developed to remedy these defects?

III. Say whether these statements are true or false and if they are false, say why.

1.    The gross national product is the total value at current or at constant prices of all final goods and services produced by a nation's economy in a year.

2.    The GNP at current prices is called the "nominal GNP".

3.    The GNP at constant prices is called the "real GNP".

4.    There are two methods of calculating the GNP.

5.    The GNP is a very useful concept.

6.    The GNP has no shortcomings.

22 Aggregate demand

An advanced country like the United States is very complex. It involves millions of individual decision-making units – individuals, business and governments make billions of decisions daily.

Microeconomics is the branch of economics that deals with decision-making and other behaviour by these individual units. Another branch of economics, known as macroeconomics, deals with large groups or aggregates. Because GNP deals with the output of the country as a whole, it is macroeconomic concept.

As a first step in understanding the macroeconomic we think of the economy as being made up several different parts called sectors. These sectors represent individuals, business, government and foreign markets. The sum of expenditures of these sectors is known as Aggregate Demand.

One sector of the macroeconomics is the consumer sector. The basic unit in this sector is the household, which is made up of all persons who occupy a house, apartment, or room.

A second sector is the business, or investment sector. It is made up of proprietorships, partnerships, and corporations. It is the productive sector responsible for bringing the factors of production together to produce output.

A third sector in the macroeconomics is the government, or public sector. It includes the local, state and federal levels of government.

The foreign sector is the fourth sector of the macroeconomics. It includes all consumers and producers external in the United States.

The United States, for example, exports computers, aeroplanes, and farm products to foreign buyers. It also imports a large number of different items from foreign countries. It makes no difference whether foreign buyers are governments or private investors or if purchases are made from governments or private individuals. They all are part of the foreign sector.

Vocabulary

an advanced country – âèñîêî ðîçâèíóòà êðà¿íà

to involve – çàëó÷àòè, âòÿãóâàòè

decision - making – ïðèéíÿòòÿ ð³øåíü

decision making units – ñàìîñò³éíà ãîñïîäàð÷à îäèíèöÿ, ÿêà íàä³ëåíà ïðàâîì ïðèéìàòè ð³øåííÿ.

aggregate demand – ñóêóïíèé ïîïèò

household – äîìàøíº ãîñïîäàðñòâî

It makes no difference – íå ³ñíóº ð³çíèö³.

². Complete the sentences using the text:

1.    Microeconomics is the branch of … .

2.    Macroeconomics deals with … .

3.    Macroeconomic is made up of several different parts called … .

4.    Aggregate demand is … .

5.    One sector of the macroeconomics is … .

6.    A second sector is … .

7.    A third sector in the macroeconomics is … .

8.    The fourth sector includes … .

II. Answer these questions, basing your answers on the text:

1.    What does microeconomics deal with?

2.    Macroeconomics deals with large groups or aggregates, doesn’t it?

3.    Why is GNP (Gross National Product) considered as macroeconomic concept?

4.    What is known as Aggregate Demand?

5.    What do the sectors of the macroeconomic represent?

6.          What is the basic unit in the consumer sector of the macroeconomics?

7.    What is the business or investment sector made up of?

8.    Is the business sector of the economy responsible for bringing the factors of production together to produce output?

9.    What does the macroeconomics government or public sector include?

10.   Does the foreign sector of the macroeconomics include all consumers and producers external in the United States?

11.   Does it make any difference whether foreign buyers are governments or private investors?

III. Say whether these statements are true or false and if they are false, say why.

1.    Microeconomics is the branch of economics that deals with decision- making making units individuals, businesses and governments.

2.    Macroeconomics deals with large groups or aggregates.

3.    Macroeconomics is made up of two sectors.

4.    The household is the basic unit in macroeconomics.

5.    The business sector is the productive sector responsible for bringing the factors of production together to produce output.

6.    Public sector includes the government.

7.    The foreign sector includes all consumers and producers internal in the United States.

8.    Foreign buyers should be private investors or private individuals.

23 Aggregate demand

Aggregate demand is the total or aggregate quantity of output that is willingly bought at a given level of prices, other things held constant. Aggregate demand is the desired spending in all product sectors: consumption, private domestic investment, government purchases of goods and services, and net exports. It has four components:

1. Consumption . It is determined by disposable income, which is personal income less taxes. Other factors affecting consumption are long-term trends in income, household wealth, and the aggregate price level. Aggregate demand analysis focuses on the determinants of real consumption (that is, nominal or dollar consumption divided by the price index for consumption.)

2. Investment. Investment spending includes purchases of structures and equipment and accumulation of inventories. The major determinants of investment are the level of output, the cost of capital (as determined by tax policies along with interest rates and other financial conditions), and expectations about the future. The major channel by which economic policy can affect investment is through monetary policy.

3. Government spending . A third component of aggregate demand is government spending on goods and services: purchases of goods like tanks or road-building equipment as well as the services of judges and public-school teachers. Unlike consumption and investment, this component of aggregate demand is determined directly by the government’s spending decisions.

4. Net exports. A final component of aggregate demand is net export, which equals the value of exports minus value of imports. Imports are determined by domestic income and output, by the ratio of domestic to foreign prices, and by the foreign exchange rate of the dollar. Exports (which are imports of other countries) are the mirror image of imports, determined by foreign incomes and outputs, by relative prices, and by foreign exchange rates. Net exports, then, will be determined by domestic and foreign incomes, relative prices, and exchange rates.

Vocabulary

aggregate quantity – ñóêóïíà ê³ëüê³ñòü

long-term trend – äîâãîòåðì³íîâà òåíäåíö³ÿ

determinant – âèð³øàëüíèé ôàêòîð, ïîêàçíèê

accumulation of inventories – íàêîïè÷åííÿ ìàéíà

along with – ðàçîì ç

road - building equipment – îáëàäíàííÿ äëÿ áóä³âíèöòâà äîð³ã

net export – ÷èñòèé åêñïîðò

domestic income – âíóòð³øí³é äîõîä

ratio – â³äíîøåííÿ

the mirror image – äçåðêàëüíå â³äîáðàæåííÿ.

². Complete the sentences using the text:

1.    Aggregate demand is … .

2.    Aggregate demand has … components.

3.    Consumption is determined by … .

4.    Aggregate demand analysis focuses on … .

5.    Investment spending includes … .

6.    Government spending is determined … .

7.    Net export equals … .

8.    Imports are determined by … .

9.    Exports are determined by … .

 

II. Answer these questions, basing your answers on the text:

1.    What is aggregate demand?

2.    What components has aggregate demand?

3.    What is consumption determined by?

4.    What does aggregate demand analysis focus on?

5.    What purchases does investment spending include?

6.    What are the major determinants of investment?

7.    Unlike consumption and investment, government spending is determined directly by the government’s spending decisions, isn’t it?

8.    What is net exports?

9.    What are imports determined by?

III. Say whether these statements are true or false and if they are false, say why.

1.    Aggregate demand is the desired spending in all product sectors.

2.    Aggregate demand has the following components: consumption, distribution, investment, and government spending.

3.    Consumption is determined by disposable income, which is personal income less taxes.

4.    Aggregate demand analysis focuses on the determinants of real consumption.

5.    Investment spending equals the value of exports minus the value of imports.

6.    The major determinants of investment are the level of output, the cost of capital and expectations about the future.

7.    A third component of aggregate demand is government spending on goods and services.

8.    Aggregate demand is determined directly by the government's spending decisions.

9.    Exports are the mirror image of imports.

10.   Net exports will be determined by domestic and foreign income, relative prices and exchange rates.

 

24 Inflation

A major problem with GNP is that it is subject to distortions because of inflation – a rise in the general price level. With inflation output may appear to grow from one year to the next without actually doing so.

To get around the problem of distortions by inflation, economists construct a price index - a statistical series that can be used to measure changes in prices over time. It is not hard to construct a price index. First of all a base year - a year that serves as the basis of comparison for all other years - is chosen.

Second a “typical” market basket of goods is selected. These are goods representative on the purchases which will be made over time. The advantage of this market basket concept is that it captures the overall trend in prices.

Lastly, the price of each item in the market is recorded and then totalled. The total represents the prices of the market basket in the base year and is assigned a value of 100 percent. The prices for each year that follows also must be recorded and totalled to find the new index number. This procedure is repeated until the price index is finished.

Price indices can be constructed for a number of different goods, while others do the same for agricultural products. Of all these measures, the consumer price index and the producer price index are especially important.

The consumer price index reports on price changes for about 400 frequently used consumer items. The 400 goods and services it uses are taken from 85 areas around the country. Some of items are surveyed in all the areas, while others are sampled in only a few.

The producer Price Index measures price changes of commodities at all stages of production. It uses a sample of 34000 commodities and has a base year.

Vocabulary

distortion – ñïîòâîðåííÿ, âèêðèâëåííÿ

to get around – îáõîäèòè, óíèêàòè

to construct – êîíñòðóþâàòè, áóäóâàòè

the market basket of goods – ñïîæèâàöüêèé êîøèê

to capture – çàõîïëþâàòè

to total – ï³äáèâàòè ï³äñóìîê

to assign – ïðèçíà÷àòè, ïðèïèñóâàòè

the consumer price index – ñïîæèâàöüêèé ö³íîâèé ³íäåêñ

the producer price index – ö³íîâèé ³íäåêñ âèðîáíèêà

to survey – îãëÿäàòè, ðîçäèâëÿòèñÿ

to sample – áðàòè çðàçêè

². Complete the sentences using the text:

1.    A major problem with GNP is that it is subject to distortions because … .

2.    To get around the problem of distortions by inflation economists … .

3.    The advantage of the “market basket” concept is that … .

4.    The total represents the prices of the market basket in the base year and … .

5.    The consumer price index reports on … .

6.    The producer price index measures price changes of … .

II. Answer these questions, basing your answers on the text:

1.    What is a major problem with GNP?

2.    Does output grow with inflation?

3.    What is a price index?

4.    What is a base year and what does it serve for?

5.    What is a «market basket»?

6.    Can you describe the procedure of finding the price index?

7.    Why are the price indices constructed?

8.    What does the consumer price index mean?

9.    What does the producer price index measure?

III. Say whether these statements are true or false and if they are false, say why.

1.    With inflation output appears to grow from one year to the next.

2.    Economists construct a price index to get around the problem of distortions by inflation.

3.    It is hard to construct a price index.

4.    A base year is chosen to construct a price index.

5.    A "typical" market basket of goods is selected to construct a price index.

6.    The price of each item in the market is recorded and then totalled to construct a price index.

7.    Price indices can be also constructed for agricultural products.

8.    The consumer price index and the producer price index are very important for constructing a price index.

9.    The producer price index measures price changes of commodities at all stages of production.

25 Economic growth

Economic growth is important to everyone’s well being. Economic growth benefits a country’s economy and political system. It raises the standard of living, helps government carry out its work and solve domestic problems.

Economic growth brings about a higher standard of living - the quality of life based on the possession of necessities and luxuries that make life easier. A major feature of a free enterprise economy is its ability to increase real per capita output enough over time to allow people to raise their standard of living.

In the end it also allows people to have more free time because they will not need to work as many days as before to earn the same income. With more free time, they can enjoy more hobbies and recreational, family, and cultural activities.

Economic growth allows government at all levels to carry out its tasks more easily.

For example, at present, the burden of national defence is heavy. This means there is less money available for social welfare and other domestic items. Economic growth helps solve domestic problems. Like most other countries of the world, our country is faced with a certain number of social problems. Poverty, lack of education, inadequate medical care, and economic insecurity all are problems with which the economy must deal. Most of these stem from economic need. A greater output of goods and services means more jobs and more income for more people. This is the root of many problems.

Economic growth depends on the ability of the economy to produce output. A number of factors are involved. Most important, however, is the quantity and the quality of the three factors of production - land, labour and capital. Their availability, and the way in which they are organised, will determine how the economy grows.

Vocabulary

to carry out – âèêîíóâàòè

domestic problems – âíóòð³øí³ ïðîáëåìè

to bring about – çä³éñíþâàòè, âèêëèêàòè

a standard of living – ð³âåíü æèòòÿ

per capita output – âèïóñê âèðîáíèöòâà íà äóøó íàñåëåííÿ

recreation – ðîçâàãà, â³äïî÷èíîê

national defence - íàö³îíàëüíà îáîðîíà

social welfare - ñóñï³ëüíèé äîáðîáóò

to face with – ñòèêàòèñü

lack of education – â³äñóòí³ñòü îñâ³òè

economic insecurity – åêîíîì³÷íà íåçàõèùåí³ñòü

to stem from – ïîõîäèòè ç

². Complete the sentences using the text:

1.    Economic growth is important to … .

2.    A major feature of a free enterprise economy is its ability to increase real per capita output to … .

3.    A greater output of goods and services means more … .

4.    Economic growth depends on … .

II. Answer these questions, basing your answers on the text:

1.    What is the meaning of economic growth?

2.    Does economic growth bring about a higher standard of living?

3.    What characterises a free enterprise economy?

4.    Do people have more free time with economic growth?

5.    What could people do having more free time?

6.    Does economic growth allow government to fulfil its tasks more easily?

7.    What social problem is the country faced with? What is the cause of these problems?

8.    What does economic growth depend on?

9.    What factors are necessary for economic growth?

10. Will the factors of production determine the way of economic growth?

 

III. Say whether these statements are true or false and if they are false, say why.

1.    Economic growth benefits a country's economy and political system.

2.    Economic growth helps government carry out its work and solve domestic problems.

3.    Economic growth brings about poverty, misery and disease.

4.    Economic growth allows people to have more free time.

5.    Economic growth helps solve domestic problems.

6.    Poverty, lack of education, inadequate medical care and economic insecurity all are problems with which the economy must deal.

7.    The economy growth will be determined by the way the three factors of production are organised.

 

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