-
Economic Problems
-
What to Produce?
- Scarcity---Can't produce EVERYTHING
- Quantities Produced
-
How to Produce?
-
Method Of Production
- Number of Labour
- Equipments
- Minimize Cost & Maximize Profit
- Who gets the Product?/Distribution
-
Cost of Transition
- Output Fall
- Inflation
- Unemployment
- Social Unrest
- Poverty & Homelessness
- Greater Income Gap
- Inadequate Social Security
- Crime
-
Planned Economy
- Production Decisions Made by Central Government
- Distribution: Central Government Direction
- Motivation: Public Interest/Price not motivated through Profit
-
Advantages
- Basic Needs(Food,Shelter,Clothing) are met. Merit goods available to ALL
-
No duplication of production
- No Waste of scarce resources
- Inflation is well controlled by price regulation
- High Employment
- Equitable Distribution of Income
- Free From Monopolies that keep prices high
- Social Costs Reduced
-
Disadvantages
- Slow Reaction to change of needs
-
Quantity Supplied Mismatches with demand
- Over/Under Supply
- Poor motivation for business to reduce cost
- Difficult to allocate correct Q of Inputs
-
Mixed Economy
- Mixture of Private Decision-Making and central organization
- Some Resources are owned Privately, while others owned by the GOV
- Resource Allocation Problems are fixed by Market forces/central planning/Social custom/Traditions
-
Main Actors
- Government
-
Market Economy
- Use Market Forces id est Price to solve the problem of resource allocation
-
Consumer Sovereignty
- Reallocate Resources, respond to consumer demand
- Distribution: Price Mechanism
- Motivation: Self Interest/Price Motive/Market Forces
-
Advantages
- Decisions made quickly
-
Resources Allocated Efficiently
- "What to Produce" based on consumer demands
-
Resources are used Efficiently
- Quick Responses to changes in consumer taste
-
Disadvantages
- Inequitable Distribution of Income
-
Merit goods in short supply
- need, rather than ability and willingness to pay/Socially Desirable Goods
-
Non-Provision of Public Goods
- Parks/Schools/Road/Lighting
-
Monopolies
- Price Rise
-
Private firms lead to social costs
- Unemployment
- Pollusion
- Flawed Products
-
Economies or trade cycle
- Depression/Boom/Slump
-
Duplication of Production Leads to Waste of Resources
- Railway
- Airport
- Gas
- Water Supply
- Market Failures