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Resource Allocation in Scarce Economies

The document discusses various economic concepts, including resource allocation, macroeconomics, government revenue sources, and types of government debt. It explains fiscal and monetary policies, detailing when to use expansionary or contractionary measures based on economic conditions. Additionally, it describes features of equity and debt markets, as well as primary, secondary, OTC markets, and exchanges.

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0% found this document useful (0 votes)
17 views3 pages

Resource Allocation in Scarce Economies

The document discusses various economic concepts, including resource allocation, macroeconomics, government revenue sources, and types of government debt. It explains fiscal and monetary policies, detailing when to use expansionary or contractionary measures based on economic conditions. Additionally, it describes features of equity and debt markets, as well as primary, secondary, OTC markets, and exchanges.

Uploaded by

cielcielmeomeo
Copyright
© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

TOPIC QUESTION

1. Discuss the allocation of resources


Resource are scarced but human wants are unlimited. That's why economic agents have to
make trade - offs when they allocate resources. For example, consumers have limited income,
they have to trade off buying for saving. Workers face limited in education, time, skill,...
they trade off working now for continuing education. Firms have limited financial resources,
so they trade of hiring more workers for building new factories.

2. What does macroeconomics study?


Macroeconomic studies the economic activities of a country, international marketplace. It
provides us with a bird's eye view of country's economic landscape. Macroeconomic focuses
on the policies the gov uses to regulate the economy. The goal of macroeconomic is to look
at overall economic trends such as emloyment levels, economic growth, balance of payments,
inflation and so on.

3. What are some sources of government revenue?


Gov can raise money from different types of taxes such as individual income taxes, corporate
income taxes, customs duties,... Besides, gov can borrow money by issuing and selling bonds
and other types of securities in some channels: gov website, banks, brokers,.... Gov can also
collect fees for public services, profit from business or aid packages.

4. What are 2 funds generated from taxation?


2 funds generated from taxation are trust fund and federal fund. Trust fund comes from
payroll taxes and is used for specific programs such as social security and medicare. Federal
fund comes from other types of tax, mainly individual income and corporate income taxes. It
is used to finance government in general such as salaries, goods and services, construction
(infrastructure)... or programs are decided by the president and congress in annual
appropriations process.

5. What are 2 types of gov debts?


Gov debts consist of debt held by the public and debt held by the federal accounts. Debt held
by the public is the total amount of money gov borrows from general public, including
individuals, organizations such as central banks of other countries/ including domestic
investors and foreign investors. Debt held by federal accounts is the total amount of money
gov borrows from itself when trust fund runs a surplus.

6. When is deficit spending helpful/ harmful for the economy? Why?


Deficit spending is helpful when unemployment rate is high because in this case,
government pumps more money to undertake government programs such as building new
roads, it can create job for unemployed people. Deficit spending is harmful when
unemployment rate is low because in this case, government pumps more money into the
market, it can increase more competition for scarce labor, increase income, increase inflation.

7. Under what circumstances should fiscal policy expansionary? Why?


Gov uses expansionary fiscal policy when economy is not growing fast enough and
unemployment rate is too high. In this case, gov reduces tax or raises gov spending or both
with the aim of stimulating aggregate demand in the economy. As a result, money supply
increases, total spending increases, production increases, create jobs. Thus, economy grows
and high employment rate.

8. Under what circumstances should fiscal policy contractionary? Why?


Gov uses contractionary fiscal policy when economy is growing too fast, inflation is too high.
In this case, gov increases tax or reduce gov spending or both in order to restrict deman and
slow down the economy. The result is money supply decreases, total spending decreases,
production decreases. Thus, decreasing spending, demand and pressure on the price.

9. In what way do tax and government spending influence the economy?


Tax and gov spending directly influence the economy. For example, if the gov increases gov
spending to undertake gov projects, it can create jobs, increase income in society. As a result,
people want to buy more and expand production. Economy grows. If gov raises tax, it can
decrease money for spending. It leads to decrease in production and economy slows
down/shrinks.

10. In which situation should central bank conduct an expansionary monetary policy?
Why?
Central bank uses expansionary monetary policy when unemployment is high and the
economy grows slowly. Because in this case, gov decreases reserve requirement, discount
rate and buys bonds. The result is raising banks' lending capacity, recuding interest rate. The
bank can make more loans and encourage people to borrow, spend more money. Thus,
increasing money supply and aggregate demand in the economy.

11. In which situation should central bank conduct a restrictive monetary policy/
reduce money supply? why?
Central bank uses restrictive monetary policy when inflation is high and economy is growing
to fast. Because in this case, gov increases reserve requirement, discount rate and sells bonds
in the open market. All of these actions will decrease banks' lending capacity and increase
interest rate. The result is reducing money supply and aggregate demand.

12. What are some features of equity market? Debt market? Primary market?
Secondary market? OTC market? Exchanges?
- Equity market is the market in which equity instruments such as shares are exchanged. It
is a long- term way of raising capital for a company. Shareholders can get dividend (share
the net income) with the company and own a part of company's assets. Shareholders can vote
the company's issues and elect its directors.
- Debt market is the market in which debt instruments such as bonds or mortgages are
exchanged. Basing on the maturity, debt instruments can be short (under 1 year), medium
(from 1 to 10 years) or long term (over 10 years). Debt holders can get a fixed amount of
money ( principal and interest) at regular intervals until maturity date. Debt holders do not
interfere in the company's operations.
- Primary market is the market in which new issues of securities are sold to initial buyers.
This market can help a borrower such as a company to get new funds. This market is often
not well-known to the public. The issues of new securities are underwritten by an investment
bank.
- Secondary market is the market in which previously issued securities are exchanged.
Borrowers do not get new funds in this market but this market can increase liquidity of
securities/ make securities liquid and it influences the price of the next issue of fresh
securities. Although well- known to the public, this market is supported a lot by brokers who
connect buyers and sellers.
- Exchanges is the place, where buyers and sellers of securities meet in one central location
(trading floor) to conduct trades. It has fixed trading hours. Large companies can quote their
securities on exchange. Examples of organized exchanges are New York and America stock
exchanges and Chicago Board of Trade.
- OTC market: in this market, buyers and sellers interact from different locations (no
trading floor). Means of communication can be telephones and computers. OTC has no fixed
trading hours. Dealers stand ready to buy and sell securities 'over the counter' to anyone who
comes to them and is willing to accept their prices. Therefore, the price of securities in this
market is more competitive and bigger than exchanges.

Common questions

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Deficit spending is beneficial when unemployment is high, as it directs funds into government programs that create jobs and stimulate the economy . Conversely, it is detrimental when unemployment is low, as it can lead to increased competition for labor, higher wages, and inflation . Expansionary fiscal policy involves reducing taxes or increasing government spending to spur economic growth during periods of high unemployment . In contrast, contractionary fiscal policy slows down economic growth during high inflation by increasing taxes or reducing government spending, thereby decreasing demand and inflationary pressures .

Expansionary fiscal policy is necessary when the economy is growing too slowly and unemployment is high, requiring the government to reduce taxes or increase spending to boost aggregate demand . Similarly, an expansionary monetary policy is employed when unemployment is high; it involves lowering reserve requirements and buying bonds to increase banks' lending capacity, lowering interest rates, and encouraging spending . Both policies aim to increase money supply, raise total spending, and promote economic growth and employment.

Resource allocation decisions require trade-offs due to the scarcity of resources and the limitless nature of human wants. For example, consumers must decide between spending and saving due to limited income . Workers face trade-offs between immediate work and further education to improve skills . Similarly, firms must choose between allocating financial resources to hiring more workers or investing in new factories . These decisions are crucial as they determine the economic efficiency and satisfaction of needs within an economy. An understanding of these trade-offs helps in optimizing resource use for maximum benefit.

The government can generate revenue through various channels such as individual and corporate income taxes, customs duties, selling bonds, and collecting fees for public services . Diversifying revenue sources is important for fiscal stability because it reduces dependency on a single revenue stream, thereby mitigating economic risks and ensuring a steady flow of funds for government activities. By leveraging multiple revenue sources, governments can better manage economic fluctuations and finance essential public services effectively.

Trust funds, generated from payroll taxes, are designated for specific programs like Social Security and Medicare . Federal funds, derived from other taxes like individual and corporate taxes, finance general government operations, including salaries, goods, services, and infrastructure . These funds are crucial in government budgeting as they ensure sustained financing for obligatory and discretionary spending, meeting both long-term commitments and short-term operational needs. This separation helps in managing government priorities and obligations efficiently.

Primary markets are crucial for issuing new securities, allowing companies to raise fresh capital through investment banks that underwrite these new issues . By enabling initial investors to purchase securities directly from issuers, primary markets provide essential funds for companies. Secondary markets, however, do not deal with the issuance of new securities but rather facilitate the trading of existing securities, enhancing their liquidity and influencing pricing for subsequent issues . Both markets together support capital accessibility and market efficiency.

Contractionary fiscal policy involves raising taxes or cutting government spending to reduce aggregate demand and slow economic growth, which helps in controlling inflation when it is deemed too high . Contractionary monetary policy, on the other hand, is applied by increasing reserve requirements and interest rates and selling bonds to lower banks' lending capabilities, which in turn reduces money supply and aggregate demand . These measures are essential in preventing an overheated economy, curbing excessive spending, and managing inflation to maintain economic stability.

Equity markets facilitate long-term capital formation through the exchange of shares, granting investors ownership, dividends, and voting rights in companies . This provides companies with necessary capital while distributing ownership risks among shareholders. Debt markets enable companies to raise funds through bonds or mortgages, offering fixed returns to debt holders without granting control over company operations . This distinguishes debt markets by emphasizing predictable returns and lower risk compared to equity markets, which offer higher returns but with higher risk.

Macroeconomics aims to provide an overarching view of a country's economic landscape, focusing on trends such as employment levels, economic growth, balance of payments, and inflation . These objectives guide government policy-making by helping design policies that stabilize the economy, stimulate growth, and maintain sustainable employment levels . By analyzing these macroeconomic indicators, governments can implement fiscal and monetary policies to achieve desired economic outcomes.

Organized exchanges provide a centralized location for securities transactions with fixed trading hours, supporting large-scale, transparent trades often involving large companies . These exchanges ensure efficiency and market credibility through regulation. In contrast, OTC markets facilitate decentralized trading without a physical location or fixed hours, relying on technology for communication . These markets provide greater accessibility and competitive pricing but may lack the transparency and regulatory oversight of organized exchanges, posing different levels of risk to participants.

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