Potato Chips and Externalities AnchorMan and Externalities

What is Macroeconomics? Why study the whole economy? Macroeconomics is the study of the large economy as a whole. It is the study of the big picture. Instead of analyzing one consumer, we analyze everyone. Instead of one business we study all businesses. Why study the whole economy?

The field of macroeconomics was born during the Great Depression. Government didn’t understand how to fix a depressed economy with 25% unemployment. Macro was created to: Measure the health of the whole economy. Guide government policies to fix problems.

For all countries there are three major economic goals: Promote Economic Growth Limit Unemployment Keep Prices Stable (Limit Inflation)

Promote Economic Growth How does a country measure Goal #1 Promote Economic Growth How does a country measure economic growth?

How do we know how well the economy is doing? Economists collect statistics on production, income, investment, and savings. This is called national income accounting. The most important measure of growth is GDP. Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is the dollar value of all final goods and services produced within a country’s borders in one year. Dollar value- GDP is measured in dollars. Final Goods-GDP does not include the value of intermediate goods. Intermediate goods are goods used in the production of final goods and services. One Year-GDP measures annual economic performance.

What does GDP tell us? How do you use GDP? Just like calculating your own income, GDP measures how well the U.S. is doing financially. How do you use GDP? Compare to previous years (Is there growth?) Compare policy changes (Did a new policy work?) Compare to other countries (Are we better off?) GDP list GDP Map

8

How can you measure growth from year to year? % Change in GDP = Year 2 - Year 1 Year 1 Gotham’s GDP in 2007 was $4000 Gotham’s GDP in 2008 was $5000 What is the % Change in GDP? Metropolis’s GDP in 2007 was $2,000 Metropolis’s GDP in 2008 was $2,100 9

Calculating GDP Two Ways of calculating GDP: 1. Expenditures Approach-Add up all the spending on final goods and services produced in a given year. 2. Income Approach-Add up all the income that resulted from selling all final goods and services produced in a given year. Both ways generate the same amount since every dollar spent is a dollar of income.

Expenditures Approach Four components of GDP: Consumer Spending Ex: $5 Little Caesar's Pizza Investments -When businesses put money back into their own business. Ex: Machinery or tools Government Spending Ex: Bombs or tanks, NOT social security Net Exports -Exports (X) – Imports (M) Ex: Value of 3 Ford Focuses minus 2 Hondas GDP = C + I + G + (X-M)

GDP is rising, but country is worse off! The Problem with GDP If a country’s GDP increased from $4 Billion to $5 Billion in one year, is the country experiencing economic growth? Did the country definitely produce 25% more products? What is Inflation? A rising general level of prices EX: If apples are the only thing being produced Year 1: 10 apples at $1 each; GDP = $10 Year 2: 10 apples x $1.25; GDP = $12.50 GDP is rising, but country is worse off!

What is the problem with this method? How can you figure out which is the most popular movie of all time? What is the problem with this method? Nominal Box Office Receipts

How can you figure out which is the most popular movie of all time? Real Box Office Receipts (adjusted for inflation)

Real GDP adjusts for inflation. Real vs. Nominal GDP Nominal GDP is GDP measured in current prices. It does not account for inflation from year to year. Real GDP is GDP expressed in constant, or unchanging, dollars. Real GDP adjusts for inflation. REAL GDP IS THE BEST MEASURE OF ECONOMIC GROWTH!

Real vs. Nominal GDP Example 2008 10 cars at $15,000 each = $150,000 10 trucks at $20,000 each = $200,000 Nominal GDP = $350,000 The GDP in year 2008 shows the dollar value of all final goods produced. The nominal GDP in year 2009 is higher which suggests that the economy is improving. But how much is the REAL GDP? How do you get it? 2009 10 cars at $16,000 each = $160,000 10 trucks at $21,000 each= $210,000 Nominal GDP = $370,000 Use 2008 Prices. The Real GDP for 2009 is the same as 2008 after we adjust for inflation. 2009 10 cars at $15,000 each = $150,000 10 trucks at $20,000 each= $200,000 REAL GDP = $350,000

Real GDP “deflates” nominal GDP by adjusting for inflation in terms of a base year prices.

Does GDP accurately measure standard of living? Standard of living (or quality of life) can be measured, in part, by how well the economy is doing… But it needs to be adjusted to reflect the size of the nation’s population. Real GDP per capita (per person) Real GDP per capita is real GDP divided by the total population. It identifies on average how many products each person makes, or the average annual salary per person Real GDP per capita is the best measure of a nation’s standard of living.

What is NOT included in GDP? 1. Intermediate Goods No Multiple Counting, Only Final Goods EX: Price of finished car, not the radio, tire, etc. 2. Nonproduction Transactions Financial Transactions (nothing produced) Ex: Stocks, bonds, Real estate Used Goods Ex: Old cars, used clothes (otherwise they’d be counted twice) 3. Non-Market (Illegal) Activities Ex: Illegal drugs, unpaid work

Included or not Included in GDP? For each situation, identify if it is included in GDP the identify the category C, I, G, X or M $10.00 for movie tickets $5M Increase in defense expenditures $45 for used economics textbook Ford makes new $2M factory $20K Toyota made in Mexico $10K Profit from selling stocks $15K car made in US, sold in Canada $10K Tuition to attend college $120 Social Security payment to Bob Farmer purchases new $100K tractor

Aggregate Supply and Demand Aggregate = all combined together… Not just the supply and demand for one specific item or product but a general level of supply or demand for all the goods and services produced in a country. What would happen to the market AS/AD if: Income taxes were reduced? There was a war that required a lot of resources? A new metal was discovered and there was a population boom?

Business Cycles Business cycles are created by tracking the Real GDP of an economy over time. They are valuable tools in measuring the health and growth of an economy. Cars

200 Years of the Business Cycle How do wars affect the economy?

How is Unemployment Rate measured? Monthly phone surveys of 60,000 households Asked a specific set of questions Unemployment rate = # of employed/# in labor force http://www.bls.gov/cps/cps_htgm.htm

4 Types of Unemployment 1. Frictional Unemployment – Unemployment caused because workers have just quit/were fired, just completed school/training, or just entered the work force.

4 Types of Unemployment 2. Seasonal Unemployment – Unemployment caused by fluctuations in business staff levels due to the time of year. i.e. Construction, Farming, Summer jobs

4 Types of Unemployment 3. Structural Unemployment – Unemployment because the workers skills do not match available jobs – 5 Main Causes a. New Technology b. New Resources c. Lack of Education d. Globalization e. Changes in Consumer Demand

4 Types of Unemployment 4. Cyclical Unemployment – Unemployment caused by the ups and downs of the Business Cycles, i.e. recessions

Full Employment Even in a healthy economy, there will always be some frictional, seasonal and structural unemployment… Gov’t’s aim is to focus on cyclical unemployment Full Employment - 4%-6%

What about….? You are working five hours a week at Macy’s, but want more hours. You want a job but do not have one. You have not looked for a job in the past month because you looked unsuccessfully for the past year and you don’t believe you will find one now. Underemployed- People who desire to work more than they are, but are in fact employed. Discouraged Workers – People who desire to work, but have given up searching because they are demoralized

INFLATION

How is inflation measured? Price Index - group of goods whose avg. prices are tracked over time in order to compare whether prices in general are going up or down CPI – Consumer Price Index CPI-BLS inflation Calculator Cost of goods NOW Cost of goods Then CPI NOW CPI THEN CPI = X 100 Inflation =

3 Theories of Inflation Quantity Theory – inflation is caused by excess money supply, when too much money is available the value of the dollar decreases so prices go up to compensate Demand-Pull Theory – inflation is caused when there is too much demand and not enough supply- suppliers then raise prices and supply until a new equilibrium is reached, wages usually will go up as well Cost-Push Theory- inflation is caused when suppliers increase prices in order to cover additional costs, often costs are from higher wages- which can lead to a wage/price spiral

3 Effects of Inflation (add it to study guide) Decreased Purchasing Power – dollar does not buy as much as it used to... Decreased Incomes – some wages are adjusted for inflation, but not all – fixed incomes are hit hardest, i.e. $800 a mo. could be only equal to $750 a month after inflation Interest Rates – inflation lowers the value of interest earned in savings accts, CD’s or stocks and bonds -if inflation goes above interest rate, savers lose $ over time