ECON312N Principles of Economics Assignments
ECON312N Principles of Economics Assignments
ECON312N Principles of Economics
Week 1 Discussion
Trade Offs, Opportunity Cost, and Factors of Production
Required Resources
Read/review the following resources for this activity:
Textbook: Chapter 1, 3
Lesson
Minimum of 1 scholarly source
Introduction
The basic economic problem that every society faces is the fact that resources “ often called the factors of production “ are not sufficient enough to satisfy everything a society would like to have. Thomas Sowell, a renowned economist said, The first lesson of economics is scarcity: there is never enough of anything to fully satisfy all those who want it. (Sowell, 1993, p. 131). This statement implies that to get one thing we like, we usually have to give up another thing that we like.
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Paul Samuelson, America’s first Nobel Prize winner for economics, is credited with providing the first clear explanation of the economic problem. He argued that in order to solve the problem of scarcity, societies must answer three basic questions:
What to produce?
How to produce it?
For whom it should be produced?
Firms produce goods and services, but what they produce and the quantity produced are largely determined by the needs and wants of consumers. Firms make decisions with respect to how goods and services are produced. In making these decisions, firms are faced with the decision on how to combine factors of production to produce the goods and services. For example, one of the decisions firms are frequently confronted with is the decision as to whether to use labor intensive or capital intensive methods of production. Finally, decisions on who will receive the goods or services produced will depend, to a large extent, on the distribution of income in the economy. Individuals with the highest incomes, for example, will have the ability to buy the most goods and services and, therefore, may have many goods and services produced for them.
Making decisions with respect to what, how, and for whom, requires that we trade-off one goal for another. Trade-offs are all the options we give up when we make a choice from competing alternatives. Opportunity cost, on the other hand, is the most valued alternative foregone or the next best alternative to any choice we make. It is important to note that the opportunity cost of a decision is the cost of the choice made in addition to the value or cost of the next best alternative foregone. Effective decision making requires a cost-benefit analysis – comparing the additional costs of alternatives with the additional benefits – of each of the alternatives we have to choose from.
Initial Post Instruction
For the initial post, address all of the following:
What important trade-offs have you made recently? What was the opportunity cost associated with the trade-off? To what extent did you integrate the concept of cost-benefit analysis in the decision-making process to arrive at the most cost effective and efficient choice? In other words, based on the information at your disposal at the time of making the decision, what steps did you take to ensure that you were making the absolute best decision? (Use actual examples from your own experiences or construct hypothetical examples).
Assuming that you are a business owner faced with questions of What to Produce? How to Produce? and For Whom to Produce? what factors would you consider in answering these questions? (Use actual examples from your own experiences or construct hypothetical examples).
ECON312N Principles of Economics
ECON312N Principles of Economics Assignments Week 2 Discussion
Demand, Supply, and Market Equilibrium
Required Resources
Read/review the following resources for this activity:
Textbook: Chapter 4, 5
Lesson
Minimum of 1 scholarly source
Introduction
In a market-oriented economy, a change in the price of a product is usually caused by changes in the factors that affect the demand and/or the supply of the product and the price elasticity of the demand for and the supply of the product.
Consider the market for crude oil. As you know, changes in the price of crude oil affect just about everything that is made, transported, eaten, and sold in the United States. For example, a change in the price of crude oil is likely to affect the prices of products like jet fuel, gasoline, diesel, home heating oil, just to name a few. There is a strong correlation between the price of crude oil and the price of gasoline. The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) is the largest group of crude oil producing countries in the world. According to Statistica (2018), the average annual OPEC crude oil price has risen steadily from 2016 to 2018 as follows: $40.68 (2016), $52.51 (2017) and $67.33 (as of July 24, 2018). With the significant improvement in the economies of the U.S and other global economies and recent geopolitical events around the world, the price of crude oil is likely to continue to rise in the foreseeable future.
Initial Post Instructions
For the initial post, address the following:
Considering the demand and the supply sides of the crude oil market, provide a comprehensive analysis of domestic and international factors that may be driving the increases in the price of crude oil since 2016. ECON312N Principles of Economics Assignments
If the price of crude oil continues to increase, how will the increases affect your buying behavior in the short-term and in the long-term, considering that the demand for most of the products derived from crude oil are typically inelastic?
Explain how changes in the price of gasoline affect your buying behavior of related goods like cars, the use of public transportation, vacations etc.?
Research shows that the demand for gasoline is inelastic. Suppose the price of gasoline continues to rise into the foreseeable future, as predicted. How would your purchases change in the short-term and in the long-term? Explain.
Suppose you have become very informed and convinced about the harmful effects of carbon emissions on both the environment and on public health. Will this newly acquired information change your demand for gasoline or the quantity of gasoline demanded? Explain.
Will the increase in the production of affordable electric cars change your demand or quantity demanded of gasoline? Explain.
ECON312N Principles of Economics
Week 3 Discussion
Concepts of Cost and Prices Under Different Market Structures
Required Resources
Read/review the following resources for this activity:
Textbook: Chapter 10, 11
Lesson
Minimum of 1 scholarly source (other than the article noted in the instructions)
Initial Post Instructions
For the initial post, address the following:
List and briefly explain the features of a Perfectly Competitive market structure. How do firms in a Perfectly Competitive market determine price and profit-maximizing output levels?
According to Papanicolas, Woskie, and Jha (2018), the main drivers of the cost of healthcare in the U.S are “labor and goods, including pharmaceuticals and devices, and administrative costs†(Conclusions and Relevance). If you were the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of a large medical facility, what cost-cutting measures would you propose to address the excessive cost of operating the facility while maintaining quality of care?
Journal of American Medical Association (JAMA): Special Communication: Question: Why is health care spending in the United States so much greater than in other high-income countries?
Findings: In 2016, the United States spent nearly twice as much as 10 high-income countries on medical care and performed less well on many population health outcomes. Contrary to some explanations for high spending, social spending and health care utilization in the United States did not differ substantially from other high-income nations. Prices of labor and goods, including pharmaceuticals and devices, and administrative costs appeared to be the main drivers of the differences in spending.
Meaning: Efforts targeting utilization alone are unlikely to reduce the growth in health care spending in the United States; a more concerted effort to reduce prices and administrative costs is likely needed.
ECON312N Principles of Economics
ECON312N Principles of Economics Assignments Week 4 Discussion
DQ1 Market Concentration of Firms and the Determination of Price and Output
Required Resources
Read/review the following resources for this activity:
Textbook: Chapter 8, 12, 13
Lesson
Minimum of 1 scholarly source
Introduction
Firms in the healthcare industry do not seem to have features of a perfectly competitive market structure and, therefore, must not be classified as such. Those firms fall somewhere within the continuum from monopolistically competitive and oligopoly markets to monopoly markets (specifically regional monopolies).
Initial Post Instructions
For the initial post, decide if you agree or disagree with the introductory statement.
If you agree with this statement, provide at least two examples of firms in the healthcare industry (pharmaceutical companies, medical centers, insurance companies etc.) and identify the features the firms you selected have that make you believe that they should be classified in one or several of the following market structures: monopolistically competitive and oligopoly market structures; monopoly market structures.
If you disagree with the statement above, name at least two firms in the healthcare industry (pharmaceutical companies, medical centers, insurance companies etc.) and provide reasons why those firms you selected can be classified as perfectly competitive firms.
Note: the two examples must come from different industry groups – for example, both firms cannot be insurance companies.
DQ2 Foreign Exchange and the Balance of Trade
Introduction
The value of the U.S. dollar relative to the value of other major currencies has always been an issue of contention among foreign exchange experts and policymakers. There is a school of thought that strongly believes that keeping the value of the U.S. dollar high relative to other major currencies would be beneficial for the U.S. economy. On the other hand, there are those who feel that such a policy could be detrimental to the U.S. economy.
Initial Post Instructions
For the initial post, explain where you stand on the issue and provide reasons to support your position.
If you agree with keeping the value of the U.S. dollar high relative to other major currencies, identify one or more reasons that you find convincing about the line of argument presented by those opposed to a relatively high value for the dollar. What proposals would you make to allay the concerns of those opposed to it?
If you disagree with keeping the value of the U.S. dollar high relative to other major currencies, identify one or more reasons that you find compelling about the line of argument of proponents of a relatively high value for the dollar. What proposals would you make to ease the concerns of proponents of raising the value of the dollar?
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ECON312N Principles of Economics
Week 5 Discussion
Unemployment and Skills Mismatch
Required Resources
Read/review the following resources for this activity:
Textbook: Chapter 14, 15
Lesson
Introduction
In the last few years, there has been a debate about the main causes of the high rates of unemployment during the Great Recession (2008-2009). One line of argument is that there is a misalignment between the skill-sets required by employers and the skill-sets of job seekers, which continues to keep millions of Americans out of the job market. In an article published in MIT Technical Review Business Report, Majcher (2014) reported that “employers have 300,000 unfilled manufacturing jobs†which she attributes to the lack of the required skills needed in the manufacturing sector (para. 1).
Since 2010, there has been a steady decrease in the unemployment rate. In fact, in its April 2018 Hiring and Unemployment report, the Labor Department presented the unemployment rate as 3.9%. Despite this low rate of unemployment, there is still a significantly large number of people who cannot find jobs. In a research conducted by LiveCareer, it was reported that “companies claim they cannot find workers with the right skill sets, while workers complain that their existing skills are becoming obsolete due to technological change and automation of various job functions. Less skilled workers simply are not fit for many jobs in the digital age.†(LiveCareer, 2018, para. 1). The lack of well-trained and skilled workers, some worry, may have adverse consequences on the performance of the U.S economy as the economy grows and the productivity of labor becomes increasingly crucial in sustaining the growth. As pointed out in their 2017 report, the Business Roundtable – an association of chief executive officers of America’s leading companies – surveyed its members and reported that “as America continues to recover from the worst economic recession since 1930, our economic growth is hindered because the skills of today’s workers have not kept up with requirements of current and future jobs†(p. 1). This state of affairs, the report argues, is caused by the fact that “the working-age population is growing at half the rate of the past century; labor force participation is holding steadily below that of the past three decades and baby boomers are retiring in record numbers†(p. 1). The report went on to state that “no amount of automation or technological innovation can overcome these headwinds if our nation does not take action to ensure that our labor force holds the skills needed for today’s jobs and for the future” (p. 1).
Initial Post Instructions
For the initial post, address the following:
What educational and job training policy proposals would you like to see implemented to help resolve the apparent skills-mismatch in the U.S labor market?
ECON312N Principles of Economics
ECON312N Principles of Economics Assignments Week 6 Discussion
Inflation in the Costs of Education and Healthcare
Required Resources
Read/review the following resources for this activity:
Textbook: Chapter 16
Lesson
Link (website): Bureau of Labor Statistics (Links to an external site.)
Introduction
The Consumer Price Index (CPI) is a measure of the average monthly change in the price for goods and services paid by urban consumers between any two time periods. There are three steps in calculating the CPI. First, the Cost of the CPI market basket is calculated at base year prices. Second, the cost of the CPI market basket is calculated at current period prices. Finally, the CPI is calculated for the base period and the current period. The CPI is used to calculate changes in the cost of living and changes in the value of money. To measure these changes, we calculate the inflation rate, which is the percentage change in the price level from one year to the other. Due to the volatility in the prices of certain goods and services, the CPI basket (that includes all items that Americans spend most of their incomes on) might not be a reliable measure of inflationary and deflationary periods. To get a more accurate measure of CPI, therefore, food and energy items are removed from the basket to get Core CPI (Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers: All Items Less Food & Energy [CPILFESL]). This measure of the cost of living is often used as a benchmark for changes in the cost of other goods and services.
Two key components of CPI are the costs of Education and Healthcare. These two variables constitute what is known in Economics as Human Capital, which is a key determinant in the productivity of labor, and hence, essential for economic growth and development. In the last few decades, the value of these variables has risen faster than the value of the general level of prices (CPI), which they are subsets of. According to David Wiczer (2017), “the price of medical care has grown at an average annual rate of 5.3% while the entire basket (headline CPI) has grown at an average annual rate of 3.5%.†He goes on to state that “In the past 20 years, in the regime of stable inflation, headline CPI has grown at an average annual rate of 2.2%, whereas the price level of medical care has grown at an average annual rate of 3.6% – about 70% faster†(para. 1).
As shown in Figure 1, the increases in the costs associated with Healthcare and Education have consistently exceeded the overall cost of living during the period of observation (2000-2018). There are many consequences for the high cost of Healthcare and Education, not least of which are skipping expensive but necessary medical procedures, discouragement from pursuing career enhancing educational requirements, or resorting to educational loans with the potential for life-long financial consequences.
Graph showing the changes in medical care, education, and all items minus food and energy
Figure 1: Increases in the Overall Cost of Living (CPI) Vs. Increases in the Costs of Healthcare and Education.
Initial Post Instructions
For the initial post, address the following:
In your opinion, what are the implications of the high cost of Healthcare and Education on the Human Capital needs of the U.S economy?
What policies would you recommend to rein in these costs, or at least to slow down their rate of increase?
ECON312N Principles of Economics
Week 7 Discussion
The Federal Deficit and National Debt
Required Resources
Read/review the following resources for this activity:
Textbook: Chapter 18, 20
Lesson
Introduction
The federal debt is symptomatic of the nation’s persistent Budget Deficits as the National Debt is the accumulation of Budget Deficits. Deficits grew steadily during the Great Recession when there was a significant shortfall in government revenue, which required that the government pursue an expansionary Fiscal Policy to stimulate the economy. The recession is now over, but the Trump administration, at least for the first two years, pursued deficit spending. In a contribution to Forbes magazine, Chuck Jones (2018) points out that the U.S. Federal deficit was $587 billion in Obama’s last year in office, and it grew to $666 billion in the first year of Trump’s presidency. The Trump Administration’s Tax Reform plan and the two-year bipartisan budget, which passed in February 2018, are estimated, by many accounts, to cause the Federal Deficit to exceed 1 trillion dollars by 2020 (Jones, 2018). The implication of this growing deficit is a further increase in the National Debt.
From 1965 to through 2018, there has been a persistent increase in the Federal Debt. This trend became more pronounced during (and in the aftermath of) the recession of 2008-2009. As shown on Figure 1, in September of 2017, for example, the National Debt rose to 20.24 trillion U.S. dollars. This disturbing increase in the Federal Debt is likely to increase the per capita debt burden for each American citizen. According to Statistica (2018), if the debt owed in 2016 were distributed to every American citizen, the amount owed per capita would be 60,470 U.S. dollars.
Graph showing the total public debt increasing from 1970 to ECON312N Principles of Economics Assignments2017 to 20.24 trillion U.S. dollars.
Figure 1: Federal Debt: Total Public Debt
As the U.S. Federal Debt increased over the years, so did the Federal Debt as a percentage of GDP. From 1965 to 2018, there has been a general increase in the Federal Debt as a percentage of GDP. Remarkably, this increase was very pronounced during (and in the aftermath) of the recession of 2008-2009, after a brief decline from 1995 to 2002. As shown on Figure 2, in the fourth quarter of 2017, the Debt to GDP ratio was 104%. The ratio compares what the U.S. owes to what it produces, and it serves as an indication of the U.S.’s ability to pay its debt. This number can also be interpreted as the number of years it would take for the U.S to pay back its debt if the nation’s GDP is used entirely to pay back its debt (Statistica, 2018).
Graph showing the total public debt as a percent of the gross domestic product. The Debt to GDP ratio was 104% in the fourth quarter of 2017.
Figure 2: Federal Debt: Total Public Debt as a Percent of GDP
Deficit hawks in Congress and conservative activists who railed against President Barack Obama’s spending plans called the GOP debt explosion “dangerous” “immoral” and “a betrayal.” American Conservative Union chairman Matt Schlapp warned the Republican-controlled Congress not to underestimate the impact of responsible spending for voters. In fact, President Trump, whose aides participated in the negotiations and the crafting of the Budget, had a little bit of buyer’s remorse when the Budget was presented to him. In a morning tweet, he threatened to veto the Budget, but later signed it. The Washington Post (2018) summed it up this way “Just hours after threatening a veto, President Trump said Friday afternoon that he had signed a ‘ridiculous’ $1.3 trillion spending bill passed by Congress early Friday, averting a Government Shutdown†(para. 1).
The spending situation has become so alarming that there are renewed calls – from both sides of the political aisle – for a Balanced Budget Amendment to the constitution based on the premise that unless restrained by constitutional rules, legislators will run budget deficits and spend excessively, especially if this would help their reelection efforts. Another basis of this argument is that politicians do not like to levy taxes on constituents, but like to spend on projects favored by their constituents or big political donors. This situation, they argue, creates an incentive structure that makes budget deficits almost inevitable.
Initial Post Instructions
For the initial post, address the following:
Do you agree that the constitution should be amended to include a Balanced Budget requirement? Why or why not?
If you agree with a constitutional amendment, can you identify one reason why some people may be opposed to it? What proposals would you make to allay the concerns of those people?
If you disagree with a constitutional amendment, can you identify a line of argument – made by the proponents of the constitutional amendment – that you find compelling? What do you find persuasive about that line of argument?
ECON312N Principles of Economics
Week 8 Discussion
Fiscal Policy Simulation Exercise
Resources
Read/review the following resources for this activity:
Textbook: all chapters
Lesson (This lesson provides an overview of The Fiscal Ship. Make sure to review before beginning this activity.)
Link (website): The Fiscal Ship (Links to an external site.) ECON312N Principles of Economics Assignments
Introduction
Data analysis is an indispensable part of the study of Economics, and plays a significant role in the formulation of economic theory and policy. The Fiscal Ship game will be based on simulating Fiscal Policies to set the U.S budget on a sustainable path. This exercise also reinforces concepts taught in the course.
It is imperative that you read the Instructions provided to help you successfully play this game. Once you have familiarized yourself with the features of the simulation tool, click on the link for The Fiscal Ship to launch the game. Select New Game. Then, conduct your desired policy simulations.
Initial Post Instructions
Answer all of the following questions after you attempt to meet your target goal. If you have the desire and the time, you can play the game more than once in order to meet your target goal.
Specify where in the spectrum of political ideology you would consider yourself to be? Centrist, Progressive or Conservative.
State the Governing Goals you chose and provide reasons why you chose those goals.
Specify which of your policy choices had the largest impact on your fiscal target, and which barely moved the line. Were you surprised by the magnitude of any policy choices?
State whether or not the game made you reevaluate your initial governing goals?
Propose ways that you think the federal government should set the budget on a sustainable course in the next 25 years?
Remember to attach a screenshot of your budget solutions to your discussion post.
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Week 1 Homework
Question 1
Label each entry in the list as dealing with a microeconomic topic or a macroeconomic topic. Type microeconomic or macroeconomic for each item.
Motor vehicle production in China is growing by 10 percent a year.
Coffee prices rocket.
Globalization has reduced African poverty.
The government must cut its budget deficit.
microeconomic Apple sells 20 million iPhone 6 a month.
Question 2
A professor changes the penalty for cheating on exams from getting a 0 on the exam to getting an F in the course. The professor has
recognized that students don’t respond to incentives.
increased the marginal cost of cheating.
decreased the marginal benefit of cheating.
made all the students act in the social interest.
recognized that students don’t make rational choices.
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ECON312N Principles of Economics AssignmentsWeek 2 Homework
Question 1
Suppose over the next several years the productivity of firms producing electric cars improves dramatically. The advance in productivity leads to
an increase in the supply of electric cars so that the supply curve shifts leftward.
a decrease in the supply of electric cars so that the supply curve shifts leftward.
a decrease in the supply of electric cars so that the supply curve shifts rightward.
no change in the supply of electric cars, only a change in the quantity supplied of electric cars.
an increase in the supply electric cars so that the supply curve shifts rightward.
Question 2
Suppose the San Francisco 49ers lower ticket prices by 15 percent and as a result the quantity of tickets demanded increases by 10 percent. This set of results shows that San Francisco 49ers tickets have
an inelastic demand.
a unit elastic demand.
an inelastic supply.
an elastic supply.
an elastic demand.
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Week 3 Homework
Question 1
GM cuts jobs at its Australian manufacturing unit
GM will cut 500 jobs, or about 12% of its workforce, at its Australian plant because of a sharp fall in demand for its locally-made “Cruze” small car.
Source: The Wall Street Journal , April 8, 2013
As GM cuts its workforce, how will the marginal product and average product of a worker change in the short run?
Suppose that before the cuts the marginal product of GM workers is below their average product.
________________________
As the number of workers decreases, the marginal product of a GM worker ______ and the average product of a GM worker ______ in the short run.
?decreases; decreases
?increases; increases
?decreases; increases
?increases; decreases
does not? change; does not change
Question 2
Maryland farmers turn from tobacco to flowers
Maryland tobacco farmers will be subsidized if they switch from growing tobacco to growing crops such as flowers and organic vegetables.
Source: The New York Times ,February 25, 2001
How does offering farmers a payment to exit tobacco growing influence the opportunity cost of growing tobacco?
What is the opportunity cost of using the equipment owned by a tobacco farmer?
______________________
Offering farmers a payment to exit tobacco growing _______ the opportunity cost of growing tobacco.
The opportunity cost of using the equipment owned by a tobacco farmer is _______.
?decreases; the sum of the implicit and explicit costs of using the tobacco equipment
?increases; the next best alternative? forgone, which could be the production of flowers and organic vegetables
?decreases; the explicit cost of using the tobacco equipment
does not? change; the next best alternative? forgone, which could be the production of flowers and organic vegetables
?increases; the implicit cost of using the tobacco equipment
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ECON312N Principles of Economics Assignments Week 4 Homework
Question 1
Consider the market for running shoes shown above. Before a tariff is imposed, if the United States trades with the world, then the United States produces ________ running shoes at a price of ________.
5 million; $40
3 million; $80
5 million; $80
3 million; $40
1 million; $40
Question 2
Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of monopolistic competition?
few firms compete
easy entry and exit
small market share
no barriers to entry or exit
differentiated product
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Week 5 Homework
Question 1
U.S. real GDP
is not as accurate as nominal GDP when measuring standard of living changes over time.
excludes the value of underground production and leisure time.
measures the change in the price level over time.
precisely measures the improving standard of living in the United States.
includes the value of underground production but excludes the value of leisure time.
Question 2U.S. unemployment rate lowest since 2008
The Labor Department said that the economy added 146,000 jobs in November, and the unemployment rate fell to 7.7% from 7.9% in October. But it fell mainly because workers dropped out of the labor force.
Source: CNN Money, December 7, 2012
Explain why workers dropping out of the labor force lowers the unemployment rate and why by more than new jobs do.
____________________
When workers drop out of the labor force, the unemployment rate falls because _______.
the ratio of the number employed to the number unemployed increases
the percentage change in the number unemployed is less than the percentage change in the labor force
the percentage change in the number unemployed equals the percentage change in the labor force
the percentage change in the number unemployed is greater than the percentage change in the labor force
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Week 6 Homework
Question 1
All of the following can create a bias in the CPI EXCEPT the
new goods bias.
commodity substitution bias.
outlet substitution bias.
GDP price index bias.
quality change bias.
Question 2
Demand-pull inflation is an inflation that starts because _____.
of labor productivity growth
real GDP increases
aggregate supply decreases
aggregate demand increases
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ECON312N Principles of Economics Assignments Week 8 Homework
Question 1
When the government’s expenditures exceed its tax revenue, the budget
has a deficit and the national debt is decreasing.
None of the above because by law the government’s expenditures cannot exceed its tax revenue.
has a deficit and the national debt is increasing.
has a surplus and the national debt is increasing.
is balanced and the national debt is increasing.
Question 2
Using the data in the above table, if potential GDP for this economy is $25 billion, then in order to restore full employment, the federal funds rate can be
lowered so that consumption expenditure and investment increase, though net exports decrease.
raised so that net exports increase.
raised so that consumption expenditure, investment, and net exports increase.
lowered so that consumption expenditure, investment, and net exports increase.
lowered so that government expenditure on goods and services increase.
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Week 2 Quiz
Question 1
In the above figure, the shift in the demand curve from D to D2 can be the result of
an increase in the price of a sub sandwich, a substitute for pizza.
an increase in income if pizza is a normal good.
a change in quantity demanded.
an increase in the price of soda, a complement to pizza.
a decrease in the supply of pizza that raises the price of pizza.
Question 2
The question “Should economics majors or sociology majors earn more after they graduate?” is an example of a ________ question.
for whom
what
how
why
where
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Week 4 Quiz
Question 1
Paulette owns a pizza parlor. Her total cost schedule is in the above table. Her total fixed cost is equal to
Some amount, but more information is needed to determine her fixed cost.
$35.
$85.
$79.
$20.
Question 2
Mylan Pharmaceuticals holds a patent on the EpiPen – designed to inject epinephrine into shock victims. In 2016, Mylan received criticism for charging $600 for this life-saving drug. The market for EpiPens is considered ________ which means that the price of an Epipen ________ its marginal cost.
perfect competition; equals
an oligopoly; equals
a monopoly; is greater than
a monopoly; equals
monopolistic competition; is greater than
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Week 6 Quiz
Question 1
In 2010, the GDP price index was 101.2 and real GDP was $14.8 trillion.
In 2011, nominal GDP was $15.5 trillion and real GDP was $15.0 trillion.
Calculate the increase in nominal GDP and the increase in the GDP price index in 2011.
The percentage increase in nominal GDP in 2011 is
The percentage increase in the GDP price index in 2011 is
Question 2
The change in potential real GDP and aggregate supply shown in the graph above can be a result of
a decrease in the money wage rate.
a decrease in the money price of oil.
an increase in the quantity of capital.
a fall in the price level.
an increase in the real wage rate.
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ECON312N Principles of Economics Assignments Week 8 Quiz
Question 1
How do the Fed’s monetary policy actions influence the exchange rate?
The Fed influences the exchange rate by changing the U.S. interest rate differential.
The Fed influences the exchange rate by conducting transactions in the foreign exchange market.
The Fed can influence the exchange rate only if it changes expectations.
The Fed? can’t influence the exchange rate because the Fed has no influence on foreign interest rates.
Question 2
The Fed’s policy tools include
required reserve ratios, the discount rate, open market operations, and extraordinary crisis measures.
holding deposits for the U.S. government, reserve requirements, and the discount rate.
required reserve ratios, income tax rates, and open market operations.
setting regulations for lending standards and extraordinary crisis measures.
supervision of the banking system and buying and selling commercial banks.
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Week 3 Assignment
Required Resources
Read/review the following resources for this activity:
Textbook: Review Chapter 1, 3, 4, 5
Lesson
Minimum of 2 scholarly sources
Introduction
In Chapter 4 of the text, we learned that a market is in equilibrium when the demand curve intersects with the supply curve. The general notion in Economics is that when a market is in equilibrium, the desires of consumers are considered to be aligned with those of suppliers, and there is an efficient use of resources in the market. These conditions, however, do not always prevail in the market. There are times when there is, what is known as, a disequilibrium condition in the market. Under this condition, there is either a surplus or a shortage in the market. A surplus occurs when there is an excess of supply of a commodity over the quantity demanded. A shortage, on the other hand, is a situation where the quantity demanded of a product exceeds the supply of the product.
The preponderance of evidence in the market for the services provided by nurses is that there is an issue of perennial shortages that has lasted for several decades. Ms. Roberta Spohn, Assistant Executive Secretary of the American Nurses’ Association, Research and Statistics Unit, stated that “Although there are reports of manpower shortages in many other professional fields, nursing seems to enjoy the dubious distinction of continually suffering from this condition†(Spohn, 1954, p.865).
Activity Instructions
Provide a comprehensive analysis of demand and supply factors that seem to cause the persistent shortage of nurses in the U.S. Please make sure you address the following items, in your paper.
Identify, at least, five factors that are likely to cause the increase in the demand for nurses and five factors that are likely to cause a decline in the supply of nurses, or the failure of supply to keep up with demand.
What are the likely implications of the shortage of nurses on the quality of care given in U.S. hospitals?
What solutions do you propose to address this seemingly persistent issue of nursing shortages in the U.S.?
Has government policy intervention over the years helped or exacerbated the shortage of nurses? Provide reasons to justify your opinion.?
Writing Requirements (APA format)
Length: 2-4 pages (not including title page or references page)
1-inch margins
Double spaced
12-point Times New Roman font
<pclass=”msonormal” style=”box-sizing: border-box; overflow-wrap: break-word;”>ECON312N Principles of Economics. ECON312N Principles of Economics Assignments
Week 5 Assignment
Resources
Read/review the following resources for this activity:
Textbook: Chapter 14, 15
Lesson
Link (website): FRED Economic Data (Links to an external site.)
Minimum of 2 scholarly sources
Introduction
This assignment is based on the exploration and analysis of two of the most important economic variables used in economic analysis: Real GDP and Unemployment. These variables are compiled by the Bureau of Economic Analysis and are used extensively by the Federal Reserve of St Louis, in a database called FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data), which is made up of nearly 140,000 economic time series from more than 50 data producers. The expectation is that at the end of the course, your new found ability to extract, manipulate, and understand economic data will be an enduring benefit from taking this course. ECON312N Principles of Economics Assignments
Activity Instructions
For this assignment, complete the following in the FRED Economic Data website:
Part A: Plot real GDP (Percent Change from Quarter One Year Ago – Quarterly Data) from 1977 (January) to 2018 (January). Note that the shaded areas on the graph show periods during which there were recessions.
Part B: Plot several measures of Unemployment from either 1977 or 1997 (Q1 – January) to 2018 (January) as specified in the instructions. Note that the shaded areas on the graph show periods during which there were recessions.
After plotting each graph in Part A and each Multi-Series Graph in Part B, copy and paste the graphs in a Word document. Then, provide a detailed comparative analysis of the performances of the variables. See the specific question in Parts A and B that follow.
Accessing and Using the FRED Website
Click on the link for the FRED Economic Data website (in the Required Resources area). Then, follows these steps:
Once you are at the website, copy and paste the research variable in the data (search) window. Click on the “magnifying glass†(search icon) to the left of the window.
A new page opens with the variable listed. Click on the variable.
A page opens with the graph. Change the dates in the date window to the right.
To select the beginning date, click inside the first window and click on the arrows to get to the desired year. After selecting the year, a new window opens with a list of months. Select the desired month.
Click the second window and repeat step #4 to choose the end date.
After selecting the desired dates, the graph appears.
With the graph well-centered on your computer screen, press on the PrtScr/SystRq key of your keyboard to copy the graph on the screen. Alternatively, you can also use the snipping tool on your computer to capture the graph. Note that the combination for a Screen Shot may be different for laptops.
Paste the graph in a Word document where you are writing your detailed analysis of the performances of the variables. Hint: make sure the following labels appear on the cropped graph: “FRED Graph†at the top left and “fred.stlouis.org†on the bottom right.
Part A: GDP: A Measure of Total Production and Income (Chapter 14)
Plot real GDP (FRED code: A191RO1Q156NBEA) from 1977 (January) to 2018 (January).
Provide a brief description of the general performance of the output of goods and services produced in the United States during periods of recessions (from 1980 to 2009).
Provide a general description of the performance of the economy during the Great Recession of 2007 to 2009 (Hint: focus your discussion on the following economic indicators: unemployment rates, incomes, profits, financial markets, real estate market etc.).
Plot real GDP per Capita (FRED code: A939RC0Q052SBEA) from 1977 (January) to 2018 (January).
Provide a general description of the performance of real GDP per capita from 1977 to 2018.
Most Economists, Policymakers, Social Scientists, and Business Analysts use a country’s real GDP per capita as the main indicator of the average person’s standard of living in that country. Robert Kennedy expressed his disagreement with the over-reliance on the use of GDP per capita with the following comments:
Gross Domestic Product, he argues “… does not allow for the health of our children, the quality of their education, or the joy of their play. It does not include the beauty of our poetry or the strength of our marriages, the intelligence of our public debate or the integrity of our public officials. It measures neither our courage, nor our wisdom, nor our devotion to our country. It measures everything, in short, except that which makes life worthwhile, and it can tell us everything about America except why we are proud that we are Americans†(1968, para. 23).
Do you agree or disagree with the late Robert Kennedy’s assessment of the importance of GDP per capita in determining the standard of living? Provide reasons to support your position.
Part B: Jobs and Unemployment (Chapter 15)
Items A-E below will require Multi-Series Graphs. This means plotting a graph with more than one variable (line). To add an additional line (variable) to a graph, you will first plot the initial variable, then click on the tab labeled as “Edit Graph.†An Edit Graph box opens. Click on the tab labeled “Add Line†within the Edit Graph box, and type the FRED code for the additional variable and hit enter. Select the correct variable from the list that populates and click the “add data series†tab. Note: you will do a separate Multi-Series Graph for each grouping (A-E) below:
Measures of Unemployment
Plot the variable Civilian Unemployment Rate (FRED code: UNRATE) from 1997 (January) to 2018 (January). (Note: this is the official Unemployment Rate)
Create a Multi-Series Graph and plot the variable Special Unemployment Rate (FRED Code – U6RATE) from 1994 (January) to 2018 (January). (Note: this is Total Unemployed, Plus All Marginally Attached Workers, Plus Total Employed Part-Time for Economic Reasons, as a Percent of the Civilian Labor Force plus all Marginally Attached Workers).
Duration Unemployment
Plot the variable Of Total Unemployed, Percent Unemployed Less Than 5 Weeks (FRED code: LNS13008397) from 1977 (January) to 2018 (January).
Create a Multi-Series Graph and plot the variable Of Total Unemployed, Percent Unemployed 27 Weeks and Over (FRED code: LNS13025703) from 1977 (January) to 2018 (January).
Educational Attainment
Plot the variable Unemployment Rate – Bachelor’s Degree and Higher, 25 years and over (FRED code: LNS14027662) from 1997 (January) to 2018 (January).
Create a Multi-Series Graph and plot the variable Unemployment Rate – High School Graduates, No College, 25 years and over (FRED code: LNU04027660) from 1997 (January) to 2018 (January).
Gender
Plot the variable Unemployment Rate – Men (FRED code: LNS14000001) from 1977 (January) to 2018 (January).
Create a Multi-Series Graph and plot the variable Unemployment Rate – Women (FRED code: LNS14000002) from 1977 (January) to 2018 (January).
Race
Plot the variable Unemployment Rate – White (FRED code: LNS14000003) from 1977 (January) to 2018 (January).
Create a Multi-Series Graph and plot the variable Unemployment Rate – Black (FRED code: LNS14000006) from 1977 (January) to 2018 (January).
Create a third line (variable) on this graph by plotting the variable Unemployment Rate – Hispanic (FRED code: LNS14000009) from 1977 (January) to 2018 (January).
Using the graphs on measures of unemployment, duration of unemployment, educational attainment, gender and race, provide a comprehensive assessment of the labor market during the period of the Great Recession (2007 to 2009). (NOTE: In responding to this question, please briefly comment on the employment situations before and after the Great Recession).
Writing Requirements (APA format)
Length: 3-5 pages (not including title page or references page)
1-inch margins
Double spaced
12-point Times New Roman font
Title page
References page (minimum of 2 sources)
<pclass=”msonormal” style=”box-sizing: border-box; overflow-wrap: break-word;”>ECON312N Principles of Economics Assignments
Week 7 Assignment
Required Resources
Read/review the following resources for this activity:
Textbook: Review all chapters (Weeks 1-7)
Lesson: Week 1-7
Minimum of 4 scholarly sources
Introduction
There are several problems that every economy must contend with. The culmination of these problems is often a recession or an inflation, each of which requires an extensive policy prescription. A recession is technically defined as two consecutive periods of negative growth in real GDP. The National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) which dates U.S. recessions defines recession as “a significant decline in economic spread across the economy, lasting more than a few months, normally in real GDP, real income, employment, industrial production and wholesale-retail sales.†(NBER, 2008, para. 2). Inflation is measured by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) as an increase in the overall price in the economy. The inflation rate is the percentage change in the prices of goods and services from one period to the other. To measure the percentage change in the general level of prices, economists use the GDP deflator method or the Consumer Price Index (CPI) method. It is important to note that as the general level of prices rise, the purchasing power – or value – of money diminishes, and as the general level of prices decline, the value or purchasing power of money rises.
When an economy is going through recessionary or inflationary periods, two key policy prescriptions are used to deal with either problem are Fiscal Policy and Monetary Policy. Fiscal Policy is often initiated by the executive branch of government and approved by the legislative branch of government. The main tools of Fiscal Policy are Taxes and Government Spending. Monetary Policy, on the other hand, is conducted by the Federal Reserve Board. The main tools of Monetary Policy are Required Reserve Ratio, Discount Rate, and Open Market Operation.
A recessionary gap (see Figure 1) occurs when the full employment equilibrium in an economy falls short of potential GDP.
Below full employment macroeconomic equilibrium graph with price level on y-axis and real GDP on x-axis
Figure 1: Below Full Employment Macroeconomic Equilibrium. Reprinted from Bade &Parkin (2018, p. 545).
Activity Instructions
For this assignment, complete the following:
If you were an economic advisor to both the President and the Chair of the Federal Reserve Board, what Fiscal Policy and Monetary Policy recommendations would you make to deal with a recession?
In the literature on Health Economics, there is a significant amount of research on the impact of the Great Recession (2008-2009) on the nursing profession. If you were the Health Policy Advisor to the President, what specific recommendations would you make to the President to minimize the effects of recessions on the nursing profession?
In the implementation of Fiscal and Monetary Policies, discuss the limitations of these policies and explain how the limitations are likely to affect the effectiveness of your recommendations.
Note: In making the recommendations, provide clear and concise channels of transmission of the policy from its implementation to its effect on Aggregate Demand or Aggregate Supply. Providing channels of transmission shows the ripple effect of an event on one or more variables in the process of achieving an ultimate Macroeconomic objective.
Example
Sample Question: What is the effect of an increase in U.S. Exports?
Sample Answer: An increase in U.S exports will increase Business Investments (I) and Household Consumption (C). The increases in consumer spending and Business Investments will increase Aggregate Demand (AD) which will shift the AD curve to the right. The rightward shift in the AD curve, assuming the Aggregate Supply curve does not shift, will cause an increase in the general level of prices and an increase in real GDP.
Before you answer the question, identify the four phases of the Business Cycle and indicate which of the phase is associated with a recession.
Writing Requirements (APA format)
Length: 3-5 pages (not including title page or references page)
1-inch margins
Double spaced
12-point Times New Roman font
Title page
References page (minimum of 4 scholarly sources) ECON312N Principles of Economics Assignments