IB Economics SL19 - Consequences of Growth and Integration

19.
1 CONSEQUENCES OF ECONOMIC GROWTH

! If GDP rises faster than population, GDP per capita increases. Greater potential for people to
increase consumption and standards of living.
! GDP per capita is only an average measure. Does not tell us the distribution of standards.
! Distribution of income - if income increases bypass the poorer people, growth has little
developmental e"ects.
! The greater the share of household income spent on food, education, or health, the greater e"ect
of human development.
! The greater the share of income controlled by women, the stronger the impact of human
development.
! NGO contributions impact development because of their ability to reach poor people.
! The type of investment can a"ect human development.
! Appropriate policies are necessary to make e"ective use of resources.
Economic growth and unemployment
! Economic growth in the short-term business cycle uctuations can reduce cyclical unemployment
with a temporary e"ect on natural unemployment.
! Not all increases in potential output lower natural unemployment.
! Economic growth may lead to structural unemployment due to changes in technologies. Growth
could result from inappropriate technologies.
! Long-term reductions in unemployment result from economic growth, but not all growth can lower
unemployment.
Economic growth and ination
! In the Keynesian model, price level remains constant in expansionary phase because of spare
capacity until the level of potential output. In the classical model, an AD increase will increase the
price level.
! Both models agree that growth caused by increases in AD is inationary around the level of
potential output.
Economic growth and income distribution
! No clear relationship between GDP per capita growth and income distribution. Some countries
have highly unequal income distributions during growth, and other countries focused on
development and equality.
! Inequalities arise from liberalization and loss of government protection.
! Income distribution can worsen due to:
! capital-intensive technologies
! low government investment
! allocating services to urban places, not rural places
! ignoring urban slums
! Policies decide whether economic growth is good or bad for distribution.
Economic growth and current account
! Short-term growth can lead to a larger current account decit, because increasing incomes lead to
demand for imports.
! During long-term economic growth, trade balance determined by:
! international competitiveness (e#ciency, etc.)
1 IB ECONOMICS: CONSQN. OF ECON GROWTH & BNCE BTWN MARKETS & INTRVN
IB ECONOMICS
CONSEQUENCES OF ECON GROWTH & BALANCE MARKETS & INTERVENTION SL
! exchange rates
! degree of export orientation
! growth of incomes of trading partners (more exports_
! degree of trade barriers
! Economic growth can lead to a larger decit/smaller surplus in the upper phase of business cycle,
but over the long term, there is little likely growth.
Economic growth and sustainability
! Rapid growth leads to unsustainable resource use, such as use of common access resources.
! Growth can cause air pollution, soil degradation, etc.
! Negative consumption externalities.
! Belief that economic growth and sustainability are conicting - grow now, clean up later.
! Some environmental damage irreversible
! Justies government inaction on environment
! Growth is not bad for environment, but the method to pursue growth is.
! Growth with unsustainable resource use may cause diminished growth in future
! Governments can pursue growth and sustainability with some conditions:
! internalize the externalities and promote green tech
! pursue environmental regulations
! emphasize human capital
! emphasis on green investments
! Economic growth and sustainability can be pursued together
Conclusion
! Living standards - economic growth can impact living standards, but it depends on the type of
growth and what is improved
! Unemployment - economic growth can lower cyclical unemployment, and can allow the
government to use resources better
! Ination - economic growth can contribute to high levels of ination. High levels of ination may
contribute to lower growth
! Distribution of income - growth can make distribution of income more equitable. Equal distribution
of income has positive e"ect on growth
! Current account - economic growth can worsen current account, but a decit can lower economic
growth
! Sustainability - growth that ignores environmental e"ects may lead to unsustainability.
Unsustainability leads to lower economic growth.
! Since these factors impact economic growth, and economic growth impacts these factors, it is
hard to determine what should be pursued.
19.2 BALANCE BETWEEN MARKETS & INTERVENTION
Strengths and weaknesses of market-oriented policies
! Market-oriented policies include:
! market-based supply-side policies: encouraging competition, labor market reforms, incentives
! trade liberalization
! freely oating rates
! liberalized capital ows
! Strengths include:
! prices work as signals and incentives
! encouraging competition makes markets more competitive and results in greater e#ciency
! labor market reforms promote free market forces
! trade liberalization makes markets larger
! Weakness include
! market failure: externalities, public goods
! coordination failures: two activities that need to begin at the same time fail to do so
! weak/missing market institutions: markets need some institutions to function properly
! dualism: dual economies may form even if a country grows
! income inequality
! insu#cient credit for poor people
! may not always lead to growth and development
Strengths and weaknesses of interventionist policies
! Interventionist policies - based on intervention to make markets work e#ciently
! Strengths include:
! correcting market failure
! investment and provision of infrastructure
! provision of stable macroeconomic environment
! provision of a social safety net, a system of government transfers to vulnerable groups
! redistribution of income
! industrial policies
! Weaknesses include:
! excessive bureaucracy
! bad planning
! corruption
Market with government intervention
! governance - manner in which power is exercised in the management of a countrys economic/
social resources for development
!
good governance principles:
!
participation, fairness, decency, accountability, transparency, e#ciency
!
Strong government intervention discredited as a strategy for growth, dev, and trade.
!
market-led dev strategy doesnt account for circumstances in developing countries.
!
not good for blanket approach of any sort

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19.

1 CONSEQUENCES OF ECONOMIC GROWTH

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