BLOCK 5.1

Gains from trade

Concepts

Absolute advantage

Comparative advantage

if production requires fewer resources

Opportunity cost is lower

Production possibility frontier (PPF)

Shows a country's maximum output mixes (cant produce more of one without producing less of the other)

Terms of trade

Index of EXP prices / Index of IMP prices x 100

Tarrif

Trade policy

Concepts

The optimal tarrif

tarrif that brings the maximum benefit to the country

Loss from trade

Inequality

Market power

Import/export

Between countries

High skilled/Low skilled jobs

Strategic trade policy

Trade policy with the aim to redistribute gains of trade in direction of the country

Infant industry tarrifs

Anti-dumping tarrifs

Dumping: price is below producers market price in HC or below its producers AC of production

To promote economic development through learning by doing

Technology

Within countries

Concepts

Equity

A distribution of income that society deems to be fair and justice (v subjective)

Gross income

OG income + GOV cash benefits

Disposable income

Gross income - direct taxes

Post-tax income

Disposable income - indirect taxes

e.g., income tax

e.g., VAT

Final income

Post-tax income + Benefits in kind

e.g., education and healthcare

Measures

Lorenz curve

Cumulative % share of HH income against cumulative % of HH

The closer to the line of equality, the lower the level of inequality

Gini coefficient

Measures the extent to which total income of HH/individuals deviates from a perfectly equal distribution

Goes from 0 to 1, the closer to 1 the more inequality

Poverty

Absolute

A level of HH income below that needed to consume basic life necessities

e.g., food, water, shelter, warmth

Relative

Income below that needed to participate fully in their society

rates always below 50%

Welfare policy

The iron triangle of welfare

goals

Improving employment incentives

Cost reduction

Raising living standards of the poor

these goals conflict (trade-offs)

participation tax rate

unemployment trap

unemployed

Effective marginal tax rate

Poverty trap

employed