...international trading power. A highly developed, diversified, market-based economy with extensive social welfare services provides most residents with a high standard of living. The UK joined the European Economic Community (now known as the EU) in January 1973 and it is a founder member of the World Trade Organization. The United Kingdom is one of the world’s leading advanced economies. And it is the second biggest exporter of services in the global economy and ranked eighth in global exports of goods. The United Kingdom is the world's fifth-largest trading nation, highly dependent on foreign trade. It must import almost all its copper, ferrous metals, lead, zinc, rubber, and raw cotton and about one-third of its food. The United Kingdom's exports manufactured items like telecommunications equipment, automobiles, automatic data processing equipment, medicinal and pharmaceutical products and aircraft. Its main trading partners are European Union countries, The United States, China and Japan. United Kingdom is also the European Union's only significant energy exporter. It is also one of the world's largest energy consumers, and most analysts predict a shift in U.K. status from net exporter to net importer of energy by 2020, possibly sooner. Oil production in the U.K. is leveling off. Therefore, UK should export the oil energy from foreign countries. The economy of the United Kingdom is now primarily based on private enterprise, accounting for approximately four-fifths of employment...
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...The Fiscal Compact: A Pillar of Understanding: In this project we will look at the Fiscal Compact Treaty which came into effect on the 1st of January 2013. Firstly, we will briefly outline the various factors that led to the signing of the Treaty. Following this we will assess the rules established under the Treaty and how the Treaty will impact future fiscal policy. Furthermore, we will compare and contrast which method of ratification, public referendum or a vote in parliament is more suitable for Ireland when it comes to deciding on EU matters, such as the Fiscal Compact. In addition to that we will interview a person who has strong convictions regarding the Fiscal Compact. To conclude, we will present our opinions and recommendations based upon our research and findings. We will seek to predict whether the Treaty will solve the Eurozone Crisis or plunge the EMU into greater financial instability. Background and Contributing Factors A number of factors contributed to the signing of the Fiscal Compact Treaty on 2 March 2012 (European Council, 2013). Although the Eurozone crisis was the main driving force behind the signing of the Fiscal Compact, a number of flaws existed before the collapse of the Eurozone (McArdle, 2012). McArdle (2012) notes that a major drawback was the fact that the Eurozone didn’t have a common fiscal policy. A “Stability and Growth Pact” (SGP) was passed and came into effect on the 1st January 1999 and made a number of key structural changes (McArdle...
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...Section 3 Section 4 Section 5 85 92 99 104 108 112 115 119 121 135 135 Additional Reading Material Solutions to Self Assessed Questions and Activities Copyright References Acknowledgements © Scottish Qualifications Authority 2004 DE3H 35 Economics 2: The World Economy Unit Student Guide Scottish Qualifications Authority 1 Introduction to the Scottish Qualifications Authority This Unit DE3H 35 Economics 2: The World Economy has been devised and developed by the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA). Here is an explanation of the SQA and its work: The SQA is the national body in Scotland responsible for the development, accreditation, assessment, and certification of qualifications other than degrees. Its website can be viewed on: www.sqa.org.uk SQA's functions are to: • • • • • • devise,...
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...accounts for 15-20% of GDP, and the majority (75%) is from private sector businesses. G means government spending on state-provided goods and services. Transfer payments (state benefits) do not count because these payments are not producing an output – they are a transfer of money from one group to another. X means exports; M means imports. Exports are goods sold to overseas countries and imports are what the UK buys from foreign countries. (X – M) represents net exports. If this is positive, there is a trade surplus which adds to AD. Conversely, a negative net exports value means there is a trade deficit, which reduces AD. Consumer Expenditure Consumer expenditure is influenced by… The amount of real disposable income is the main influence on consumer expenditure. Households and economies with more disposable income tend to spend more in total than poorer ones. The proportion of income that is spent is called the average propensity to consume (APC). Wealth (the value of a stock of assets) affects C. Wealthier people tend to spend more. Wealth can be spent and can be used to borrow against. It also results in greater consumer confidence. For example, an increase in house prices will make homeowners feel more wealthy, and this encourages them to spend more. Consumer confidence and expectations have a significant influence on consumer spending. When consumers feel optimistic about the future (expecting good wages and job prospects), then they tend to spend...
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...FT SPECIAL REPORT World Economy Friday October 12 2012 www.ft.com/reports | twitter.com/ftreports Hopes turn to fear and uncertainty Answers to the big issues facing the global economy depend mainly on events in the US and eurozone, writes Chris Giles Meeting of minds: logo for the IMFWorld bank events beginning in Tokyo today Bloomberg Inside » Growth glitches FT specialists report from the eurozone, China, the US and the UK Pages 2, 3 If Obama wins . . . or Romney Some differences seem more symbolic than real Page 4 Cash conundrum The IMF and World Bank have plenty of money but face new challenges Page 5 A threat of double-dip recession is stalking the world economy. Advanced economies are struggling to raise insipid growth rates, while the fast-growing emerging economies cannot maintain their previous momentum. If anything goes wrong – and there are known potential shocks in the coming months – the risk is rising of a dangerous economic slide. The Brookings Institution-Financial Times Tracking Indices for the Global Economic Recovery shows a steep drop in 2012 so far, leading professor Eswar Prasad of Brookings to describe the global economy as “on the ropes”. In the International Monetary Fund’s twice-yearly World Economic Outlook, published this week, Olivier Blanchard, the fund’s chief economist, said the world economy was hamstrung by uncertainty, which was pre- venting companies from investing and households from spending. “Worries about...
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...spending by companies on capital goods. Investment also includes spending on working capital such as stocks of finished goods and work in progress. G General Government Final Consumption. i.e. Government spending on publicly provided goods and services including public and merit goods. Transfer payments in the form of social security benefits (pensions, jobseekers allowance etc.) are not included as they are not a payment to a factor of production for output produced. A substantial increase in government spending would be classified as an expansionary fiscal policy. X Exports of goods and services - Exports sold overseas are an inflow of demand into the circular flow of income in the economy and add to the demand for UK produced output. When export sales from the UK are healthy, production in exporting industries will increase, adding both to national output and also the incomes of those people who work in these industries. M Imports of goods and...
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...Project : Micro Economics Topic : Euro Zone Deflation In 2014 By : Danish Naeem & Mr. Faheem-ur- Rehman. The euro zone The world’s biggest economic problem Deflation in the euro zone is all too close and extremely dangerous Oct 25th 2014 | From the print edition THE world economy is not in good shape. The news from America and Britain has been reasonably positive, but Japan’s economy is struggling and China’s growth is now slower than at any time since 2009. Unpredictable dangers abound, particularly from the Ebola epidemic, which has killed thousands in West Africa and jangled nerves far beyond. But the biggest economic threat, by far, comes from continental Europe. Now that German growth has stumbled, the euro area is on the verge of tipping into its third recession in six years. Its leaders have squandered two years of respite, granted by the pledge of Mario Draghi, the European Central Bank’s president, to do “whatever it takes” to save the single currency. The French and the Italians have dodged structural reforms, while the Germans have insisted on too much austerity. Prices are falling in eight European countries. The zone’s overall inflation rate has slipped to 0.3% and may well go into outright decline next year. A region that makes up almost a fifth of world output is marching towards stagnation and deflation. Optimists, both inside and outside...
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...Is there a coming economic collapse? When will this happen? How will this affect us? Many wonder what the future is for the global economy. Over the last few years economists have been expressing increasing concerns about the direction the global economy is going in, and the possibility of a worldwide depression. They have been warning about the growing global imbalances in the world economy, and the consequences if not corrected. Yet we live in a time where the global economy is booming, especially in the Anglo-Saxon and Asian economies. Consumer spending is up. House prices around the world have risen dramatically. Unemployment remains low. The global economy has experienced the longest period of sustained economic growth in recent history. The US$ continues to remain stable. Why has the global economy experienced such strong growth? Will this growth continue? What does the future hold? Interestingly, some of the stimulus for the growth the global economy has recently experienced is a result of decisions made following Sept 11th. Already, prior to Sept 11th the US Federal Reserve was maintaining a loose fiscal policy in an effort to stimulate economic growth in the US economy, which had slowed down following years of strong growth during the Clinton administration. Then along came Sept 11th, which threatened to destabilize the American banking system. To prevent this happening, the Fed injected billions into the banking system to provide sufficient...
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...BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT Y/601/0546 MARKET ENVIRONMENT AND ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOUR MOHAMED ABOOBUCKER JAZEER AHAMED Introduction Business environment is composed of two words ‘Business’ and ‘Environment’. In economic sense ‘Business’ means human activities like production, purchase or extraction or sales of products or services that are performed to earn money. Meanwhile ‘Environment’ means the aspect of surroundings. Business environment is the set of conditions institutional, political, economical, legal or social that is uncontrollable and affects the functions of the organization. Business environment consists of two components: external environment and internal environment. Internal environment includes of 5 M’s like management, money, machinery, material and man. On the other hand, External environment consists of demo-graphical factors, socio-cultural factors, political factors, geo-physical factors, government and legal factors. LO1 1.1 ------------------------------------------------- Different Types of Organizations Organizations A social unit of people that is structured and managed to meet a need or to pursue collective goals. All organizations have a management structure that determines relationships between the different activities and the members, and subdivides and assigns roles, responsibilities, and authority to carry out different tasks. Organizations are open systems they affect and are affected by their environment. Read more: http://www...
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...LESSON 7. THE FIRST WORLD WAR AND THE INTERWAR CRISIS THE FIRST WORLD WAR The 1st WW was debated between two opposing blocks: The Allies: France, UK and the Russian Empire (with the collaboration of Italy, Japan, Belgium and the USA) And the Central Powers: Germany and Austria-‐Hungary (together with the Ottoman Empire and Bulgaria) It was a global war centred in Europe that began on 28th July 1914 and lasted until 11th November 1918, the moment the Allies obtained the victory. By the end of the war the map of Europe was redrawn with several independent nations restored or created, and as a result of the Paris Peace Conference that ended the First World War (the Treaty of Versailles), an intergovernmental organisation was founded with the aim of preventing any repetition of such a terrible conflict (the League of Nations). PROBLEM: This aim failed and, as a result, the renewed European nationalism (together with the German feeling of humiliation) contributed to the rise of fascism that gave birth to the Second World War some years later (1939). The First World War represented the break with the 19th century and a dramatic change...
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...“Aging Europe and the looming pension crisis.” 1. Why have governments tended to avoid the problem of pension reform? Why is it harder to avoid the problem in the 21st century? How the demographic changes have created problems for pensions? Governments are worried about the sustainability of current pension schemes as changes in demographics are indicating that these schemes will not be able to sustain themselves in a few years time. Fertility rates heavily increased in the post World War II period (1960 a representative year) and decreased subsequently, creating the “baby boom”, which has been an important factor in the 21st century population aging. Current fertility rates are experiencing historic lows; at an European Union (EU ) average 1.58 live births per woman, it is significantly below the level needed to replace the population (2.1) . Such changes have significantly increased the average percentage of EU population aged 65 and over, from 9.6% in 1960 to 16% in 2010, which is expected to increase to 22.6% by 2030 . This statistic shows that increasingly more people will have to be supported by government pensions. In the EU the average life expectancy at birth has risen by 10 years over the last 50 years , which means that pension schemes have to support each member increasingly longer than before. The average old age dependency ratio (OADR) in the EU, which measures the amount of elderly people for every 100 people of working age, has increased from 15% in 1960...
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...This essay will talk about what is currently going in Europe with the Eurozone sovereign debt crisis and the fiscal state the European Union is in, it is important and interesting because it is still current affairs and there are various factors and decisions that have helped the path that the crisis is going in, this essay will look at the crisis but on the implications and problems that European union face as well as what they have faced already and whether the European Central Bank are doing enough to improve the situation and what their plans are for the future. A sovereign bond serves as a floor for interest rates banks charged for loans and for the pricing of other financial contracts and securities. The global financial crisis led to the deterioration of government budgets and finances as nations utilized public expenditures to provide stability and stimulus. The Eurozone suffered because of heavy borrowing practices, property pebbles and living above their means. The Eurozone debt crisis started because Greece who had borrowed heavily in international capital markets over the past decade were turned against by investors this is because Greece in 2009 admitted that they had double the amount of debt that was allowed in the Eurozone limit. Ratings agencies started to downgrade Greek bank and government debt, and there was fear of Greece defaulting and not being able to pay back its debts but the Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou insisted otherwise however this was...
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...Business Environment Assignment |Qualification |Unit number - title - level | |BTEC Level 5 HND in Business |Unit 1 – Business Environment - Level 4 | |Student name |Assessor name | |Simon Varga |Susan Simei-Cunningham | | |Berlin Asong | |Internal Verifier |Alan Jeffery | |Date issued |Completion date |Submitted on | |26th January 2015 |27th March 2015 before midday | | |Assignment title |Business Environment - Shaping Your Future – A Vocational Scenario ...
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...throughout the year, with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) cutting its 2011 Gross Domestic Product (GDP) economic growth forecast for Western economies from 2.5% to 1.6% Developed economies – with the US a major exception - are engaged in austerity measures while the emerging world is looking to dampen its much stronger growth to stave off any threat of inflation Any improvement next year rests largely on the eurozone finding an appropriate solution to its problems Against this background, many investors have fled to what they saw as safe havens, forcing gold prices to record highs and government bonds yields to generational lows Short-termism is rife in such volatile markets, creating opportunities in some asset classes for investors who can take a longer-term view Equities currently look to offer the best value, with many corporates in solid financial shape after applying their own austerity measures amid the credit crunch. Strong balance sheets are allowing ongoing dividend growth Share valuations remain low, reflecting the muted economic outlook in the West. This ignores two key factors: that many Western companies have growing Eastern earnings exposure, and the potential for emerging market equities to benefit from the region’s stronger macro outlook Core Western government bonds represent poor value, with short-term safe haven investing forcing yields down. In some instances, this asset class currently offers the prospect of negative real returns (returns after adjusting...
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...Disinvestment and Privatisation in India Assessment and Options1 R Nagaraj2,3 Ownership reform in public sector enterprises (PSEs) initiated since 1991 has as yet been quantitatively modest. It is perhaps too early to judge the effects of these initiatives on their financial performance. While the slow pace of the reform can be perceived as an opportunity, there is perhaps merit in carefully reviewing the policy in light of economic theory, and comparative experience. As the bulk of the public investments are in industries with economies of scale and scope (with externalities that in principle invite considerable regulation), this study suggests an alternative institutional arrangement for improving PSEs’ financial performance: mutual stock holding among complementary enterprises tied around a public sector bank to minimise problems of soft budget constraint, dysfunctional legislative and bureaucratic interference, and to encourage close interaction between banks and firms to promote long term economic development. Introduction: Employing about 19 million persons, public sector currently contributes about a quarter of India’s measured domestic output. Administrative departments (including defense) account for about 2/5th of it, the rest comes from a few departmental enterprises (like railways and postal services), and a large number of varied non-departmental enterprises producing a range of goods and services. These include, close to 250 public sector enterprises (PSEs) owned...
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