Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Unit 1: How to reduce deaths from drink driving: More regulation or more information

Thanks to tutor2u for this post on 2 approaches. The video is quite sobering (and no pun is intended)

http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/economics/comments/unit-1-micro-drink-driving-and-government-intervention/

a) what is the market failure from drink driving?
b) Why does this occur?
c) Discuss the relative likely success of (1) increasingly tighter regulation and (2) providing more information as in the hard hitting adverts

Saturday, September 10, 2011

Unit 2: What is the effect on the UK of a 50%tax rate?

The argument about abolishing the 50% rate continues according to the BBC

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-14821741

a) Discuss the effectiveness of a top tax rate of 50% for UK taxpayers earing over £150,000

Unit 1: A policy to overcome information failure in wales?

Interesting video from the BBC

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-14826965

a) What is the market failure the policy is meant to reduce?
b) What is the opportunity cost of this policy?
c) To what extent do you believe this policy will be successful

Wednesday, September 07, 2011

Unit 2: Can you spend your way to full employment?

A nice post from economicshelp

http://www.economicshelp.org/blog/economics/spending-your-way-to-full-employment/

Unit 1 The factors of production needed to build a ball park

Thanks to tutor2u for this clip

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=HQv0WWhoZnI#!

Unit 2: Information failure resolved?

Interesting posts from Sky news and the BBC explaining how McDonald's is now offering the calorie content of its meals

http://news.sky.com/home/business/article/16062739
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-14784015

a) What is the information failure in the market?
b) From the evidence in the video and your own knowledge, what do you think the likely effect of Mcdonald's stating the calorie content of its meals will be?
c) What other actions could the government take to reduce the market failure asociated with fast food? Do you think these measures are likely to be more or less effective than the calorie information?