Unit 1: Market Structure: The casino industry

This article is about the casino market in the UK which appears to be on the verge of significant growth.
Read the article and then look at the list at the bottom of who currently owns what
a) How would you currently describe the market in terms of market structure? Are all/some of the criteria for any structure met?
b) What barriers to entry are there for the casino industry?
c) What change in market structure do you see happening?

http://business.guardian.co.uk/story/0,,1930573,00.html

Unit 2: Overcoming negative externalities: Parking fees

This article proposes parking fees related to the CO2 emissions of your car; ie the "polluter pays" idea.

Evaluate the effectiveness of such a scheme to reduce CO2 emissions

http://environment.guardian.co.uk/travel/story/0,,1930729,00.html

Unit 3: UK unemployment

This article updates the UK Unemployment position and explains why the rising unemployment figures may indicate that the UK economy is doing well! Perverse I know, but read the article

http://www.deloitte.com/dtt/article/0,1002,sid=5399&cid=82694,00.html

Unit 2: Inequality of income

A good article from the Guardian about inequality of pay in the UK and how the National Minimum Wage appears to have done little to close the gap.

http://business.guardian.co.uk/story/0,,1923184,00.html

Unit 3: Aggregate Demand

A post from Geoff Riley's blog showing the relative importance of the components of Aggregate Demand and how they have changed over time

http://www.tutor2u.net/newsmanager/templates/?a=1794&z=1

Unit 2: Market dominance

An article from the Guardian showing how pervasive the influence of Tesco is across the country

http://business.guardian.co.uk/story/0,,1892281,00.html

Unit1 Barriers to entry

A few stories showing how a brand name can act as a barrier to entry,

Don't think this only happens overseas; if you try opeing a tore with "r us" after it (eg shoes r us) you will be proecuted by toys r us!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/6043832.stm

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/4574400.stm

Unit 1: The price of Cocoa

From the article below, draw a diagram to show (and explain) the effect on the world price of cocoa. How big will the effect be? What will the effect be on other products, and why?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/6047064.stm

Unit 1: Demand

What effect would the following "scare story" have on demand for cereal from Sainsburys?

Who might benefit from this scare?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/6046240.stm

Unit 1: S&D and pay rates

Read this article from Geoff Riley and then ask yourself "What will happen to the pay of insolvency practioners?"

Will it go up? If so, by how much? What will determine the size of the pay rise?

http://www.tutor2u.net/newsmanager/templates/?a=1755&z=1

Unit 1: Market structure

The market for Intrnet service providers is changing. This article is just one example of the market concentrating into fewer hands

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/6039740.stm

Having read the article, look at the features of different market strucures. Which structure do you think best describes this market and why?

Unit 2: Market dominance

THis article suggests that airlines may have acted together to raise prices to consumers.

Why is this an example of market failure? What can the government do to rectify this state of affairs

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/6032213.stm

Unit 1: The price of vanilla

Read this BBC article and then
a) Identify the demand side and supply side factors that have changed in the market for vanilla
b) Draw a S&D diagram to illustrate the change

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/5409708.stm

Unit 3: International Trade

The EU has decided to extend tariffs on shoe imports; Read the 3 brief articles and then explain why. What will be the effect on the EU shoe market? Do you think this is a fair decision to take? Should the eastern countries effected retaliate?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/5408628.stm

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/5405898.stm

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/5412338.stm

Unit 1: Demand

A great article from the guardian which explains why there has been a demise in the market for ringtones

1. Read the article and identify the factors
2. Which of the "factors effecting demand" are these?
3. Show the effect of these changes on a demand diagram

http://arts.guardian.co.uk/news/story/0,,1887960,00.html

Unit 2: Market dominance: Tesco

Below are a series of articles relating to Tesco's half year results. Look at the arguments against allowing the free market to decide how dominant firms should become. What are you views, are Tesco now too dominant? If so, how could they be controlled?

http://business.guardian.co.uk/story/0,,1886884,00.html

http://business.guardian.co.uk/story/0,,1886898,00.html

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2006/10/04/ntesco04.xml

http://business.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,9074-2385940.html

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,630-2387996.html

Unit 2: Negative externalities

In this article BAA the airport operator argues against a flying tax to combat the negative externalities and have alternative proposals. Consider each. Which do you favour, AND WHY?

http://politics.guardian.co.uk/economics/story/0,,1886329,00.html

Unit 3: Interest rates and Inflation

This article from The Times explains how interest rates are used to control inflation

http://business.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,16849-2384120,00.html

Unit 1: Supply and Demand; Oil Prices

Read the article and then draw a supply and demand diagam to show the price change described

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/5398826.stm

Unit 2: Reducing Negative Externalities

An interesting article proposing a way to reduce negative externalities associated with air travel. There is though a flaw in the scheme. What is it?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/5400416.stm