Category
Topic updates
Barriers to Trade - Applied Examples and a Retrieval Activity
We have been covering trade protectionism in class over recent days. As always there is a wealth of current applied examples to consider when analysing and evaluating.
Middle Income Trap - Five reasons why China's economy is in trouble
The latest Communist Party meeting is prompting a lot of navel gazing by Sinophiles who think that the economy is struggling to break free of the middle income trap.
Business Costs and Profits - Economies of Scale at Tesla
In this short we look at examples of economies of scale exploited by Tesla Motors. It is a business almost obsessed with reaping economies of scale and efficiency gains as their production grows.
UK Economy - What has been happening to labour migration?
Labour migration is a really important topic because changes in the net flow of people into and out of a country's labour market can have both demand and supply-side effects. Nearly two years since...
This video short looks at September 2022 data to see which of the major countries has the highest yields on 10-year government bonds.
Currency Gaps - Dollar shortage hobbles Egypt's economy
Many teachers cover currency gaps as part of their courses in development economics. Here is a terrific applied example to use. A shortage of dollars in Egypt, used for paying for some goods and...
Mortgage Rates Climbing - Impact on UK Economy
With the Bank of England raising monetary policy interest rates, the cost of taking out and servicing the interest on a home loan is also climbing higher. This will hit many home-owners hard in the...
Examining Trade Dependency - Applied Examples
We were discussing trade dependency in our Year 13 Economics class today and drew on real world data from countries such as Bangladesh, Zambia and Vietnam. I've linked to a short video of the key...
Supply Shocks - Cartels Terrorise Mexican Farmers
Supply-side shocks come in various forms: droughts, freezes and floods are the sorts of things that you'd associated with agricultural produce. But cartels? Either way, a fall in supply has...
Contestable Markets - Where now for UK grocers as Aldi overtakes Morrisons?
This Zoe Wood piece in the Guardian looks at how the cost of living crisis has changed the nature of grocery retail in the UK, with the rise of Aldi signalling the end of the 'big Four', with Aldi...
Development Economics - Digital Transformation in Guinea Bissau
This World Bank clip demonstrates how the digital economy can contribute to enhanced developmental prospects, in this case in Guinea-Bissau. Not only can in transform opportunities in education and...
Social Costs and the Circular Economy - Roof Waste in the USA
This Business Insider clip that promotes the circular economy and the potential to reuse waste. In this case, it's roof waste - notably shingles - that are being repurposed to become road surfaces...
Is this a time for central banks to be more cautious in raising interest rates?
Joseph Stiglitz has joined calls from some, notably David Blanchflower, for caution as regards central bank interest rate increases in the United States. Terrific stuff for Theme 2 and Theme 4 macro!
Development Economics - Yemeni coffee growers look to sell direct to improve returns
Last month saw an unusual coffee auction in London, with the National Yemen Coffee Auction selling coffee beans exclusively from the country and designed to showcase their quality.
Countries with the Highest Income Inequality
One question I often ask students to research is – which countries in the world have the highest income inequality?
UK Economy - Why low business investment matters
A recent chart in the Financial Times showed UK business investment staying low in real terms and lagging well behind the trend growth from 2009 through to 2016.
Building Climate Resilience in Bangladesh
This UN clip looks at how climate change represents a fundamental threat to Bangladesh's developmental prospects, and how investment in enhancing climate resilience has made the coastal zone safer...
OFGEM director calls for two-tier energy market to improve affordability
A former director of OFGEM, Christine Farnish argues here that the regulator "favoured suppliers over consumers", implying that there's been a degree of regulatory capture.
Productive and dynamic efficiency in evidence here in a video about Energy Superhub Oxford.
Energy Price Crisis - What Future for Nuclear Power in the UK?
What is the role for nuclear energy in moving electricity generation closer towards net zero?