Posted: April 14th, 2015

analyze, explain and solve economic problems

• Question 1 (20 marks)

The topic which may be relevant to the question are as below (with those highlighted likely to be the most important):

• Demand and supply
• Elasticity
• Efficiency and equity
• Government actions in markets
• Global markets in action
• Public choices and public goods
• Economics of the environment

The question addresses the following learning outcomes:

• be able to apply demand and supply analysis to make a range of market related decisions
• be able to critically examine and demonstrate why it might be necessary for government to intervene in the production of goods and services and in the distribution of income

Answer the following:

At the end of the 1970s, the respective prices of fish dinners and lamb dinners in Sydney’s fine dining restaurants were approximately the same. By 1983, following a period of drought, the price of a lamb dinner in fine-dining restaurants in Sydney was twenty percent higher than the price of a fish dinner at similar restaurants. Over the same period, the ‘health industry’ had been extolling the virtues of eating fish rather than red meat and increased fish consumption had resulted in a threat to the sustainability of fishing particular species especially important to the fine-dining restaurant trade. How should the government respond?

Question 2 (20 marks)

The topic which may be relevant to the question are as below (with those highlighted likely to be the most important):

• Consumer choices and constraints
• Producer choices and constraints

The question addresses the following learning outcome:

• be able to make decisions that incorporate the relevant benefits and cost analysis

Answer the following:

Newspaper companies appear to be under threat of becoming irrelevant as the sale of newspapers has plummeted over the last 20 years. If you were chairman of the board of a newspaper company, how would you respond? (Hint: Consider newspapers as one of many alternative sources of accessing news)

Rationale

In your working life you will be required to present arguments and explain your decisions. Economics gives you tools to do this. However, many of those with whom you work will have little, if any, understanding of the principles of economics and their application. To communicate with these people you will have to put your arguments succinctly into language that they understand. This does not mean that your argument is any less rigorous or sophisticated. Rather, it means that you are being asked to communicate important concepts and decisions in a manner that most people can understand

Marking criteria

Part 1

Summarize (Pass: 50% to 64% of marks for the question, depending upon quality of answer)

Provide in ‘everyday language’ and without reference to diagrams a summary of a correct answer to the question asked. This summary should include a succinct description of the point from where the analysis commences, the initial impact of the change in economic circumstances discussed in the question, identification of the problem(s)/issue(s) these changes create, the likely business/policy measure(s) taken in reaction to these changes, the short run and long run results of the measure(s) employed and a brief evaluation of the measures taken.

Part 2

Theorize (Credit: 65% to 74% of marks for the question, depending upon quality of answer)

Complete Part 1 and be able to recognise the correct economic theory and the associated diagram(s)/model(s) for the analysis. Be able to explain the basics of the theory and of the construction of the diagram(s)/model(s) and identify the appropriate equilibrium starting point in the context of the diagram(s)/model(s).

Part 3

Utilize (Distinction: 75% to 84% of marks for the question, depending upon quality of answer)

Complete Part 2 and utilize the diagram(s)/model(s) to correctly identify the initial change in the diagram(s)/model(s) that results from the change in economic circumstances discussed in the question.

Part 4

Analyze (High Distinction: 85% to 100% of marks for the question, depending on quality of answer)

Complete part 3 and using the diagram(s)/model(s) correctly identify the economic problem(s)/benefit(s)/issue(s) created by the change in economic circumstances and analyze if business/government should respond, what the response should be and, if a response is made, analyze the effectiveness of the response by reference to the diagram(s)/model(s) in the short-run and long-run.

Presentation

Answers should be typed and diagrams must be clear and neat and preferably drawn electronically. Hand-drawn diagrams are acceptable. The answer to the question should be divided into four parts (as indicated in the marking criteria above: Part 1: Summarize; Part 2: Theorize; Part 3: Utilize and Part 4: Analyze) and each part should be carefully labeled.