Economics Today and Tomorrow, Student Edition
Economics Today and Tomorrow, Student Edition
1st Edition
ISBN: 9780078747663
Author: McGraw-Hill
Publisher: Glencoe/McGraw-Hill School Pub Co
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Chapter 13, Problem 1AA
To determine

To explain: The way in which economists measure the economy of the United States.

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Explanation of Solution

Economists measure the performance of the economy by using national income accounting. This method helps evaluate the overall output and measures the overall performance of an economy dealing with the total output and income. National income accounting helps policymakers as it gives an idea of economic and social patterns. There are some major statistics that are used to measure the economy which are gross domestic product, net domestic product, personal income, and disposable personal income. The value of gross domestic product tells the amount of goods and services that are available within the borders of a country. The importance of GDP is that it gives information about the size of the economy and the performance of the economy. Net domestic product is another measure of economic performance. Net domestic product accounts for the total value of goods and services considering depreciation in an economy because some production can be lost due to depreciation. The importance of NDP is that it gives a fairer measure of the economy as it accounts for depreciation too.

When the GDP is measured, inflation needs to be considered by economists. An increase in the general price level of products and services for a long period of time in an economy is termed inflation. In the situation of inflation, people spend more money considering it less valuable in the future and hence it increases GDP in a shorter time period. When the effect of inflation is eliminated from the value of GDP, it is real GDP. This effect is eliminated by using the GDP price deflator. The real GDP provides a more accurate value of products and services in an economy. GDP price deflator is a price index that eliminates the effect of inflation from GDP for a better comparison of GDP of one year from another year is termed as GDP price deflator. This is used by government economists to determine the value of inflation in an economy.

The economists also measure inflation for better determining the value of GDP and NDP, for this they use measures like Consumer Price Index (CPI) and Producer Price Index (PPI). The measure of the change in the prices that are spent by an average household in buying the required products and services is termed as the consumer price index. CPI measures inflation and how the change in price level affects the customers. It helps in forming various policies like fiscal policy and price policy. The measure of the change in prices that are charged by the producers for their goods and services is the producer price index. This is also used to measure inflation. This index increases usually before the consumer price index.

The demand and supply law is applied to the economy and also to the individual decisions of consumers. Economists have to check the demand for goods and services according to the demand of all consumers and the supply by all producers of goods and services. This is measured by aggregate demand and aggregate supply. The aggregate demand is the total of all planned expenditures that are made in an economy. As the prices of products vary from one another, this cannot be related to individual prices rather it is related to the price level. This helps determine how much the people, businesses, and government are planning to spend. The aggregate supply is the total output that can be made by the producers on the basis of rise and fall of the price level. This helps determine the quantity that an economy is planning for selling in a specific time period.

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