Chapter 9Chapter 9

Growth

McGraw-Hill/Irwin Copyright © 2012 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

Learning ObjectivesLearning Objectives

• Explain the benefits of economic growth.• Calculate the economic growth rate.• Discuss the short-term and long-term

change in livings standards and calculate real GDP per capita.

• List the forces driving economic growth.• Explain the role of government in economic

growth.• Discuss the history of U.S. productivity

growth.

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The Significance of GrowthThe Significance of Growth

• Growth in an economy simply means that it produces more goods and services than before.

• Economic growth is important because it results in a higher standard of living; thus, people are better off.

• A second benefit of growth is that it gives us more choices, as the economy is able to produce more goods and services.

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Production Possibility FrontierProduction Possibility Frontier

• The production possibility frontier (PPF) is defined as all the combinations of different goods and services that the economy is capable of producing at a particular time.

• A PPF graph for two outputs, healthcare and entertainment, is shown on the next slide.

• Economic growth allows the PPF to shift outward, meaning that the economy can now produce more healthcare, more entertainment, or both.

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Production Possibility FrontierProduction Possibility Frontier

9-5

Growth versus the Growth versus the Zero-Sum EconomyZero-Sum Economy

• A zero-sum economy is one of no growth.– In this case, to increase the production of one

good, we must cut the production of something else.

– With no growth, the economy operates on the same production possibility frontier.

• A growing economy is a non-zero-sum.– In this case, the production possibility frontier is

shifting outward. It is possible to get more of both goods.

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Growth and the PPFGrowth and the PPF

Healthcare (more )

Ent

erta

inm

ent (

mor

e

)

Production possibility frontier today

Production possibility frontier next year

x

x

A

B

grow

th

9-7

Growth versus the Growth versus the Zero-Sum EconomyZero-Sum Economy

• The growth versus zero-sum argument can be applied to the distribution of income.

• With no growth, the only way to make low-income households better off is to take money away from middle-income or high-income households.

• In a growing economy, it is possible for everyone to see their incomes rise.

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Measuring GrowthMeasuring Growth

• GDP is a good indicator of growth in the economy.

• But we must distinguish between nominal and real GDP.

• Nominal GDP measures the output of an economy in dollars, not accounting for inflation.

• Growth of nominal GDP includes both economic growth and the effect of inflation.

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Real GDPReal GDP

• The Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) adjusts GDP for inflation using its estimate of the average price level in the economy.

• The resulting number is called real GDP.

• Thus, economic growth, or real GDP growth, is equal to the growth in nominal GDP adjusted for inflation.

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Calculating the Growth RateCalculating the Growth Rate

• Real GDP in 2003 was $11,841 billion, measured in 2005 dollars.

• Real GDP in 2004 was $12,264 billion, measured in 2005 dollars.

• The growth rate from 2003 to 2004 was 3.6%.

• (12,264/11,841) – 1 = 0.036 = 3.6%

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Economic Growth, 1950-2010Economic Growth, 1950-2010

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Increase in Living StandardsIncrease in Living Standards

• To determine how fast the standard of living is improving, we look at the change in GDP per capita.

• Real GDP per capita is real GDP divided by the number of people in the country.– In other words, real GDP per capita is the

amount of economic output each person would get if we split up the entire economy evenly and gave everyone a piece.

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Calculating Real GDP Calculating Real GDP per Capitaper Capita

Real GDP

(Billions of 2005 dollars)

Population

(Millions of People)

Real GDP

per Capita

(2005 Dollars)2005 12,638 296.2 42,688

2006 12,976 299.1 43,384

Percentage Change

from 2005 to 2006

2.7% 1.0% 1.7%

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Short-Term versus Short-Term versus Long-Term GrowthLong-Term Growth

• Short-term growth is growth on a year-to-year basis.

• Long-term growth looks at growth over longer periods.

• The chart on the next slide shows long-term growth in GDP per capita for the U.S.

• This shows a steady climb in U.S. living standards.

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Real GDP per CapitaReal GDP per Capita

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What Drives GrowthWhat Drives Growth

• Economic growth depends on the growth in inputs.

• The aggregate production function tells us what the output, or GDP, of the economy is, given the following inputs:– Number of workers, education and skill of

workers, equipment and structures, raw materials, and land and knowledge.

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The Forces Driving GrowthThe Forces Driving Growth

Aggregate production function

Real GDP growth

Increase in number of workers

Increase in knowledge

Increase in raw materials

(from land)

Increase in education and skill

level (human capital)

Increase in equipment and

structures (physical capital)

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Number of Workers and Number of Workers and Human CapitalHuman Capital

• As the labor force increases, output should rise as well.

• The labor force is defined as the number of people working or available for work.

• Besides the number of workers, their education and skill levels are critical for growth.– Human capital is the skill level of the workforce.– In general, better trained and more educated

workers will produce more.

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College Education and College Education and the Youngthe Young

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Investment in Physical CapitalInvestment in Physical Capital

• A firm’s purchase of equipment and buildings for production (physical capital) is essential for growth.

• Production of any good requires physical capital.

• Giving workers more and better equipment will enable them to produce more.

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Increase in Raw MaterialsIncrease in Raw Materials

• Raw materials are an essential input for growth.

• Raw materials include everything from oil to bauxite to water.

• Economies consume more raw materials as they grow.

• Greater use of raw materials has potentially negative environmental consequences.

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Increase in KnowledgeIncrease in Knowledge

• Increases in knowledge are probably the main source of growth in developed countries such as the U.S.

• Better knowledge leads to new products and new methods of production.

• We can produce more goods and services with the same amount of resources.

• Increases in knowledge include improvements in science and technology.

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Government and GrowthGovernment and Growth

• The government plays a key role by setting the laws and rules under which businesses operate.

• Some laws and rules encourage growth by making markets work better.

• Other laws and rules may reduce growth.

• The extent of government intervention in the economy is subject to intense political debate.

• Example: Chinese government’s policies shifting long-term growth rate.

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ProductivityProductivity

• The productivity of an economy is real GDP for a given year divided by the total number of hours worked in that year by all workers.

• Higher productivity means that the economy can produce more output with the same number of workers.

• The growth rate of productivity is the percentage increase in productivity over a year. High productivity growth means that workers can produce more goods and services and the company can pay higher wages.

9-25

History of U.S. Productivity History of U.S. Productivity GrowthGrowth

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