Would It Be Economically Beneficial to Britain to Introduce An Obesity Tax?
Would It Be Economically Beneficial to Britain to Introduce An Obesity Tax? Although obesity is a worldwide phenomenon in the 21st century, its impact varies between countries. Across the Channel in France less than one person in ten is obese, while in Japan it's less than one in twenty (see Figure 1 below). In England, at present 1 in 4 of all Britons have been declared medically obese - with obesity rates for both men and women surging in recent years (see Figure 2 below). It has recently been predicted by several tabloid newspapers and the BBC that - "Britain is an Obesity Time bomb"- 30th August 2009 (Sunday Express) with "Half of Britons Obese by 2050"-17th October 2007 (Daily Mail). However in this piece of coursework I intend to look at what has caused the rise in obesity over the last 50 years and whether an 'Obesity Tax' is a viable option. Ali Muriel - Taxing the Fat - 2005 - www.ifs.org.uk The Cause So why are the obesity rates in the UK rising at such an alarming rate? Many factors have been blamed such as the press, fast food outlets, TV's and a lack of exercise. However the implication seems to be that either people are getting hungrier (eating more) or they're getting lazier (exercising less). It is true that if you do less exercise and eat more calories then you will put on weight, therefore since more people are putting on weight it must mean that they
Explain the main features of the behaviour of firms which operate in an oligopolistic market (10)
Explain the main features of the behaviour of firms which operate in an oligopolistic market (10) An oligopolistic market is one which has several main firms that dominate the market and the labour supply is concentrated around them. All firms are interdependent and the actions of one firm will directly affect another, all products are differentiated but there are close substitutes to them. Within the market there are high barriers to entry and exit and collusion may occur. A firms behaviour in an oligoplistic market is much dependant on that of the other firms. As there is no competition on price they must compete on other aspects of the marketing mix such as place and promotions, this means that firms will have to invest into Research and Development in order to improve their product and make it seem more attractive to consumers. In an oligoplistic market there are no diseconomies of scale due to the L shaped average cost curve as firms cannot compensate for them because of the kinked demand curve. Firms have to behave in this way as there is no room for price reductions as soon as one firm puts its prices down the other firms will lower their prices and this can lead to a price war. The kinked demand curve model assumes that a business might face a dual demand curve for its product based on the likely reactions of other firms in the market to a change in its price or
Econmoic Concepts behind the uk oil industry
.Explain the following economic concepts in the context of the UK oil industry: a) Economic Resources b) Specialisation c) Money and Exchange d) Markets A. There are four types of resources available for use in the production process. These are land, labour, capital and enterprise or entrepreneurship. These resources are called the factors of production. With land it doesn't only deal with the actual land itself but all the natural resources about and below the land and sea. Land is split up into two types of resources, these are renewable and non-renewable, which then filter down further into sustainable and non-sustainable resources. Renewable resources are resources which once used are able to be renewed. For example fish stocks and forests. These are then only sustainable if even with economic exploitation, like fishing and commercial logging, the number of fish and trees don't diminish or run out. If for example it was found out that under the forest there is a large amount of oil then the forest would be totally cleared to make way for people to dig and collect for the oil. In this case the forest would have ceased to be a sustainable resource. Non-renewable resources are non-renewable in the fact that once used, will never be replaced. Oil is an example of a non-renewable resources as once it has been used, say for fuel for your car, there is no way to again use
What happened to the income of taxi drivers, and fares paid by consumers in East and West Berlinafter unification, given that living standards are much higher in West than in East Berlin. Assume the market for taxi cabs is competitive.
Essay Title: Before the collapse of communism, Berlin was a divided city. After the Berlin wall came down, movement between East and West became possible. What happened to the income of taxi drivers, and fares paid by consumers in East and West Berlin after unification, given that living standards are much higher in West than in East Berlin. Assume the market for taxi cabs is competitive. Before the collapse of communism, Berlin was a divided city. After the Berlin wall came down, Germany got reunited and the fall of the Berlin Wall leads to the absorption of a command economy by a free-market one, In this essay, I will analyse how the competitive market for taxi cabs and the income of taxi drivers has changed, given that living standards are much higher in west Berlin than in East Berlin. Perfect competition is a market structure where firms have no power to affect the price of the product. The price they face is determined by the interaction of demand and supply in the whole market. That is what we call 'price mechanism'. There are a lot of transactions between buyers and sellers in the market, individuals pursuing their own self-interest and aim to maximize utility; companies provide goods and services by the aim to make profits, each seeking their own interest. Price mechanism coordinate these transactions and in such a way to make everyone better off. Market
Should the welfare state be desirable?
Is the Welfare State Desirable? (14 Marks) The welfare state refers to the technique which the UK government has set up whereby a benefits system has been put into place in order to accommodate those who are in need and financially unstable.. The main principle of this program is based on the taxation revenue where those with an adequate income are taxed a proportion of their income; this is sent to the government in order to facilitate to the needs of the country. The reason to why the welfare state would be desirable for the country can be illustrated through the following the reasons: the main reason and aim for the welfare state is so that the existence of poverty in the country will fall substantially, furthermore, another reason to why the welfare state would be desirable would be so that the inequality gap between the richest and poor of the country is reduced, thus meaning that the rich are not as rich and the poor are not as poor. Finally, another reason that would show that the welfare is indeed desirable is that with the presence of a welfare state, the overall health of the population in the country is increased; through the funding of the NHS, a free organization in which all people of the nation can benefit. However, it can also be seen that the welfare state is in fact not desirable, the reasons that some may have this attitude is due to: as a result of the
The impact of economies and diseconomies of scale Tesco face
The impact of economies and diseconomies of scale Tesco face As businesses grow and their output increases, they commonly benefit from a reduction in average costs of production. Total costs will increase with increases in output, but the cost of producing each unit falls as output increases. This reduction in average costs is what gives larger firms a competitive advantage over smaller firms. This fall in average costs as output increases is known as Economies of Scale. Tesco benefit from economies of scale because they are constantly opening new stores around the country, such as their new store in Stockport. Therefore, they are always increasing their output, and so benefit from lower average costs. That is why Tesco seem to have the monopoly is supermarkets, as they have an advantage over smaller supermarkets such as Morissons, who do not buy as much quantity. In the short run, Tesco benefit from economies of scale by selling in bulk. They do this using special offers, such as 'If you spend £50, you get 5p per litre off your fuel' and also 'Buy one get one free'. These offers encourage us, the consumers, to buy in bulk. This means Tesco are benefiting from economies of scale as they are selling more quantity of their products, and are then able to buy more, and hence reduce their average costs. Tesco also benefit from economies of scale in the long run, because as
Economic growth is a necessary but not sufficient condition of economic development.'
'Economic growth is a necessary but not sufficient condition of economic development.' There is no single definition that encompasses all the aspects of economic development. The most comprehensive definition perhaps of economic development is the one given by Todaro: 'Development is not purely an economic phenomenon but rather a multi - dimensional process involving reorganization and re orientation of the entire economic and social system. Development is a process of improving the quality of all human lives with three equally important aspects. These are: . Raising peoples' living levels, i.e. incomes and consumption, levels of food, medical services, education through relevant growth processes. 2. Creating conditions conducive to the growth of peoples' self esteem through the establishment of social, political and economic systems and institutions which promote human dignity and respect. 3. Increasing peoples' freedom to choose by enlarging the range of their choice variables.' Economic growth may be defined as an increase in a country's ability to produce goods and services. Economic growth merely refers to an increase in the real Gross Domestic Product, or GDP per capita over a period of time. It is natural to be misled by the idea that economic growth is the key to economic development and perhaps a condition of development itself, but development is more than
Devaluation By Rughoobar Chidanand
Devaluation I. Introduction Devaluation, in economics, official act reducing the exchange rate at which one currency is exchanged for another in international currency markets. A government may choose to devalue its currency when a chronic imbalance exists in its balance of trade or overall balance of payments, which weakens the international acceptance of the currency as legal tender. The lowering of a currency value by devaluation occurs when a country has been maintaining a fixed exchange rate relative to other major foreign currencies. When a flexible exchange rate is maintained-that is, currency values are not fixed but are set by market forces-a decline in a currency's value is known as a depreciation. II. Causes The free-market value of a national currency is determined by the interaction of supply and demand. If the quantity of the currency demanded is greater than the quantity supplied, a nation will experience a balance of payments surplus. A balance of payments deficit exists when the quantity of currency supplied is greater than that in demand. The demand for a nation's currency depends on the amount of its exports, domestic investments, and assets held in domestic currency. A nation's currency supply on world markets depends partly on the amount of imports, investments abroad, and assets held in foreign countries. Ultimately, the supply of a currency
Demand and Supply for housing
Demand and Supply for housing The determination of prices in local and regional housing markets is a classic example of microeconomics in action! We are seeing the interaction between buyer and seller with prices being offered and agreed before a final transaction is made. In this section we focus on the demand and supply side factors that determine the value of properties in a market. Each housing transaction in the UK depends on (a) The price that the seller is willing to agree for their property with the prospective buyer (b) The actual price that the buyer is willing and able to pay. Buyers place offers for a property that the seller can either accept or reject A Sellers Market When the market demand for properties in a particular area is high and when there is a shortage of good quality properties (i.e. supply is scarce) then the balance of power in the market shifts towards the seller. This is because there is likely to be excess demand in the market for good properties. Sellers can wait for offers on their property to reach (or exceed) their minimum selling price. A Buyers Market Conversely when demand both for new and older housing is weak and when there is a glut of properties available on the market, then the power switches to potential buyers. They have a much wider choice of housing available and they should be able to negotiate a price that is
State the assumptions of perfect competition. How does a perfectly competitive industry work in the short run and the long run? What makes perfect competition efficient?
State the assumptions of perfect competition. How does a perfectly competitive industry work in the short run and the long run? What makes perfect competition efficient? Assumptions behind a Perfectly Competitive Market In a perfectly competitive market it is assumes that there is a large number of small firms that all produce a homogeneous product. Firms in this market are all price-takers, where they use the selling price that it set by the price equilibrium. A perfectly competitive market also has no barriers to entry or exit; there is also perfect knowledge within the market. A perfectly competitive market must contain four characteristics in order to be perfectly competitive. These four are better described as: * There must be many buyers and sellers in the market however none of these should be able to influence the price. A perfectly competitive market usually has a small number of firms that supply to a small number of buyers. The buyers and sellers in this market are also price takers set by the price equilibrium. * All firms in a perfect market should have an identical output, where all the firms produce a homogeneous product (where one good is as good as another) and these goods should be perfect substitutes for one another, in order for the consumers to view the products as identical as each other. * A perfect competition is assumed to have no barriers to the