Concept of Macroeconomics
Concept of Macroeconomics
Concept:
The modern economic science has two major branches:
Microeconomics and Macroeconomics. Compared to
microeconomics
Macroeconomics is a younger branch of economics.
Until the great depression of 1930s the subject matter of
economic science was broadly limited to what is known
as microeconomics.
Macroeconomics emerged as a separate branch in 1936
with the publication of “John Maynard Keynes” revolutionary
book, “The General Theory of Employment, Interest and
Money generally referred as “The General Theory “
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In macroeconomics, we study “Ordinary business of life” in
the aggregate we look at the behavior of the economy as
a whole. The key variables we study include: - Total output
in the economy, the aggregate price level, employment
and unemployment, Interest rates, wages rates, and
Foreign exchange rates.
Macroeconomics deals the variables that how the
variables works over the time: the rate of growth of output,
the inflation rate, changing unemployment in periods of
expansion and recession and appreciation or depreciation in
Foreign Exchange Rate.
Macroeconomics is a policy oriented
According to K.E Boulding , “ Macroeconomics is the study of
the nature, relationship and behavior of aggregates of economic
quantities. Macroeconomics deals not with individual quantities but
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with aggregate of these quantities; not with individual income, but with
the national income; not with the individual prices, but with the price
levels; not with the individual output, but with the national output.
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Seasonal unemployment: (unemployment that occurs because
the demand for some workers varies widely over the course of the
year)
Structural unemployment: (occurs because some labor markets
have more workers than there are jobs available, and for some
reason wages don't decrease to bring the markets into
equilibrium)
Inflation:- This is a persistent increase in the average price
level in the economy. It is measured by the Inflation rate,
the annual percentage change in Price Index such as the
Consumer price Index (CPI) or GDP price deflator
Inflation occurs when average price level (that is Price in
general) increase over time
Some prices might increase a lot, others a little, and still
other prices decreases or remain unchanged. Inflation
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results when average of these prices follows an upward
trend.
Business Cycle:
A business cycle is commonly divided into four well-defined
and inter-related recurring phases
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Economic growth:- Growth is attended by increasing the
quantity or quality of the economy’s resources such as:
land, labor, capital, and entrepreneurship – through such
resources the things given are possible as:
Population growth
Investment
Exploration
Technological Innovation, and
Education etc.
Importance of macroeconomics:-
1. Helpful in formation of Economic Policies
2. Study of fluctuation in Economy
3. Helpful in comparison
4. Measurement of economic development
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5. Estimation of welfare
6. Study of Inflation and Deflation
7. Development of Microeconomics
8. Economic Fluctuation (Business Cycle)
9. Performance of economy
LIMITATIONS OF MACRO ECONOMICS
1. Excessive Thinking
(a) Six apples + Seven apples=Thirteen apples which
constitutes a meaningful aggregate.
(b) Six apples + Seven oranges=Thirteen fruits, which
constitutes a fairly meaningful aggregates.
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(c) Six apples + seven shoes constitute meaningless
aggregates
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5. Role of less aggregative analysis: Aggregates itself suffer
from certain serious problems due to statical techniques
Differences between
Microeconomics
and
Macroeconomics:
Meaning The word ‘micro’ is derived The word ‘macro’ is derived
from Greek Word ‘mikros’ from Greek word ‘makros’
which means small. which means large
Scope It has very narrow scope i.e It has very wide scope i.e
an individual, a firm or a aggregate macro variable of a
market etc country.
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Evolution Evolution of It evolved only after the
microeconomics took place publications of Keynes
earlier than book, “ general theory of
macroeconomics (1936) employment, interest and
money”
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Equilibrium It deals partial equilibrium i.e It deals general equilibrium of economics
individual, consumer, firm, demand, i.e whole consumer’s income. General
single price etc. price levels, total national income etc.
Problem & It does not analyze the present day It analyze the present day problems and
Solution problems and does not provide the provides the solutions of the problems
solutions of the problem into the into the economy i.e problem of
economy i.e inflation, Deflation, Inflation, deflation, Unemployment etc.
Unemployment etc. for example, it has tried to solve the
problem of great depression 1930,s.
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