ECON10003 Lecture Notes - Lecture 17: Real Interest Rate, Marginal Revenue, Diminishing Returns

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MACROECONOMICS WEEK 9
A Production Function Approach to Economic Growth
Relationship between inputs and outputs. Primary inputs/factors of production are labour and capital (used to produce
output of goods and services). Secondary inputs include state of technology, quality of labour force in terms of human
capital, managerial expertise and available infrastructure etc.
Where A = secondary factors.
Capital: real rate of interest reflects the cost of capital, measuring the additional amount the firm will need to repay if
it borrows to finance investment expenditure. However, it might be better to consider the cost of capital as determined
by the real interest rate as well as the rate of depreciation(d) and the purchase price .
If firms finance investment expenditure using retained earnings, real interest rate is the interest foregone from
investing in new capital instead of purchasing interest-bearing securities. Revenue from new capital will depend on
marginal (physical) product of labour and revenue from each extra unit.
When perfectly competitive, MR=P. Comparison of MRP and real interest rate gives optimal stock of capital. This
optimal value will change if MPP of capital, price or real interest rate changes. Investment expenditure will then occur
to adjust the actual capital stock to the optimal level.
Labour: cost of labour is wage rate (W). Labour is hired to the point where Marginal revenue product of labour ( =
W; or where Marginal physical product of labour ( = real wage (W/P). Given diminishing marginal product demand
curve slopes downwards.
The short-run production function: Where at least one factor cannot be increased. Diminishing slope reflects
diminishing marginal product of labour.
The long-run production function: When all factors are variable. Constant returns to scale apply when secondary
factors of production are held constant while capital and labour are changing.
Cobb-Douglas Production Function:
Incorporates diminishing marginal product of both labour (L) and capital (K)- both primary factors of production. For
Capital:
For labour:
If diminishing marginal product exists, as each factor
increases the sign will be negative. For capital:
For Labour:
Implies a particular behaviour for the distribution of factor incomes that is thought by many economists to accord with
reality.
Growth Accounting: Cobb-Douglas production function provides a framework for determining the relative
importance of: 1. Increasing the primary factors of production and 2. Increasing the secondary factors of production
in countries which have been successful in experiencing high rates of economic growth. Understanding the sources of
growth is important because it helps to inform us about which policies might be used to promote growth. If capital
experiences diminishing returns, capital accumulation cannot sustain economic growth.
Economic growth policy choices: Policies leading to more of the primary factors: Foreign aid and Low cost loans
Policies which improve the efficiency with which primary factors are used (TFP Total Factor Productivity): Education
and Microeconomic reform (considering “freeing up” markets).
Growth Accounting:
For Capital:
For Labour:
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Document Summary

Primary inputs/factors of production are labour and capital (used to produce output of goods and services). Secondary inputs include state of technology, quality of labour force in terms of human capital, managerial expertise and available infrastructure etc. Capital: real rate of interest reflects the cost of capital, measuring the additional amount the firm will need to repay if it borrows to finance investment expenditure. However, it might be better to consider the cost of capital as determined by the real interest rate as well as the rate of depreciation(d) and the purchase price . If firms finance investment expenditure using retained earnings, real interest rate is the interest foregone from investing in new capital instead of purchasing interest-bearing securities. Revenue from new capital will depend on marginal (physical) product of labour and revenue from each extra unit. Comparison of mrp and real interest rate gives optimal stock of capital.

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