ECON10003 Lecture Notes - Lecture 18: Capital Accumulation, Production Function, Marginal Product

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amaranthbadger280

19 Jun 2018

School

University of Melbourne

Department

Economics

Course

ECON10003

Professor

Graham Richards

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MACROECONOMICS LECTURE 18

The Solow-Swan Model of Economic Growth

Savings is a necessary pre-condition for growth as without savings there cannot be investment. If there are no savings

then all good produced would be consumer goods and there would be no resources to produce capital goods.

Investment is the category of expenditure which adds to the capital stock, with capital accumulation having a role in

the growth process.

Capital accumulation will have a significant impact on output, particularly for less developed economies with a low

capital stock. Given diminishing marginal product of capital, less developed economies are likely to experience a

significant increase in output from capital accumulation due to their low capital endowment.

The key outcome/prediction of this model of economic growth, is that there will be a positive relationship between a

country’s investment expenditure (and necessarily its savings behaviour), and its long run real GDP per head.

The model is generally considered in terms of the relationship between output per head (Y/L) and capital per head

(K/L).

Or, when both sides are divided by L, we can take the assumption of constant returns to scale in the production- an

increase in all factors by the same percentage will increase output by the same percentage (here  = 1/L). so:

Where and the production function can now be . (Characterised by diminishing marginal productivity).

In this form, the production function says that the determinants of output per head (y) are the total factor productivity

(A) and the quantity of capital per worker (K/L = k).

Take the assumption that the labour force is a fixed fraction of the population and is fully employed, therefore any

comment about the growth rate of output/income per worker will also be true of the growth rate of output/income per

head of population.

Limit to growth: savings only allows for sufficient investment to replace the capital that has depreciated and equip a

growing labour force with the same quantity of capital, rather than to increase the capital labour ratio.

Replacement investment: (ri) investment expenditure necessary to make good or replace the buildings or equipment

worn out during the process of production. Includes what is necessary to equip the growing labour force with the same

quantity of capital as the existing labour force to maintain the capital-labour ratio.

Net investment: (ni) the expenditure in excess of replacement investment that increases the capital labour ratio.

d = depreciation of existing capital stock and n = rate at which labour force increases.

Total investment: where is the savings rate.

Total investment per capita = i – this says investment per capita will be a proportion of per capita income determined

by savings rate.

The capital labour ratio in the economy (k), will only

grow if total investment (equalling savings) is greater

than replacement investment. Output per head will

only increase if total per capita savings in the economy

is greater than the per capita investment expenditure

necessary to replace depreciated capital and to provide

new capital for the growing labour force. When there

is no change in capital labour, the economy has

reached a steady state, there is zero growth in output

per head as there is zero growth in the capital labour

ratio.

Production function and savings function:

The production Function and the Savings Function

and Replacement Investment:

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Document Summary

Savings is a necessary pre-condition for growth as without savings there cannot be investment. If there are no savings then all good produced would be consumer goods and there would be no resources to produce capital goods. Investment is the category of expenditure which adds to the capital stock, with capital accumulation having a role in the growth process. Capital accumulation will have a significant impact on output, particularly for less developed economies with a low capital stock. Given diminishing marginal product of capital, less developed economies are likely to experience a significant increase in output from capital accumulation due to their low capital endowment. The key outcome/prediction of this model of economic growth, is that there will be a positive relationship between a country"s investment expenditure (and necessarily its savings behaviour), and its long run real gdp per head. The model is generally considered in terms of the relationship between output per head (y/l) and capital per head (k/l).

Related Questions

1. What does the term s*Y represent in the capital-accumulation equation of Solow growth model?

a) The labor-income share of GDP.

b) Net investment.

c) Gross investment.

d) The net change in the capital stock from one year to the other.

2. In the Solow growth model, suppose that the savings rate is 25%, the depreciation rate is 10%, the current capital stock is 10 trillion $ and current output of a country is 4 trillion $. What will the capital stock of this country be in the following period?

a) 10 trillion $.

b) 11 trillion $.

c) We cannot tell since we are not given information about technological progress.

d) We cannot tell since population growth is not known.

3. Consider a country which starts with a capital stock below its steady-state level in the Solow model (without technological change). Why is growth slowing down over time for this country?

a) Population growth is becoming stronger over time since the population is growing, which makes it harder to accumulate high levels of capital per capita.

b) A country cannot maintain the same savings rate forever, so investment must decrease at some point.

c) The more capital there is, the more of it depreciates. As the country becomes richer, it becomes ever harder to replace depreciated capital.

d) There are diminishing returns to the factor capital. Thus investment, capital and GDP per capita grow by ever smaller amounts as the country becomes richer.

4. Suppose Pakistan has a higher savings rate than Iran. Both start out with the same capital per worker. All other parameters are the same for both countries (population growth and depreciation rate). The Solow growth model (without technological change) predicts that...

blackweasel275

1. According to economists today, economic growth depends on:

1) resources.

2) technology.

3) institutions.

4) resources and technology.

5) resources, technology, and institutions.

2. Which of the following is FALSE?

1) Real-world observations shape economic theory.

2) Economic theory shapes policy decisions.

3) Policies affect real-world events.

4) Economic theory has no impact on real-world events.

5) None of these statements is false.

3. After the Great Depression, the main focus of macroeconomics was:

1) growth theory.

2) the study of business cycles.

3) the study of stock markets.

4) the study of why businesses fail.

4. The Solow Growth Model serves as a foundation of:

1) macroeconomic theory.

2) microeconomic theory.

3) growth theory.

4) all economic theory.

5. According to the Solow Growth Model, which of the following is/are the primary source(s) of economic growth?

A - Natural resources

B - Human capital

C - Physical capital

D - A and B

E - A and C

F- B and C

G- A, B, and C

6. According to the Solow Growth Model, the marginal product of capital is:

1) zero and increases as the quantity of capital increases

2) zero and decreases as the quantity of capital increases.

3) negative and increases as the quantity of capital increases.

4) negative and decreases as the quantity of capital increases.

5) positive and increases as the quantity of capital increases.

6) positive and decreases as the quantity of capital increases.

7. If building new capital is costless and the capital depreciation rate is zero, then an economy will reach a steady state in which the marginal product of capital is:

1) equal to zero.

2) greater than zero.

3) less than zero.

8. Which of the following is true for an economy before it reaches the steady-state?

1) Investment and net investment are both positive.

2) Investment is positive but net investment is zero.

3) Investment is zero but net investment is positive.

4) Investment and net investment are both zero.

9. The idea of convergence suggests that when underdeveloped nations begin to develop, they typically have _____________ growth rates as they catch up to the developed nations.

1) higher

2) lower

3) similar

4) very low

10. Which of the following is true after allowing for sustained technological advance in the Solow Growth Model?

I. The steady-state situation is avoidable.

II. The marginal product of each unit of capital will increase.

III. A diminishing marginal product is avoidable.

Only I only II

Only III

I and II

I and III

II and III

I, II, and III

11. What is the primary difference between the basic Solow model and the second Solow model?

1) The models are theoretically similar. The second Solow model is only more mathematically complex than the basic model.

2) The second Solow model allows for technological change, while the basic model doesn't.

3) The basic Solow model features diminishing returns, in contrast to the second model.

4) The marginal product eventually becomes zero in the basic model, while such a situation is avoidable in the second Solow model.

12. All of the following can result in economic growth except:

1) improved schools and colleges.

2) a boost in population growth.

3) a favorable climate.

4) an improved health care system.

13. Which of the following will result in a movement along with the aggregate production function?

I. a technological advancement

II. training of the workforce

III. an increase in the country's capital stock

I and II

I and III

II and III

I, II, and III

14. Which of the following is NOT true about technological change in the Solow model?

1) Technological change is random.

2) Technological change occurs exogenously.

3) Technological change is driven by the incentives of the innovators.

4) Technological change is not due to any inherent characteristics of the economy.

15. What is the key difference between the new growth theory and the growth theory as envisioned by Solow?

1) There is no difference; technological change is endogenous in both these theories.

2) There is no difference; technological change is exogenous in both these theories.

3) Technological change is endogenous in the new growth theory and exogenous in the Solow theory.

4) Technological change is exogenous in the new growth theory and endogenous in the Solow theory.

16. Which of the following was proposed by the new growth theory?

I. Capital resources cannot grow indefinitely.

II. Technological change is caused by factors inside the economy.

III. Technological changes are entirely unpredictable events.

IV. Institutions matter.

I and II

I and IV

II and IV

III and IV

I, II, III, and IV

17. All of the following except _____________ are barriers to natural growth.

1) corruption

2) political instability

3) high tax rates

4) free markets

5) All of these are barriers to natural growth.

18. Which of the following is supported by the modern growth theory?

A - Population growth is an obstacle to economic growth.

B - Competition encourages the discovery of new goods and services, which leads to economic growth.

C - A country can grow faster if it disengages itself from international trade with foreign nations.

D - Taxes should be abolished, as they hurt incentives necessary for economic growth.

All of these. A and B

A, B, and D

19. According to the new growth theory, the low living standards in many developing countries can be explained by a lack of:

A - natural resources.

B - free markets.

C - sound institutions.

D - strong military resources.

all of these.

B and C.

A and D.

erinbuffalo510

Please help wtih these economics questions. I'll give the best answer to the person who justifies their answer.. or someone who does well in economics and knows the subject area well.

Which of the following statements is not true about Say's Law?

A. People produce more goods than they want for their own use only if they seek to trade them for other goods.

B. Markets would be regularly hit by severe shortages and surpluses.

C. Desired expenditures will equal actual expenditures.

D. Surpluses will be eliminated by falling prices and shortages will be eliminated by increasing prices.

Which of the following is not an assumption of the classical model?

A. Buyers and sellers react to changes in relative prices.

B. Households want to maximize economic well being.

C. Wages and prices will move freely in the upward direction but not the downward direction.

D. No single buyer or seller of a commodity can affect its price.

Money illusion is

A. when people think they are better off when their income increases even though prices have increased by the same amount.

B. when people are motivated by self-interest.

C. could not exist if the economy did not have competitive markets.

D. a basic condition that all classical economists assume people have.

Saving is not a problem in the classical model because

A. interest rates were flexible and savings were channeled into investment.

B. savers and investors were the same people.

C. the classical economists assumed that saving was beneficial to people for retirement.

D. saving would be spent by consumers eventually.

Which of the following statements is true?

A. There is an inverse relationship between investment and the interest rate.

B. There is no relationship between investment and the interest rate.

C. There is a direct relationship between investment and the interest rate.

D. Investment is always less than savings.

In the classical model, high unemployment due to either a demand or a supply shock

A. will return to its normal level quickly as wages adjust.

B. will persist if due to a supply shock but not if due to a demand shock.

C. can persist for an indefinite period of time.

D. never exists because unemployment can never deviate from its normal level.

The classical model makes little distinction between the long-run and short-run because

A. the model has not been fully developed yet.

B. prices adjust so fast that the economy is quickly moving towards the long-run.

C. the classical economists knew that we are always operating in the short run.

D. current changes influence the long run, so it is not possible to plan for the future.

In the classical model

A. the level of real GDP per year does not depend on the level of aggregate demand.

B. the level of GDP is demand determined.

C. the level of GDP determines prices independent of demand.

D. changes in aggregate supply affect the price level, not real GDP.

Which of the following is a true statement?

A. Classical economists believed output adjusted more than prices when aggregate demand fell while Keynes believed prices adjusted more than output.

B. Classical economists believed price adjusted more than output when aggregate demand fell while Keynes believed output adjusted more than prices.

C. A decrease in aggregate demand has no short-run effects according to the classical economists, but had significant effects according to Keynes.

D. A decrease in aggregate demand was not possible according to the classical economists, but was possible according to Keynes.

Which of the following is not a reason why GDP can be expanded beyond a level consistent with its long-run growth path in modern Keynesian analysis?

A. Prices and wages are flexible allowing for needed adjustments.

B. In the short-run existing workers can work more hours.

C. The existing capital stock can be used more intensively.

D. Higher prices induce firms to hire more workers.

A recessionary gap can be caused by

A. a decrease in aggregate supply holding aggregate demand constant.

B. an increase in aggregate demand holding aggregate supply constant.

C. an increase in the long run aggregate supply curve holding the aggregate demand constant.

D. a decrease in both aggregate demand and aggregate supply.

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ECON10003 Lecture Notes - Lecture 18: Capital Accumulation, Production Function, Marginal Product

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