QUESTION 1 [25 marks]
(a) Place each of the following transactions in one of the four components of expenditure:
consumption, investment, government purchases and next exports.
i. Boeing sells an airplane to the Air force.
ii, | Boeing sells an airplane to American Airlines
iii. | Boeing sells an airplane to Air Namibia
iv. Boeing sells an airplane to Mr Lazarus Indongo
v. Boeing builds an airplane to be sold next year
[5 Marks]
(b) Consider whether each of the following events is likely to increase or decrease real
GDP in each case do you think economic well-being most likely changes in the same
direction as real GDP. Why or why not?
i. The discovery of a new, easy-to-grow strain of wheat increases farm harvests.
ii. Increased hostility between labour unions and management sparks a rash of
strikes.
iii. Firms throughout the country experience falling demand causing them to lay
off workers.
iv. More high school students drop out of drop out of school to take jobs mowing
lawns.
v. | Fathers around the country reduce their workweeks to spend more time with
their children.
[15 Marks]
(c) Ina speech that Senator Robert Kennedy gave when he was running for president in
in the USA in 1968, he said the following about GDP:
“GDP does not allow for the health of our children, the quality of their education, or the joy
of their play. It does not include the beauty of our poetry or the strength of our marriages,
the intelligence of our public debate or the integrity of our public officials. It measures
neither our courage, nor our wisdom, nor our devotion to our country. It measures
everything, in short, except that which makes life worthwhile, and it can tell us everything
about America except why we are proud that we are Americans”.
Was Robert Kennedy right? If so, why do we care about GDP?
[5 Marks]