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60 second Adventure in Economics

Programme Run: 6 X 1 Minute
Production: Angel Eye Media
First Transmitted: 2012

Why would it be a bad thing if everyone started saving? Why do exchange rates keep on changing? With the Eurozone in crisis and high unemployment, economic uncertainty affects our everyday lives. This animated series cuts through the jargon to reveal the influences behind what we earn, what we spend and what happens on the stock market.

 

Our preview videos are intended for broadcasters looking to licence content from the Open University.

 

Ever shaken an invisible hand? Been flattened by a falling market? Or wondered what took the bend out of Phillips' curve? David Mitchell helps reveal some of the great dilemmas faced by governments trying to run an economy - whether to save or spend, control inflation, regulate trade, fix exchange rates, or just leave everyone to get on with it and not intervene. You'll learn why Adam Smith put such a high price on free markets, how Keynes found a bold new way to reduce unemployment, and what economists went on to discover about the impact of policy on people's and businesses' behaviour - which may not always be entirely rational...

The Invisible Hand
Economist, Adam Smith, used the term The Invisible Hand to describe the self-regulating nature of the market place - a core concept for so-called free-marketeers.

The Paradox of Thrift
The Paradox of Thrift suggests that while it may be wise for an individual to save money when income is low and job prospects are precarious, it could be collectively disastrous if everyone is thrifty together.

The Phillips Curve
Bill Phillips' curve has historically been described as an inverse relationship between the rate of unemployment and the rate of wage (and therefore price) inflation - but since his analysis became popular the relationship has changed.

The Principle of Comparative Advantage
David Ricardo's famous economic model, predicts that if there are just two countries and two products both can be better off if they specialise and trade in the thing they’re relatively best at.

The Impossible Trinity
The Impossible Trinity or 'trilemma' suggests that it is impossible for a country to maintain a fixed exchange rate, free capital movement and an independent monetary policy at one and the same time.

Rational Choice Theory
Without a belief in rational behaviour, it’s hard to design an economic policy with predictable results. In practice, people's errors or misinformed choices can frustrate policy design.

 

 


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