China raises import tariffs on sugar
A good contextual example here of import quotas and import tariffs in tandem!
Unintended consequences of cigarette packaging rules
An interesting and unintended consequence of the new legislation governing tobacco packaging in the UK. Phillip Morris has sought to get around the plain packaging legislation by selling cigarettes...
Mersey Beats the World with Biggest Wind Turbines
Is this a tipping point for wind power, as economies of scale make wind more profitable than nuclear energy? Certainly that's what the Guardian is hoping as the latest extension to the Burbo Bank...
Can Asia reach high-income status?
A useful blog here from the Asian Development Bank on some strategies for Asian countries wanting to escape the so-called middle-income trap. Spending more on research and innovation is seen as key...
Here is our recommendation for 12 essential short topic revision videos to watch as you complete your revision for the macroeconomics paper for A Level Year 1 (AS) Economics.
Does raising corporation tax make economic sense?
Labour plans to raise corporation tax to 26% - does this make economic sense? The arguments for and against are relatively predictable, but for top grades, find the subtle nuances in the arguments...
Barista-Visa Baby?
Pret, Byron, Five Guys, Eat... these brands are an increasingly ubiquitous presence on the high street - but there are concerns about staffing in a post Brexit environment. Will we end up with a...
Abbot's Maths Problems are the Tip of the Iceberg
Diane Abbot’s car crash of an interview on LBC radio hit the headlines. Asked politely but firmly for the numbers and costings of Labour’s plans on the police, her answers varied wildly from...
Key Macro Topics to Revise for June 2017
Here are some of the key macro topics that I would want my own students to revise for the summer 2017 exams. They are not exam board specific but intended to cover a range of important current...
Behavioural economics meets property rights - who owns the space between airline seats?
This article in The Economist is definitely one to save up for the next time you are teaching behavioural economics, but it offers a great deal more than that. The interaction of demand and supply,...
China's OBOR Summit
The One Belt One Road initiative has the potential to be one of the most important trade and investment projects in our lifetime. Here are some links to articles and videos from the OBOR Summit...
Economic Wellbeing Quiz
I was teaching a lesson on economic wellbeing today with my Year 12 here are links to a quick quiz on wellbeing measures and the accompanying powerpoint deck
Introducing Volume 2 of the Synoptic Revision Mats!
Just launched - and available for instant download - the second volume of our popular resource for A Level Economics - Synoptic Revision Mats.
My demand for sushi just fell to zero!
As I am currently teaching changes in demand and in particular, tastes and fashions, this news article about the possible effects of eating sushi was very timely.
EU Supply Chains after Brexit
Complex products such as engine parts for the motor industry often cross national borders many times before the final product is ready for the market. This Newsnight video is superb for students...
Safeway Highways Brings Better Coffee
Proof of the importance of infrastructure to development: this World Bank clip looks at how the development of a new highway between Dili and Ainaro has the capacity to change lives, by allowing...
What does the public think of economists?
Michael Gove famously said during the Brexit campaign that people “have had enough of experts”. Certainly, the outcome suggests that many were sceptical of the doom-laden economic projections of...
How India is embracing solar power
A genuinely interesting article that looks at how India's embracing solar power and the implications of this for development. In short, it can help connect millions of rural Indians to the power...
AI, Robotics and Raising Productivity in the UK
A simple message: capitalise on the newest technologies - robotics, AI and 3D printing and UK productivity will be lifted, argues Siemens UK boss, Juergen Maier. He's not wrong. And it's not...
William Keegan provides an overview of the conduct of monetary policy since the 1970s, and it's worth reading, in that it highlights the changes, from prices and incomes policies through to the...