Shifting Gears for the Chinese Economy
The FT's James Kynge argues in this video that the Chinese economy can be compared to a hybrid vehicle - with two engines, an old one - predicated upon investment in infrastructure and real estate...
Banking contestability - more consumers are switching
This story suggests that there are the first signs of increased contestability in the retail banking sector, a sector renowned for its inertia.
Here's a fun lesson starter from the furtive imagination of regular contributor Scott Thomas. This one is a variation on our Higher and Lower game that involves the whole class. The class are...
State of the UK Economy in 2016
What shape is the UK economy in as economics students prepare for their summer 2016 exams?
Dolmio and Uncle Ben's advise customers to buy less!
Pasta joke or an extraordinary act of corporate social responsibility? Dolmio and Uncle Ben's - two of the world's biggest food brands (both under the ownership of Mars) - has issued a warning to...
Vanilla Ice Cream and Elasticity
We've been warned that the price of vanilla ice-cream could rocket as bad harvests mean a shortage of vanilla pods. But as good economists will know, the key word is "could". So what are the...
Is government intervention beneficial to an economy? Do you agree with Keynesian or Austrian Economists - which side gets your support? Here's a superb infographic on the great battle of ideologies...
Fantasy Economics for AS and A2 students!
Are you are a creative literature type who’s stumbled into economics? Here's a way to enliven your interest with novels that illustrate the key theory behind dry concepts such as monetary policy...
Behavioural Economics and Economic Thinking
In this article I explain how behavioural economics relates to orthodox thinking. In 2002 Daniel Kahneman was awarded the Nobel Prize for his work in behavioural economics. His Thinking, Fast and...
Liverpool FC, Dele Alli and Diseconomies of Scale
A recent news story on how Liverpool missed out on the signing of Tottenham’s Dele Alli offers a good example of diseconomies of scale in a large football club such as Liverpool.
Revision Slides on Price Discrimination and Economic Efficiency
Here are the slides from my live revision session on price discrimination
Council votes to charge people to run in a local park
Has the world - or at least a tiny corner of Bristol - gone completely mad? Councillors in Little Stoke Park have voted 6 to 4 to charge Parkrun for the right to operate their weekly Saturday 5k...
How Negative Interest Rates Work
Will more countries move into a world of negative interest rates and if so, who will be the winners and losers. Central banks who have cut rates below zero are in search of a strategy to get people...
The Digital Economy and Problems in Measuring GDP
The level of GDP may fall even though the quantity of goods and services that we are consuming is increasing. This is one of the ironies of the switch to the digital products largely provided by...
Views of Economists on Brexit
Here is a selection of short interviews with leading academic economists on the issue of Brexit. The interviews on Brexit were recorded at the Royal Economic Society annual conference at The...
Why the Minimum Wage Worked
It is nearly twenty years since the landmark research of Card and Krueger on the effects of minimum wages on employment in US fast food restaurants argued that higher wages might lead to a rise in...
Answering Supported Multiple Choice in Unit 3 Economics
Here is a revision presentation on some handy techniques for answering the supported multiple choice paper for Unit 3 Economics (EdExcel).
The Impact of rising house prices
The Halifax has calculated that the average rise in house prices in the UK was 10% for 2015. House price rises in the UK appear to be a double-edged sword - for those who own their own home a...
Should the UK Government support the British Steel Industry?
What are the competing arguments for and against government intervention to support the steel industry during these difficult times? If intervention is justified, what forms should it take and will...
Unlikely Events - Lessons for Economists from Art and Sport
Life imitates art, as the sporting world has shown this week. The Grand National was won by a horse which had never previously won a steeplechase. The US golf Masters was won by Danny Willett, who...