Macroeconomics {Second Edition}

What is GDP?

Total market value of all final goods and services produced within a country in a given time period

GDP - Market Value

GDP utilizes the market prices (or current prices) of goods & services for calculations

GDP - Concern

This is inaccurate due to discounts
Market prices causes GDP to be over exaggerated

GDP standard of excellence

GDP calculations only entail FINAL goods from the country's borders (finished product)
Goods from other countries are NOT included.

Intermediate good

A good that is an input to the production of a final good

GDP allotted time period

GDP figures are computed quarterly (every three months) and yearly (once a year)
January 1st - December 31st

What is included in the GDP?

Consumption, Investment, Government spending, Net Exports

Consumption

The expenditure of households on consumption goods & service
Buying goods & services
Goods: groceries, clothing, iPods
Services: Haircuts, Oil Changes

Investment

The purchase of new capital goods (tools, machines, buildings) and additions to inventory
The business spending on FINAL goods like machines equipment and tools
Includes the building of NEW buildings & houses

Investments by business & households

Capital goods
New homes
Inventories

Gov't spending

Gov't purchases of goods and services are included
Does NOT include transfer payments (welfare/unemployment)
Gov't expenditures by local, state & federal gov't

Net Exports

Exports minus Imports

GDP Excludes

Intermediate goods
Second-Hand Sales/Used Goods
Black Market/Underground Production
Financial Transactions
Transfer Payments

Intermediate Goods

Utilized to make items (imputs)
Ex - lead for pencils, rubber for tires, etc
Avoids double counting
Helps not exaggerate our GDP

Second-Hand/Used Goods

Counted when originally purchased/produced
If you are buying a house that is not new, it is not part of the GDP
If you buy a used game at Game Stop or a pair of pants at Plato's closet, they are NOT part of GDP

Black Market/Underground Production

Entails illegal drugs, illegal goods, and illegal services
Babysitting & Lawn Mowing
"Hidden Economy"
People trade here to avoid taxes or legal regulations
This is NOT counted towards GDP

Financial Transactions

When a household purchases a stock or bond they are essentially making a loan
Deals with money that already exists & is not a good or service therefore it is NOT calculated in GDP

Transfer Payments

Payments made from gov't
Education Grants
Social Security
Welfare/Unemployment
Unrelated to economic production

How much of GDP is in the Government component?

19%

How much of GDP is in the Investment component?

16%

How much of GDP is in the Consumption (PCE) component?

70%

How much of GDP is in the Net Exports component

-5%

Expenditure Approach

Based on transactions made in the product market
Where households buy goods & services

What does the Expenditure Approach include?

Purchases in the product market include
Household expenditures (Consumptions)
Business expenditures (Investment)
Gov't Spending
Foreign Expenditure (Net Exports)
Subject to alter demand aggregate curve

Expenditure GDP

C + I + G + (N-M)

In the 3rd quarter of 2009 (in trillions), the GDP estimates were

C = $10.236
I = $1.707
G = $2.959
X = $1.680
M = $2.129

The federal gov't decides to invest $1 Billion in the nation's interstate highway system. What will be affected?

G (Gov't Spending)

The federal gov't decides to invest $1 Billion in the nation's interstate highway system. What will this do to the GDP?

Increase

Consumers cut spending by $20 Billion
What will be affected?

C (Consumer Spending)

Consumers cut spending by $20 Billion
What will this do to GDP?

Decrease

The state gov't cuts planned highway spending by $30 million to maintain a balanced budget.
What will be affected?

G (Gov't Spending)

The state gov't cuts planned highway spending by $30 million to maintain a balanced budget.
What will this do to GDP?

Decrease

Due to tax cut, consumers decide to buy more cars
What will be affected?

C (Consumer Spending)

Due to tax cut, consumers decide to buy more cars
What will this do to GDP?

Increase