The Causes of Inflation

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The Causes of Inflation

There are three major causes of inflation:

1. Demand - pull inflation

2. Cost - push inflation

3. Monetarist Theory

1. Demand - Pull Inflation

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This type of inflation is caused by excess aggregate demand, exceeding

aggregate supply. Quite simply 'too much demand is chasing too few

goods'. This can occur when the growth in aggregate demand is so

strong, that aggregate supply cannot respond quickly enough -

resulting in prices getting bidded-up. Thus surges in aggregate demand

can ( not necessarily always ) lead to greater inflationary pressures

as bottle necks in supply are caused ie supply simply cannot respond

quickly enough !!

Demand - pull inflation is also more likely to occur when the economy

is approaching full employment, and unemployed resources are becoming

more scarce ie where aggregate demand is quite strong and there is

only a small negative output gap ( AD is on the inelastic section of

AS ). However, this contrasts to the circumstances where AD increases

and there is a lot of spare capacity. In this case it is relatively

easy for businesses to find spare resources without having to bid - up

prices to attract them. In this case real output can expand easily as

AD is on the elastic part of the AS curve.

Task: Draw two AD and AS diagrams illustrating the above. One diagram

should show how a positive AD shock should lead to inflation ( with

little or no change to real output ), and the other should show that

there is much less inflationary pressure. In each case comment on the

change to real output and unemployment.

It must be remembered that in reality, aggregate demand and aggregate

supply are growing all the time. Therefore, ...

... middle of paper ...

... allowable

+ or - 1 % deviation ). The MPC are in control of interest rates, and

manipulate these in order to reach the inflation target. Thus the MPC

must often look at current data ( eg retail sales, unemployment

figures, wage inflation, savings ratios, consumer borrowing etc ) to

gauge future inflationary pressure. If inflationary pressures are

building, interest rates will be increased. If there are reduced

inflationary pressure - rates will fall.

Task:

1. Explain how a rise in interest rates should help reduce

inflationary pressure

2. Examine the implications for interest setting if the government

lowered the inflation target to 1.5 %

3. Examine the implications for the wider economy of a reduced

inflation target.

4. Identify 10 pieces of data that the MPC might want to consider when

making its monthly interest rate decision.

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