International Institutions 2

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IGOs - WEF and WTO

The World Economic Forum and World Trade Organisation are also important IGOs in trade and economic development.

World Economic Forum

The WEF is a slightly different IGO as it works with businesses and governments.
It is a Swiss not-for-profit organisation that was founded in 1971. It holds an annual conference in Davos, Switzerland that promotes public-private co-operation.
The WEF is an IGO that wants to bring together businesses and governments and other members of society to ‘improve the world’.
The WEF has a wider remit than the other IGOs as it discusses wider issues like corruption and terrorism.

World Trade Organisation

The WTO focuses on trade and the rules of trade. It wants to ensure that capitalism thrives and so trade is free, allowing the market to act independently of government involvement.
The WTO negotiates free-trade agreements.
- In 2016, it had 164 members. Over three-quarters of its members are developing or the least-developed countries.
It is noticeable that North Korea, as a switched-off country is not part of the WTO.

World Trade Organisation cont.

Some people argue that the explosion in global trade since 1950 is a sign of the WTO’s success.
Others argue that this explosion in global trade is the result of globalization, rather than the work of one IGO.

Financial IGOs and the Developing World

Since the 1970s, tougher rules and strict conditions have been applied for large-scale lending, especially for developing countries. These have included the SAP and HIPC schemes:

SAPs

SAP stands for Structural Adjustment Programmes. They are usually made up of loans from the IMF and World Bank.
SAPs have made countries that receive lending follow specific routes to development, such as privatisation.
Africa Action, an NGO, is critical of SAPs, claiming that the assumption that the market leads to benefits for the rich and poor is flawed.
Ghana launched its structural adjustment plan in 1983. The IMF and World Bank say it is one of the most successful SAPs in Africa.

HIPC schemes

HIPC stands for Heavily Indebted Poor Countries. There are 37 nations in this group, including Ghana, Ethiopia, Afghanistan and Senegal.
HIPC schemes aim to make sure that no country faces an unmanageable debt burden (amount of debt).
Under HIPC schemes, countries must reduce poverty over time and meet other criteria. If they meet all of these criteria, then they may have all their external debt cancelled.
- Chad achieved this in 2015.
Some people argue that SAPs and HIPCs mean the sovereignty of these nations is questionable - are they perhaps neo-colonial?

1Introduction to Markets

2Market Failure

2.1Market Failure

2.1.1Types of Market Failure

2.1.2Externalities

2.1.3The Deadweight Welfare Loss of Externalities

2.1.4A-A* (AO3/4) - The Externalities of Education

2.1.5Public Goods

2.1.6Information Gaps

2.1.7End of Topic Test - Market Failure

2.1.8Application Questions - Market Failure

2.2Government Intervention

2.2.1Government Intervention in Markets

2.2.2Subsidies & Price Controls

2.2.3Pollution Permits & Regulation

2.2.4A-A* (AO3/4) - European Emissions Trading

2.2.5State Provision & Information Provision

2.2.6Government Failure

2.2.7End of Topic Test - Government Intervention

2.2.8A-A* (AO3/4) - Government Intervention

3The UK Macroeconomy

3.1Measures of Economic Performance

3.1.1Measuring Economic Growth

3.1.2National Income Data

3.1.3Inflation

3.1.4Causes of Inflation

3.1.5Consequences of Inflation

3.1.6Employment & Unemployment

3.1.7Causes & Impact of Unemployment

3.1.8A-A* (AO3/4) - Hysteresis

3.1.9Balance of Payments

3.1.10Current Account Deficit & Imbalances

3.1.11End of Topic Test - Economic Performance

3.1.12Application Questions Macroeconomy

3.2Aggregate Demand

3.2.1Aggregate Demand

3.2.2Consumption

3.2.3Investment

3.2.4Government Expenditure

3.2.5Net Trade

3.2.6End of Topic Test - Aggregated Demand

3.2.7Application Questions - AD

3.3Aggregate Supply

3.3.1Aggregate Supply

3.3.2End of Topic Test - Aggregated Supply

3.3.3A-A* (AO3/4) -Aggregate Supply

3.4National Income

3.4.1National Income

3.4.2Injections & Withdrawals

3.4.3Equilibrium Level of Real National Output

3.4.4Multiplier Effect

3.4.5End of Topic Test - National Income

3.4.6Application Questions - National Income

3.5Economic Growth

3.5.1Causes of Economic Growth

3.5.2Output Gaps

3.5.3Business Cycle

3.5.4Impact of Economic Growth

3.5.5End of Topic Test - Economic Growth

3.5.6A-A* (AO3/4) - Growth

4The UK Economy - Policies

4.1Macroeconomic Objectives & Policies

4.1.1Possible Objectives

4.1.2Demand-Side Policies - Monetary

4.1.3Demand-Side Policies - Monetary 2

4.1.4A-A* (AO3/4) - The Future of Interest Rates

4.1.5Demand-Side Policies - Fiscal

4.1.6Demand-Side Policies in 2007-08

4.1.7Strengths & Weaknesses of Demand Side

4.1.8Supply-Side Policies

4.1.9Supply-Side Policies 2

4.1.10Conflicts Between Objectives

4.1.11A-A* (AO3/4) - Conflicting Incentives

4.1.12Phillips Curve

4.1.13End of Topic Topic - Policies & Objectives

4.1.14Application Questions - UK Policies

5Business Behaviour

5.1Business Growth

5.1.1Size & Types of Firms

5.1.2Business Growth

5.1.3Pros & Cons of External Expansion

5.1.4Demergers

5.1.5End of Topic Test - Business Growth

5.1.6A-A* (AO3/4) - Business Growth

5.2Business Objectives

5.2.1Business Objectives

5.2.2End of Topic Test - Business Objectives

5.2.3Application Questions - Business Objectives

5.3Revenues, Costs & Profits

5.3.1Revenue

5.3.2Costs

5.3.3Economies & Diseconomies of Scale

5.3.4Profits

5.3.5Profits 2

5.3.6End of Topic Test - Revenue, Costs & Profits

5.3.7A-A* (AO3/4) - Revenue, Costs & Profit

6Market Structures

6.1Market Structures

6.1.1Efficiency

6.1.2Perfect Competition

6.1.3Perfect Competition 2

6.1.4Monopolistic Competition

6.1.5Oligopolies

6.1.6The Prisoner's Dilemma

6.1.7Collusion in Oligopolistic Markets

6.1.8A-A* (AO3/4) - Which Factors Affect Collusion?

6.1.9Monopolies

6.1.10Price Discrimination

6.1.11Monopsony

6.1.12A-A* (AO3/4) - Models in Economics

6.1.13Contestability

6.1.14Benefits of Contestability

6.1.15End of Topic Test - Market Structures

6.1.16Application Questions - Market Structures

6.1.17A-A* (AO3/4) - Cereal Collusion

6.2Labour Market

6.2.1Demand for Labour

6.2.2Supply of Labour

6.2.3Labour Market Imperfections

6.2.4A-A* (AO3/4) - Labour Productivity & Unemployment

6.2.5A-A* (AO3/4) - What Level of Unionisation is Good?

6.2.6Wage Determination

6.2.7Elasticity of Labour Supply & Demand

6.2.8Intervention in Setting Wages

6.2.9End of Topic Test - Labour Market

6.2.10A-A* (AO3/4) - Labour Markets

6.3Government Intervention

6.3.1Reasons for Government Intervention

6.3.2Government Promotion of Competition

6.3.3Usefulness of Competition Policy & Examples

6.3.4A-A* (AO3/4) - Modern Competition Policy

6.3.5Privatisation

6.3.6Government Regulation

6.3.7A-A* (AO3/4) - Nationalisation vs Privatisation

6.3.8Government Protection of Suppliers and Employees

6.3.9Impact of Government Intervention

6.3.10End of Topic Test - Government Intervention

6.3.11Application Questions - Government Intervention

7A Global Perspective

8Finance & Inequality

8.1Poverty & Inequality

8.1.1Absolute & Relative Poverty

8.1.2Inequality

8.1.3Inequality 2

8.1.4Lorenz Curve

8.1.5Government Policy on Poverty

8.1.6End of Topic Test - Poverty & Inequality

8.1.7A-A* (AO3/4) - Inequality & Poverty

8.2Emerging & Developing Economies

8.2.1Measures of Development

8.2.2Factors Influencing Growth & Development

8.2.3Barriers to Development

8.2.4Barriers to Development 2

8.2.5A-A* (AO3/4) - The Bottom Billion

8.2.6Development Strategies

8.2.7Interventionist Strategies

8.2.8Aid

8.2.9International Institutions

8.2.10International Institutions 2

8.2.11End of Topic Test - Emerging & Developing

8.2.12Application Questions - Developing Countries

8.3The Financial Sector

8.3.1Role of Financial Markets

8.3.2Market Failure in the Financial Sector

8.3.3Role of Central Banks

8.3.4End of Topic Test - The Financial Sector

8.3.5A-A* (AO3/4) - Financial Sector

8.4Role of the State in the Macroeconomy

8.4.1Public Expenditure

8.4.2Taxation

8.4.3Public Sector Finances

8.4.4End of Topic Test - Role of the State

8.4.5Application Questions - Role of the State

9Examples of Global Policy

9.1International Policies

9.1.1Global Debt & Deficit Policies

9.1.2Poverty & Inequality Policies

9.1.3Changes in Interest Rates

9.1.4Competitiveness Policies

9.1.5End of Topic Test - International Policies

9.1.6A-A* (AO3/4) - International Policies

9.2Policy Responses to Shocks

9.2.1International Tax Policies

9.2.2Problems for Policymakers

9.2.3End of Topic Test - Policy Responses

9.2.4Application Questions - Policy Responses

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