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  • About the Economic Futures Hub
  • Unit 1: Economics of the Market
  • Unit 2: UK Economic Activity
  • Unit 3: Global Economic Activity
  • Data for Applied Economists
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The Economic Futures Hub Database

This database contains the content of the Economic Futures Applied Knowledge Hub
Taxation
Spending
Budget
Devolution
Inflation
Growth
Jobs
Data for Applied Economists
EF Masterclass
The Economic Problem
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Flashcard
Direct Taxation
Direct Taxation

A tax paid directly to the government such as income or capital gains tax.

Indirect taxation
Indirect taxation

A tax paid indirectly to the government. VAT is the most common example, where the business actually pays the tax to government but the consumer also carries the burden in the form of a higher price charged.

Tax Liability
Tax Liability

Payment owed by an individual, a business, or other entity to the government.

Progressive taxation
Progressive taxation

A tax which is based upon an individual’s ability to pay. Involves higher earners facing a higher tax burden than lower earners with a higher marginal tax rate.

Regressive taxation
Regressive taxation

A tax which tends to impose a greater financial burden on the lower earners than on higher earners.

Personal Tax Allowance
Personal Tax Allowance

An amount of income which is untaxed, designed to support those on low incomes.

Onshore Revenues
Onshore Revenues

Refers to Scottish revenues which do not come from North Sea Oil and Gas production. Largely made up of revenues collected by the Scottish Government, Local Authorities, Public Corporations and the UK Government.

Offshore Revenues
Offshore Revenues

Refers to all offshore oil and gas activity and comes from three sources of revenue: petroleum tax, corporation tax, and licence fees.

Current Spending
Current Spending

Expenditure on day to day running costs. For example, government expenditure on public sector wages, energy or material costs.

Capital Spending
Capital Spending

Investment expenditure to increase fixed assets. For example, building schools, improving road or transport infrastructure.

Transfer Spending
Transfer Spending

Payments from the government to the public. Includes unemployment benefits and welfare spending.

Real Pay Cut
Real Pay Cut

When an increase in wages doesn’t outstrip an increase in prices. Effectively a cut in the purchasing power of wages.

Expansionary Spending
Expansionary Spending

An increase in government spending which seeks to support the economy by increasing demand.

Austerity Policies
Austerity Policies

Attempts to decrease government spending by cutting either current, capital or transfer spending.

Income Redistribution
Income Redistribution

The process of shifting income, through tax and benefits, from richer to poorer households.

Fiscal Multiplier
Fiscal Multiplier

The extent to which government spending supports the economy by increasing GDP.

Net Position
Net Position

Relative income level after deducting for taxes (like Income Tax or National Insurance) and adding transfer spending (like Universal Credit).

Budget Deficit
Budget Deficit

Exists when government spending exceeds government revenue. Means that the government must borrow money to finance its spending.

Budget Surplus
Budget Surplus

Exists when government revenues exceed spending.

Balanced Budget
Balanced Budget

An attempt to reduce the deficit so that government spending can be paid for by tax revenues.

Borrowing
Borrowing

Occurs when a budget deficit exists (government spending exceeds revenues). Means that government debt levels increase.

Automatic Fiscal Stabilisers
Automatic Fiscal Stabilisers

Automatic fiscal stabilisers are automatic measures which dampen the impacts of changes in the business cycle, such as an economic downturn. For example, when the economy enters a recession, there is a decrease in tax revenue and welfare spending increases, softening the impact of the recession.

The Block Grant
The Block Grant

An annual lump-sum transfer from the UK Government to the Scottish Government. The large “block” of money can be spent in any way the Scottish Government sees fit.

Government Debt Interest Payments
Government Debt Interest Payments

A type of government spending which often increases if government debt or interest rate increases.

Government Debt
Government Debt

The total amount of debt that the government owes. Increases for as long as there is a deficit.

Government Expenditure and Revenue Scotland (GERS)
Government Expenditure and Revenue Scotland (GERS)

An annual document published by the Scottish Government to provide estimates of total public sector revenue in Scotland and public sector expenditure for Scotland under the current constitutional arrangements.

Reserved Powers
Reserved Powers

Powers held in the UK government, and not devolved to the Scottish Government. Includes areas like defence and employment policy.

Devolved Powers
Devolved Powers

Powers devolved to the Scottish Government. Includes areas like Health, Education and Social Care.

Assigned Revenue
Assigned Revenue

Tax revenue which is collected directly by the Scottish Government, with no input from the UK Government, such revenue allows the Scottish Government more independence in spending decisions with the aforementioned revenue

Inflation
Inflation

A general increase in the price of goods and services across the economy.

Real Values
Real Values

Real values are ones which are adjusted for inflation, allows us to understand prices not just in terms of nominal (money) value but in terms of goods and services.

Nominal Values
Nominal Values

Nominal values are written in money terms and not adjusted for inflation. They are less useful when measuring in terms of real goods and services.

Demand-Pull Inflation
Demand-Pull Inflation

Demand-pull inflation is when demand for goods and services exceeds their supply, leading to an increase in prices.

Cost-Push Inflation
Cost-Push Inflation

Cost-push inflation is when the costs of production increase, causing producers to increase prices to maintain their profit margins.

How is the CPI calculated?
How is the CPI calculated?

1. Selecting the basket 2. Tracking the prices 3. Calculating the Index

Basket of Goods and Services
Basket of Goods and Services

A hypothetical set of consumer products and services, including food, clothing, transportation, medical care, and more. This basket represents typical purchases of an average consumer and is used in the calculation of the CPI.

Consumer Price Index (CPI)
Consumer Price Index (CPI)

A measure of the average change in prices over time that consumers pay for a basket of goods and services. It is a key tool for tracking inflation and changes in the cost of living.

GDP
GDP

Measures the value of activity within an economy in a given timeframe.

Purchasing Power
Purchasing Power

The value of a currency in terms of the number of goods or services that one unit can buy. If the number of goods that ÂŁ1 decreases over a yearly period, then the purchasing power has decreased.

Austerity
Austerity

Austerity refers to measures taken by a government aimed at reducing the government deficit, such as tax increases.

Unemployed
Unemployed

An individual is unemployed if they are able and willing to work, but are unable to find suitable job opportunities.

Fiscal Policy
Fiscal Policy

The set of measures the government can undertake to achieve higher economic output, such as increasing spending and decreasing taxation.

Structural Unemployment
Structural Unemployment

This is unemployment which occurs after structural changes to the economy, such as the closure of a sector

GDP per capita
GDP per capita

An economic measure highlighting a nation’s economic output per person.

Labour Pool
Labour Pool

The group of workers from which workers can be hired by employers

Business Cycle
Business Cycle

The 4 stage cyclical pattern of economic expansion and contraction

Cyclical Unemployment
Cyclical Unemployment

This is unemployment that occurs as a result of fluctuations in the business cycle or economic activity. During low economic activity, unemployment may rise

Elasticity
Elasticity

Elasticity refers to how reactive an item’s demand is to changes in economic conditions, such as income levels. If a good is very elastic, then demand changes quickly.

Secondary Effect
Secondary Effect

A secondary effect is an additional impact of economic activity that is the ‘indirect outcome’ of an action.

Unemployed
Unemployed

If a person is actively seeking work in the previous 4 weeks and ready to work in the next 2 weeks, then they are considered unemployed.

Consumer Demand
Consumer Demand

Consumer demand is the desire or willingness of consumers to buy goods or services. It represents the amount of a product or service that consumers are ready to purchase in the market.

Hysterisis Effect
Hysterisis Effect

The effect felt by workers who remain unemployed for significant periods, whom may feel discouraged from the labour force and miss training/growth opportunities.

Economically Inactive
Economically Inactive

Individuals are economically inactive if they are not currently employed, and are not actively seeking employment

Elasticity
Elasticity

Elasticity refers to how responsive the quantity demanded of a product is to changes in price or other factors.

Cross-Sectional
Cross-Sectional

a type of data collected by observing many subjects (such as individuals, firms, countries, or regions) at the one point or period of time.

Time Series
Time Series

Time series analysis is a specific way of analysing a sequence of data points collected over an interval of time.

Unemployment Rate
Unemployment Rate

Unemployment rates are calculated as the number of unemployed people divided by the economically active population.

Panel Data
Panel Data

Panel data (or time series cross section) means that we have data from many units (Individuals, countries etc.), over many points in time.

Index
Index

An index shows the development of a number over time. It shows the change of a figure from one point in time to another. The ‘base year’ is usually set to 100. An index value of 110 then indicates an increase by 10 % compared to the value in the reference period.

Supply Curve
Supply Curve

Lots of supply

Demand Curve
Demand Curve
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Learn Block
Direct & Indirect Taxes
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Direct & Indirect Taxes
Scotland Total Revenues Tracker
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Scotland Total Revenues Tracker
Revenues and Economic Shocks
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Revenues and Economic Shocks
Income Tax: Scotland and UK
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Income Tax: Scotland and UK
The Magic of the Fiscal Multiplier: Boosting GDP
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The Magic of the Fiscal Multiplier: Boosting GDP
How can governments spend?
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How can governments spend?
Big Spending to the Rescue: Expansionary Spending in the UK
Big Spending to the Rescue: Expansionary Spending in the UK
How does UK welfare spending impact households?
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How does UK welfare spending impact households?
Balancing the Budget
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Balancing the Budget
UK, EU and G7 Debt and Deficit Tracker
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UK, EU and G7 Debt and Deficit Tracker
The Scottish Budget
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The Scottish Budget
Devolution: Tax & Spending
Devolution: Tax & Spending
Scotlands Place in the UK Economy
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Scotlands Place in the UK Economy
What is inflation?
What is inflation?
Causes of inflation
Causes of inflation
Effects of Inflation
Effects of Inflation
Monetary Policy
Monetary Policy
What is Economic Growth?
What is Economic Growth?
Improving Economic Growth and Output
Improving Economic Growth and Output
Impact of Economic Growth
Impact of Economic Growth
What is Unemployment?
What is Unemployment?
Types of Unemployment
Types of Unemployment
Impact of Unemployment
Impact of Unemployment
Sourcing Economic Data
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Sourcing Economic Data
Handling Economic Data
Handling Economic Data
Economic Data Techniques
Economic Data Techniques
Interactive Graphs
Interactive Graphs
Modern Studies: Socio-economic Inequality
Modern Studies: Socio-economic Inequality
Maths & Stats: What is Econometrics?
Maths & Stats: What is Econometrics?
Business Management: Economies of Scale
Business Management: Economies of Scale
Politics
Politics
Junior Phase Intro
Junior Phase Intro
N5 Economics
N5 Economics
Higher Economics
Higher Economics
DYW Sessions
DYW Sessions
Flashcard Quiz
Flashcard Quiz
Concept of Scarcity
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Concept of Scarcity
Concept of Choice and Opportunity Cost
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Concept of Choice and Opportunity Cost
Scarcity and Shortages
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Scarcity and Shortages
Economics goods and free goods
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Economics goods and free goods
Scarcity in different economic systems
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Scarcity in different economic systems
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Knowledge Checkpoint
Describe the differences between direct and indirect taxation
Describe the differences between direct and indirect taxation
Explain the difference between progressive and regressive taxation
Explain the difference between progressive and regressive taxation
Discuss the reasons why the UK government might alter the balance between direct and indirect taxation, and the effect of this alteration on individuals and firms
Discuss the reasons why the UK government might alter the balance between direct and indirect taxation, and the effect of this alteration on individuals and firms
Describe the three main types of government spending
Describe the three main types of government spending
Explain how changes in government spending can influence the economy, providing examples of austerity and expansionary policies
Explain how changes in government spending can influence the economy, providing examples of austerity and expansionary policies
Discuss the implications of changes in the balance and pattern of government spending, such as austerity versus expansion, on different sectors of the economy
Discuss the implications of changes in the balance and pattern of government spending, such as austerity versus expansion, on different sectors of the economy
Describe the three types of budget: deficit, surplus and balanced
Describe the three types of budget: deficit, surplus and balanced
Explain the effects of running a deficit budget on the UK economy
Explain the effects of running a deficit budget on the UK economy
Discuss the implications of a budget surplus on the UK economy
Discuss the implications of a budget surplus on the UK economy
Describe the economic powers devolved to the Scottish Parliament
Describe the economic powers devolved to the Scottish Parliament
Discuss the effects of devolved economic powers on the Scottish economy
Discuss the effects of devolved economic powers on the Scottish economy
Describe what is meant by the basic economic problem of scarcity
Describe what is meant by the basic economic problem of scarcity
Explain the ways scarcity affects the choices made by Firms
Explain the ways scarcity affects the choices made by Firms
Compare scarcity with a shortage
Compare scarcity with a shortage
Distinguish, using examples, between economic goods and free goods.
Distinguish, using examples, between economic goods and free goods.
Describe the allocation of resources in a planned economy.
Describe the allocation of resources in a planned economy.
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