The Characteristics of Aggregate Supply
The Characteristics of Aggregate Supply
Level: AS Levels, A Level, GCSE – Exam Boards: Edexcel, AQA, OCR, WJEC, IB, Eduqas – Economics Revision Notes
The Characteristics of Aggregate Supply
What is Aggregate Supply?
Aggregate Supply is the total amount of goods / services that firms are willing to supply at various price levels and throughout a given time period.
- Upward Sloping AS Curve – the Aggregate Supply curve is upward sloping in the Short Run, suggesting a positive relationship between price level and the quantity of goods / services.
- Rising Costs – As Price Level rises – firms are willing to supply more goods / services – hence aggregate supply also increases. With this, firms are faced with rising costs.
- Maximum Capacity – firms can only increase their supply until they reach Maximum Capacity, which is known as Full Employment and occurs in the Long Run – depicted by the AS curve becoming a straight vertical line.
- Spare Capacity – this occurs when the economy experiences an increase in output without facing a huge rise in prices. There are unemployed resources circulating in the economy
Short-Run Aggregate Supply
- Capital is fixed – in the short term, the amount of capital remains the same
- SRAS is Elastic – firms are able to increase their output (or decrease if need be) by altering the hours and amount of work that employees do
Factors causing a shift in the SRAS
- Prices and costs of raw materials / commodities
- Levels of taxes or subsidies available to firms
- Cost of labour – wages
- Change in Exchange Rates
Long-Run Aggregate Supply
Classical View of Long-Run Aggregate Supply
- AS is inelastic – the classical view suggests that in the long-term, the economy will maintain fully employment; it sees wages and prices as flexible. Classical Economists also believe that long-term factors such as capital, technology, productivity will influence economic growth
- LRAS is a vertical straight line – because the classical view suggests AS is inelastic, LRAS remains a vertical straight line
Keynesian View of Long-Run Aggregate Supply
- LRAS is elastic – the Keynesian view suggests that the economy can be operating below Full Employment, even in the long run. This is depicted by an upward sloping and elastic LRAS curve
- Wages and prices can be sticky – because of the assumption that wages and prices can be sticky, it is difficult for economies to return to fully employment equilibrium
Factors causing a shift in the LRAS
- Land and raw materials
- Technology advancements
- More capital available
- Better quality / skillsets of employees
- Government Policies
What causes a movement in the AS curve?
- Price is the main factor causing a movement along the AS curve
Quick Fire Quiz – Knowledge Check
1. Explain what Aggregate Supply is (2 marks)
2. Using a diagram, explain the characteristics of Aggregate Supply in the short-run (8 marks)
3. Identify four factors causing a shift in the SRAS curve (4 marks)
4. Using a diagram, explain the difference between the Classical View and Keynesian View of Aggregate Supply in the Long-Run (8 marks)
5. Identify five factors causing a shift in the LRAS curve (5 marks)
6. Identify the factor causing a movement along the AS curve (2 marks)
7. How would a decrease in the price of oil affect the short run aggregate supply curve? use a diagram to show the impact.
8. Using a diagram show how technological advancements would impact long run aggregate supply
9. A government implements a policy that significantly increases investment in technology and innovation while simultaneously raising income taxes on consumers to fund this investment. Using a diagram show how this policy is likely affect the Long-Run Aggregate Supply (LRAS) and Aggregate Demand (AD) curves.
10. A sharp rise in oil prices increases production costs for many firms, while the government launches a large stimulus package to boost consumer spending. How would these two events affect the Short-Run Aggregate Supply (SRAS) and Aggregate Demand (AD) curves? Use a diagram to show the impact.
Next Revision Topics
- Aggregate Demand
- Supply
- Short Run AS
- Long Run AS
- Supply Side Policies
- Output Gaps
- PPF
- Equilibrium Levels of Real Output
- Economic Growth
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