The Characteristics of Aggregate Supply

The Characteristics of Aggregate Supply

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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.

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