A-Level Economics Back |

AS LEVEL ECONOMICS from 2000

Market system....

Includes how firms compete, consumers and producers, how prices are determined, types of costs, profit as a motive, money and exchange. Issues raised would include monopoly, consumer choice and how we use scarce resources at individual, national and international levels. In other words we look at how an economy like ours is meant to work.

30% of AS total

Market failure and Government Intervention....

Essentially this concerns a consideration of why markets can go wrong, e.g. pollution and congestion costs, provision of non-market goods like education and health, regional problems, issues associated with inequality of wealth and "fairness" in society, how to make decisions on things such as roads, housing and environmental issues which affect us all.

We consider how taxes and Govt. spending can be used for the good of society and how Govt.can protect us from the power of big companies.

30% of AS total

The National and International Economy....

We look at the "big" issues in the economy such as our living standards, unemployment, why prices rise and results of inflation as well as how economies grow. An insight into world trade and exchange rates is included.

40% of AS total

20% of AS+A2 total

Examination will be by use of real data and essay questions as well as hypothetical case studies. Please note that AS puts a lot of emphasis on lower order skills as is the case in all subjects. Knowledge and understanding are essential.

A2 LEVEL ECONOMICS from 2001

Students must choose ONE from the "Economics of Work and Leisure"and "Transport Economics" PLUS ONE from "Economics of Development" and "The UK Economy". The "Economics in a European Context" is a final compulsory module.

Economics of Work and leisure....

Employment, unemployment, wages, productivity, leisure industries such as tourism,broadcasting and sport. All of this is set against a background of competition and Europe.

Economics of Transport....

Analysis of types of transport, private and state provision, how to assess transport projects like a new bypass,competition between modes, strategies to deal with congestion, the idea of road pricing,etc.

Economics of Development....

How economies grow, problems in regions within rich nations, the developing world, trade and development, policies to promote development in a world context.

The UK Economy....

UK in recent years, living standards, world position, tax and monetary policies of Govt. , inflation and jobs, application of economic models and ideas to the UK economy.

Economics in a European Context....

(This is a synoptic paper, i.e. it brings the main elements of the course together but the setting is in a European framework). The EU, the single currency, the progress of Eastern European nations since the end of communism.

Each of these would have 15% of total A level marks attached with the exception of Europe which would have 20%. Examination would be similar to AS but with a greater emphasis on higher skills such as analysis and evaluation of information.

This can only be a bare outline but the subject comes to life in so many ways, especially through endless real world examples,e.g. nurses' pay, TV rights for football, poverty in cities, the Euro, the future of land use for farming, population explosion in parts of the developing world and so on. You will notice that many parts of the course can relate to Geography, History, Psychology and Business Studies, especially in the basic AS course.