ECONOMIC: Common Rules of Thumb

By Dr. David Edward Marcinko; MBA MEd

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Common Economic Rules of Thumb

Here are some widely used heuristics in economics:

Growth & Investment

  • Rule of 70: To estimate how long it takes for an economy to double in size, divide 70 by the annual growth rate. For example, at 2% growth, GDP doubles in 35 years.
  • Okun’s Law: For every 1% drop in unemployment, GDP increases by roughly 2% — a rough link between labor and output.
  • Taylor Rule: A guideline for setting interest rates based on inflation and economic output gaps. Central banks use it to balance inflation and growth.

Inflation & Employment

  • Phillips Curve: Suggests an inverse relationship between inflation and unemployment — lower unemployment can lead to higher inflation, and vice versa.
  • NAIRU (Non-Accelerating Inflation Rate of Unemployment): The unemployment rate at which inflation remains stable. Going below it may trigger rising prices.

Fiscal & Monetary Policy

  • Balanced Budget Multiplier: Increasing government spending and taxes by the same amount can still boost GDP — because spending has a stronger immediate effect.
  • Debt-to-GDP Ratio Threshold: Economists often flag a ratio above 90% as a potential risk to economic stability, though this is debated.

Trade & Exchange

  • Purchasing Power Parity (PPP): Over time, exchange rates should adjust so that identical goods cost the same across countries — a rule used to compare living standards.
  • J-Curve Effect: After a currency devaluation, trade deficits may worsen before improving due to delayed volume adjustments.

Trade

  • Leading Indicators: Metrics like stock prices, manufacturing orders, and consumer confidence often signal future economic shifts.
  • Recession Rule of Thumb: Two consecutive quarters of negative GDP growth typically indicate a recession — though not officially definitive.

These rules simplify complex relationships, but they’re not foolproof. They’re best used as starting points for analysis, not as rigid laws.

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STAGFLATION? Slow Growth, High Unemployment and Rising Prices.

DEFINED

By Staff Reporters

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  • Stagflation is the simultaneous appearance in an economy of slow growth, high unemployment, and rising prices.
  • Once thought by economists to be impossible, stagflation has occurred repeatedly in the developed world since the 1970s.
  • Policy solutions for slow growth tend to worsen inflation, and vice versa. That makes stagflation hard to fight.

Stagflation is the combination of high inflation, stagnant economic growth, and elevated unemployment.

The term stagflation, a blend of “stagnation” and “inflation,” was popularized by British politician Lain MacLeod in the 1960s, during a period of economic distress in the United Kingdom. It gained broader recognition in the 1970s after a series of global economic shocks, particularly the 1973 oil crisis, which disrupted supply chains and led to rising prices and slowing growth. Stagflation challenges traditional economic theories, which suggest that inflation and unemployment are inversely related, as depicted by the Phillips Curve.

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According to Wikipedia, stagflation presents a policy dilemma, as measures to curb inflation—such as tightening monetary policy—can exacerbate unemployment, while policies aimed at reducing unemployment may fuel inflation.

In economic theory, there are two main explanations for stagflation: supply shocks, such as a sharp increase in oil prices, and misguided government policies that hinder industrial output while expanding the money supply too rapidly.

NOTE: A portmanteau word or part of a word made by combining the spellings and meanings of two or more other words or word parts (such as smog from smoke and fog).

MORE: https://medicalexecutivepost.com/2019/06/25/what-is-a-portmanteau/

The stagflation of the 1970s led to a re-evaluation of Keynesian economic policies and contributed to the rise of alternative economic theories, including monetarism and supply-side economics.

PHILLIPS CURVE: https://medicalexecutivepost.com/2024/10/04/about-the-phillips-curve/

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About the Phillips Curve

[By staff reporters]

An important concept in macroeconomics

When Federal Reserve officials meet to decide whether to raise interest rates again, one question will be front and center according to Neil Irwin?

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[Rate of Change of Wages against Unemployment

United Kingdom 1913–1948 from Phillips (1958)]

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Question: How much faith should be placed in a line on a graph first drawn by a New Zealand economist nearly six decades ago, based on data on wages and employment in Britain dating to the 1860s?

The 57-Year-Old Chart That Is Dividing the Fed

More:

Assessment

So, if you believe in the traditional Phillips curve, as some at the Fed do, inflation should be taking off any day now?

Conclusion

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OUR OTHER PRINT BOOKS AND RELATED INFORMATION SOURCES:

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Comprehensive Financial Planning Strategies for Doctors and Advisors: Best Practices from Leading Consultants and Certified Medical Planners(TM)

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