Resources:

The internet for relevant websites, including: https://tradingeconomics.com/

Activity:

Activity: Macroeconomics

Compare the macro economic performance of 4 countries

Don’t be put off by the term ‘macro-economic’, it just directs you to look at the country as a whole, rather than industry by industry. (The industry-by-industry stuff is in the micro section)

Step 1 – pick a country – one that interests you; maybe one you have visited or would like to visit

Step 2 – pick another country in the same region, maybe a geographically neighbouring country

Step 3 – pick your third country – this should be a ‘benchmark’ country; typically the USA tends to be used a benchmark. You don’t have to pick the USA but it should be stable economy considered to be fairly reliable.

Step 4 – pick your wild card country – this could be any other country you happen to stick a pin in when blindfolded with a map!

Step 5 – research

Now that you have your 4 countries it is time to research them and present your findings as a comparison.

Your research should be into macro-economic indicators. The main ones are in the table below but you can select any indicators which you can gather numerical data on and you think tell us something about those countries. Be imaginative here!

Unemployment – usually expressed as a % rate	Economic growth	Value of total exports compared to value of total imports
Inflation	Gap between the richest and poorest in the economy. This is known as inequality. You may come across something called the Gini-coefficient or the Lorenz curve	Government budget – how much does the government spend/receive each year

In order to do your research you may start by finding out what some of the indicators above mean. That will help you and would be a good use of your time, but please be assured that this course will be taught assuming no prior knowledge. That means that any key terms you need to know, you will be taught.

Try to use a range of different sources to do your research. It makes it more interesting for you and us! A good starting point is - https://tradingeconomics.com/ to find some economic data. Scroll about half way down the homepage and you’ll find a big table with data on the majority of countries.

Step 6 – Compile your findings

Present your comparison in a Powerpoint. Follow these tips:

• Lookout for things like highest/ lowest/ best/worst when comparing your 4 countries
• Don’t overfill each slide – keep the information clear and simple to understand
• Use tables/ graphs/ numbers where you can
• Include pictures! It makes it more fun for the audience (and for you)
• Be creative

Work to be submitted to:

Your teacher in the first lesson back in September.