Edexcel has updated its link and it is working fine most of the time but you may find the odd mark scheme missing. The following link is proving useful in the meantime:
http://freeexampapers.com/index.php/?location=A+Level%2FEconomics%2FEdexcel#/A Level/Economics/Edexcel
Thursday, 15 May 2014
6EC04 Case Study examples
Some recent student essay responses included these helpful examples...
1. Trade blocs - EU, NAFTA looks at this link for a light read of African trade blocs: http://www.mbendi.com/land/af/p0010.htm
2. UK Prime Minister David Cameron went to China and India to promote trade links and FDI deals
UK - 2013 NMW increased to £6.31 for over 21's, however this was only a 12p increase from 2012 - very little for those struggling to meet their basic needs or maintain living standards with those on two-thirds of the average income (relative poverty).
In April 2014 a funding boost is targetted at 5 areas of the UK to help young people into work as a result of the Youth Employment Initiative (YEI) a new £170 million programme aiming to provide apprenticeships, work experience placements and entrepreneurship programmes for 15-24 year olds. However the scheme will only have an impact if it is spent effectively and there is sufficient take up also young people after the scheme nay not secure permanent employment unless the recovery if fully in place.
A return to a top rate of 50% income tax rate in the Uk might result in an incentive for the rich to place their income/profits in tax havens. This was witnessed in France when the 70% rate was approved however as more countries increase top tax rates and tougher action is taken against tax havens this might not be the case in the future.
3. Somalia lacks an established government given it's civil war so will struggle to access foreign aid, provide public services (health and education), have weak law enforcement resulting in crime (longevity)_ and corruption. Primary Product dependency - 80% of Somalia's exports are livestock - the drought and famine have further restricted Somalia's growth and development.
Somalia- http://www.ruralpovertyportal.org/country/home/tags/somalia
4. Also there are various treaties to prevent damage to the environment and encourage governments across the world to hit environmental targets e.g Kyoto Protocol.
5. In 1997 the IMF ordered Indonesia to liberalise its capital markets, capital flight resulted and the recession worsened as a result.
6. Absolute poverty in China has plummeted by 500 million since joining the WTO and embracing globalisation, but this may not be a meaningful increase in the standard of living - wages, work conditions etc.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eIrSSZ13Ktc
Since this Video Foxconn has taken measures to improve employment conditions and trade union power and wages continue to grow in China.
7. Botswana has become wealthy from primary product dependency, diamonds in this case.
8. Japan has a 777% tax (approx) on imported rice. This may come to an end though as Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's reforms aim to liberalise and introduce more competition into the Japanese economy. Japan is also deliberately devaluing its currency and in engaging in large scale QE to escape two decades of deflation - it appeared to have succeeded.
Japan protected its infant microchip companies to achieve high rates of growth through developing its comparative advantage in this area through protectionism.
9. Countries such as Jamaica were mired in debt, debt cancellation has improved their economic development as Jamaica can spend money, previously allocated to debt interest repayments, on education and health.
10. It is very difficult for landlocked countries with poor transport infrastructure, such as Mali in africa, to gain from trade - neighbouring intra trade agreements needs to be the focus for it to be able to grow as on a global scale transport costs would eclipse the gains from trade. 80% of Mali's workforce is employed in agriculture.
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