Aggregate Supply (AS)

Definition

Aggregate supply (AS) represents the total quantity of goods and services that firms are willing and able to sell at different price levels in an economy during a given time period. It reflects the overall productive capacity of the economy and the willingness of producers to supply their products.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. Aggregate supply is a key component of the AD-AS model, which is used to analyze economic growth, unemployment, and inflation.
2. The shape of the aggregate supply curve reflects the underlying assumptions of the neoclassical and Keynesian perspectives on the economy.
3. In the long run, the aggregate supply curve is vertical, indicating that output is determined by factors such as technology, capital, and the labor force.
4. In the short run, the aggregate supply curve is upward-sloping, reflecting the fact that producers are willing to supply more output at higher price levels.
5. Shifts in aggregate supply can be caused by changes in input prices, productivity, or government policies, and can have significant impacts on economic performance.

Review Questions

• Explain how the AD-AS model incorporates economic growth and its impact on aggregate supply.
  • Economic growth, which is an increase in the economy's productive capacity, leads to a rightward shift in the aggregate supply curve. This shift represents an increase in the quantity of goods and services that firms are willing and able to supply at each price level. As the economy grows, the productive capacity expands, allowing for higher levels of output to be produced, which in turn can lead to lower prices and higher real GDP.
• Describe the policy implications of the neoclassical perspective on aggregate supply and its role in addressing unemployment and inflation.
  • The neoclassical perspective views the economy as naturally tending towards full employment, with aggregate supply being the primary determinant of output and employment. According to this view, policies aimed at stimulating aggregate demand (such as expansionary monetary or fiscal policies) will have limited long-run effects on output and employment, as the economy will ultimately return to its full-employment level of output. Instead, the neoclassical perspective emphasizes the importance of policies that increase the economy's productive capacity, such as investments in education, infrastructure, and technology, as these can lead to a rightward shift in the aggregate supply curve and a reduction in both unemployment and inflationary pressures.
• Analyze how changes in aggregate supply can impact the trade-off between inflation and unemployment, as described by the Phillips curve.
  • The Phillips curve describes the inverse relationship between inflation and unemployment, suggesting that policymakers face a trade-off between these two macroeconomic objectives. However, the AD-AS model and the neoclassical perspective provide a more nuanced understanding of this relationship. Specifically, shifts in aggregate supply can lead to changes in both inflation and unemployment. For example, a positive supply shock, such as an increase in productivity, would shift the aggregate supply curve to the right, leading to lower prices and higher output, which could reduce both inflation and unemployment simultaneously. Conversely, a negative supply shock, such as a rise in input prices, would shift the aggregate supply curve to the left, leading to higher prices and lower output, which could increase both inflation and unemployment. Understanding these dynamics is crucial for policymakers in designing effective policies to address the inflation-unemployment trade-off.

Related terms

Aggregate Demand (AD): Aggregate demand is the total demand for all goods and services in an economy at a given time and price level.

Potential GDP: Potential GDP is the level of real GDP that an economy can produce when labor and capital are fully employed, without creating inflationary pressures.

Short-Run Aggregate Supply (SRAS): Short-run aggregate supply is the relationship between the quantity of real output supplied and the price level, assuming that at least one factor of production is fixed.