Overheating of an
economy
An economy is an area of the production, distribution and trade, as well as consumption of goods and services. In general, it is defined as a social domain that emphasize the practices, discourses, and material expressions associated with the p ...
occurs when its
productive capacity Productive capacity is the maximum possible output of an economy. According to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), no agreed-upon definition of maximum output exists. UNCTAD itself proposes: "the productive ''resources'' ...
is unable to keep pace with growing
aggregate demand
In macroeconomics, aggregate demand (AD) or domestic final demand (DFD) is the total demand for final goods and services in an economy at a given time. It is often called effective demand, though at other times this term is distinguished. This is ...
. It is generally characterised by a below-average rate of
economic growth
Economic growth can be defined as the increase or improvement in the inflation-adjusted market value of the goods and services produced by an economy in a financial year. Statisticians conventionally measure such growth as the percent rate of ...
, where growth is occurring at an unsustainable rate.
Boom periods are often characterised by overheating in the economy. An economy is said to be overheated when inflation increases due to prolonged good growth rate and the producers produce in excess thereby creating excess production capacity. The main reason behind overheating is insufficient supply allocation because of excess spending by the people due to increase in consumer wealth.
Causes
High levels of aggregate demand tend to be the cause of overheating. If short run aggregate demand exceeds long run aggregate supply, then the excess
demand
In economics, demand is the quantity of a good that consumers are willing and able to purchase at various prices during a given time. The relationship between price and quantity demand is also called the demand curve. Demand for a specific item ...
for goods must be met via the over-employment of resources. This may be achieved by employing workers for extra shifts or using machinery beyond their recommended working hours. This type of production is considered unsustainable because the over-employment cannot be supported indefinitely. Overheating can be prevented by means of constant infrastructure expansion to eliminate bottlenecks.
Effects
Overheating is generally preceded by lower than average economic growth.
Demand pull inflation occurs as suppliers try to capitalize on the excess demand which cannot be met via existing production constraints. These higher prices tend to reduce aggregate demand and
exports
An export in international trade is a good produced in one country that is sold into another country or a service provided in one country for a national or resident of another country. The seller of such goods or the service provider is an ...
(since goods and services become more expensive abroad) leading to reduced consumption.
Central bank
A central bank, reserve bank, or monetary authority is an institution that manages the currency and monetary policy of a country or monetary union,
and oversees their commercial banking system. In contrast to a commercial bank, a central ba ...
s often simultaneously tighten
monetary policy
Monetary policy is the policy adopted by the monetary authority of a nation to control either the interest rate payable for very short-term borrowing (borrowing by banks from each other to meet their short-term needs) or the money supply, often ...
in response to increased inflationary pressures, reducing investment expenditure, which in tandem with decreased consumption, can lead to economic
recession
In economics, a recession is a business cycle contraction when there is a general decline in economic activity. Recessions generally occur when there is a widespread drop in spending (an adverse demand shock). This may be triggered by various ...
.
Historical instances
*The
Lawson Boom of the late 1980s/early 90s in the
UK
*
Switzerland
). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...
during the periods of 1962–1967,
1971–1974, 1988–1991
*
Imperial Iran during the Pahlavi dynasty from 1974 to 1978
See also
*
Economic bubble
An economic bubble (also called a speculative bubble or a financial bubble) is a period when current asset prices greatly exceed their intrinsic valuation, being the valuation that the underlying long-term fundamentals justify. Bubbles can be ...
*
Greenspan put
The Greenspan put was a monetary policy response to financial crises that Alan Greenspan, former chair of the Federal Reserve, exercised beginning with the crash of 1987. Successful in addressing various crises, it became controversial as it l ...
*
Hyperinflation
In economics, hyperinflation is a very high and typically accelerating inflation. It quickly erodes the real value of the local currency, as the prices of all goods increase. This causes people to minimize their holdings in that currency as ...
*
Roaring Twenties
The Roaring Twenties, sometimes stylized as Roaring '20s, refers to the 1920s decade in music and fashion, as it happened in Western society and Western culture. It was a period of economic prosperity with a distinctive cultural edge in the U ...
References
External links
Asia Times Online - China's Economy Rides the Razor's Edge
Economic growth
Macroeconomic problems
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