Econ 104 Essay 3

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University of Massachusetts, Amherst *

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104

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Economics

Date

May 8, 2024

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docx

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4

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4/4/2022 The Classical Macroeconomic Model Vs. the Keynesian Macroeconomic Model To begin, classical economics was created based on the ideas present during the Enlightenment, otherwise known as the age of reason. According to chapter 8 of the textbook, “With its foundation of Enlightenment thinking, the Classical macroeconomic model reflects the desire for individual freedom, social equality, and economic growth” (Van den Berg). The primary goal of the classical macroeconomic model was to put an emphasis on reason, rational thinking, and individualism, which were ideas that were very relevant during the Enlightenment. A key factor of the classical model was that it relied on the idea of the invisible hand of the market, as well as Say’s law. In summary, the classical model believes that the economy is always at full employment and that wages and prices are always flexible. Next, the Keynesian macroeconomic model was created by John Maynard Keynes, a prominent economist during the Great Depression. This model was created because Keynes rejected the ideas presented by the classical model. Keynes believed that his model better represented the ever changing economy, especially after observing many patterns and changes caused by the Great Depression. In response to this depression, the Keynesian model was designed to better manage demand, as well as prevent economic recessions. This can be better represented by the aggregate demand function, which explains how government, investment, and consumer demand are related to income (Van den Berg, Chapter 9). Because of the characteristics of this model, the economy can get stuck at a level far below its capacity when unemployment rates are higher than usual. 1
4/4/2022 Now to compare both models, the classical model is thought to be more stable because there are less variables and characteristics to affect the model, while the Keynesian model is more unstable because of all of the characteristics that it takes into account. Also, the Keynesian model was thought to be more static rather than dynamic because Keynes relied on assumptions of certain elements (Van den Berg, Chapter 9). The Keynesian model is more dynamic because it uses techniques that constantly re-evaluate the economy to get more accurate and changing information. Because of the way that the Keynesian models take more variables into account, it is a more holistic model than the classical model. This model of macroeconomics is more narrow, because it makes assumptions about the economy over the long run. Next, between both of these models, the Kenesian model is better grounded because while it makes assumptions, the model is based on real world observations. The classical model is not well grounded by observations, because even though the initial assumptions were accepted, classical models did not strive to be logical (Van den Berg, Chapter 8). Because of the way that both of these models make assumptions, the Keynesian model focuses on the short run, looking primarily at expansions and recessions, while the classical model focuses on the long run, assuming that resources are fully employed. Both of these models are useful for explaining the inner workings of the economy, but the Keynesian model is more useful because it focuses on facts and observations rather than assumptions. Lastly, the dialectic approach can contribute to our understanding of the macroeconomy because dialectic processes are ever changing, and they give a better immediate reading of the economy. The dialectic approach can give us readings and predictions that will better prepare the economy for the future. 2
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