International Economics

Critical examination of the on-going oil price volatility. Its economic impacts and policy implications. A case study of USA You are required to make a presentation around the specifics of this topic and the answer must demonstrate a sound application of relevant economic theories and concepts. As a guide, individual answering questions on oil price volatility must adapt his/her presentation to address the following tasks: 1. Identify the country’s key economic sectors and their contributions to the nation’s economy. Discuss the country’s sources of comparative economic advantage and provide a 10 year trend analysis of its key economic indicators (including GDP, debt profile, trade balance, inflation, and exchange rate volatility) among others. 2. Discuss the country’s main import and export items and critically examine their 10-year trend analysis. Highlight the threats and opportunities to the country’s trade and investments and demonstrate a succinct application of relevant trade theories already covered in the class. 3. Summarise what prompted the crisis (e.g. oil price volatility) and critically examine its impacts on the country’s trade, investments, national debt profile and labour market. 4. Critically evaluate the corrective measures being taken by the government to address the challenges and analyse the effectiveness and policy implications of the corrective measures. 5. Provide thoughtful recommendations on how to address the nation’s challenges and reposition the nation’s economy on the path of growth.