对几个经济学问题的回答

3. Profs. Jan Fidrmuc and Jark Fidrmuc wrote this to The Economist (March 7, 2009): "... we found that bilateral trade between European countries depends positively on the probability that two randomly chosen individuals, one from each country, would be able to communicate in English. We predicted that if knowledge of English in all European countries increased by ten percentage points, European trade would rise by 15% on average. Bringing all European countries up to the level of proficiency enjoyed by the Dutch could increase European trade by up to 70%." Do you agree? Why or why not? NOTES: international trade transaction costs. Yes ,I do . I think this is a topic about free and limited international trade, and if we can understand the benefits of international trade, we will agree that they will trade enough to make benefits, according to the theory of international or bilateral trade, to be simple , most of the gains from trade result from allocating resources in the most efficient manner and from the reduction in the social opportunity cost—each geographic area produces and exchanges those things for which it is best suited to produce. By this, joint output is maximized and consumption opportunities are enhanced. However, bilateral trade often have to face some problems ,and economists call them trade restrictions, and tariffs and quotas and two obvious examples of that, and communication limit is also some kind of trade restriction , they both reduce the market supply, raise the market price, encourage domestic production, and help domestic producers and harming domestic consumers. Language problem, however, is some kind of natural barrier, and it often causes extra transaction costs.if a firm in an European country A wants to sell some products or services to another European country B whose English culture is very different from that of country A, then it will have to hire a translator or some other intermediary organs to help realize the trade, and It costs, and thereby it increases the cost for the sellers and prices and then reduces the trading volume. According to this ,it‘s not difficult to understand that ―if knowledge of English in all European countries increased by ten percentage points, European trade would rise by 15% on average. Bringing all European countries up to the level of proficiency enjoyed by the Dutch could increase European trade by up to 70%‖. Of course ,maybe the figures will be a little smaller or larger than that in real world, at least it will be the expectant trend. 4. From the NY Times (Sep 26, 2010): ―Wage Laws Squeeze South Africa‘s Poor …NEWCASTLE, South Africa — The sheriff arrived at the factory here to shut it down, part of a national enforcement drive against clothing manufacturers who violate the minimum wage. But women working on the factory floor — the supposed beneficiaries of the crackdown — clambered atop cutting tables and ironing boards to raise anguished cries against it. ‗Why? Why?‘ shouted Nokuthula Masango, 25, after the authorities carted away bolts of gaily colored fabric. She made just $36 a week, $21 less than the minimum wage, but needed the meager pay to help support a large extended family that includes her five unemployed siblings and their children.‖ Can you explain? NOTES: minimum-wage law Obviously ,the governments think that the meager pay that some poor people get is far less than they deserve, so to make it fair, or at least to make it seems more fair, they develop the minimum-wage law to set the price floor for the market of the labor market, in fact ,the less skilled labor market, because the price of skilled labor is higher than the minimum-wage, and the law has no effect on the markets. However, just like that in the case that happened in south Africa, ―Wage Laws Squeeze South Africa‘s Poor‖ may not be the real intention of the governments but it is indeed the outcome. To understand this ,we should consider work as one kind of commodity , and according the demand and supply theory ,the increase of price would significantly reduce employment of the country‘s low skilled workers. As a result, only part of the workers manage to keep their jobs at the minimum wage, and they become better off, and their take-home pay will increase, however, other low skilled workers may no longer have a job, they will either become permanently unemployed or settle for work in a different, less desirable labor market. If the minimum wage displaces them from their preferred employment to their next- best alternative, their full wage rate—that is, their money wage plus the nonmonetary benefits of their job—will have been reduced. If they become permanently unemployed, their money wage will have been reduced from a level judged politically unacceptable to zero. And this is often not the only problem caused by minimum wage law, to make matters worse, the the introduction of a minimum wage increases the number of laborers willing to work, which means the supply increases and the competitors of offering work rise, so to sum up, it is reasonable that Nokuthula Masango clambered atop cutting tables and ironing boards to raise anguished cries against the minimum wage law‘s execution. 7. From The Economist (Sep 17, 2011): ―The enrichment of previously poor countries is the most inspiring development of our time. It is also worrying. The environment is already under strain. What will happen when the global population rises from 7 billion today to 9.3 billion in 2050 … and a growing proportion of these people can afford goods that were once reserved for the elite? Can the planet support so much economic activity?‖ Do you agree? Why or Why not? NOTES: human capital ,technology, institution and natural resources are all limited Yes ,I agree with the economists who say the enrichment of previously poor countries is also worrying, because china is a good example of this, for the last 30 years, china has seen its rapidly economic development, and many Chinese have been better off, they can enjoy more food, and they can drive their own cars to work, however, the sacrifice is also tremendous, the polluted air and water and the derived health issues have become the most worrying problems of citizens in china, yes, the growing of economy causes the environment to be under strain., and it will be hard for the planet to support continuous development.To some extent, I admit that our economy can keep growing by increased input of human capital, I mean the ideas, the skills of some ones , and also the experience, or by