Government Policy Objectives


Economic analysis is concerned with the means of achieving particular economic objective. The choice of the objectives [How people want economic resources to be used in order to satisfy their wants] is a matter of political decision.   While government changes, there will be a difference in the emphasis, but there is a broad general agreement on the main aims.    
They are,
1) Full employment,
2) Price stability,
3) Economic growth,
4) Redistribution of income and wealth,
5) Balance of payments stability.

The first task is to determine the objectives, then the target and then to choose the instruments of policy.  These instruments used are based upon some available range of measures.  
The first aim is full employment, that is, the extent to which there is full employment (of all the resources) in a country. How the economy is utilizing all the resources at an optimum level. The next is the importance of Labour –as a factor of production, the policies regarding employment generation, and the methods to reduce unemployment.   A government will seek to achieve as low unemployment as possible to ensure it is making best use of resources

The second aim is price stability, that is,
The important aspect is that the degree at which a government achieve this in a particular country. Price stability is an important aim of governments, as it can create certainty and encourage investment

The third aim is economic growth, that is,
This information enables to know about the growth of a country.  How growth can be influenced by a government.  How a government could try and increase the rate of economic growth. It helps to compare growth rates in different countries- economic growth has the potential to raise living standards. Study the related causes, benefits and costs of growth.

The fourth aim is the redistribution of income and wealth, that is,
The information about the distribution of income in a country enables us to know about whether the redistribution allows moving the income and wealth from the rich to the poor which reduce poverty. Secondly, how the government is trying and achieves a more equitable distribution of income. Finally it evaluates the extent to which such policies have achieved a redistribution of income over a period of time.

The last aim is balance of payments stability, that is,
The information on the balance of payments of the concerned country’s performance in international trade and it also enable to assess the extent to which there has been stability over a period of time. 
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