Monday, August 14, 2017

How Classical Economists viewed about economy?


Classical economists are the economists from Adam Smith until 1930's where the Great Depression took place. They formed the base of economics and from which Keynesian and post Keynesian(modern) economics were developed. Classical economists in their approach of  theories, assumed certain economic units to be given. French economists J.B Say's theory is regarded as one of the foundation of classical economic though beside the thought of Adam Smith There were many assumptions in their theories in which all the classicists agreed. The assumptions are given below:
  • Full Employment of resources: Classical economists assumed that all the available resources are fully utilized. Full employment here is only limited to the human resources not all the natural resources available for productive processes. It means people who are able and willing to work at the current wage rate can find job easily and are employed without any hindrance. Only involuntary unemployment is prevailed. Involuntary employment here means people who have ability to work but do not want work. Full employment for classicists implies for around 95%-96%. 
  • Laissez faire policy: Classical economists believed that an economy is Laissez faire which means that there is no any government intervention in the market. Classical economists focused heavily on privatization and capitalization and created limited role of government in the markets. They argued that government should have limited role in the economy. Classicists advocated that resources are more rationally utilized by private sectors rather than the government.
  • Self adjusting nature: Classical economists viewed economy as self adjusting in nature. There is no state of disequilibrium in the economy. There always remains equilibrium between two opposite ends according to classical economists. As there is full employment of resources, everyone will generate income through production of goods and services which results in no poverty and no overproduction or underproduction. Similarly wage rate, interest, and output also remains in equilibrium.
  • Role of money: For classical economists, role of money was very limited. Money was only invented for the transaction of goods and services. People earned money either for spending or for the investment(which ultimately leads expenditure towards factors of production). Money do not play significant role in determining the output and employment. 
  • Long-run: Long run period means the time period in which a producer/entrepreneur can expand its investment through increasing its labor as well as capital resources. Economy was always considered in long run time. Every theories of classical economists assumed the duration of long run time period. They ignored the fact that huge changes appear also in the short duration and perceived long run point of view. 
  • Expandable market: Classical economists imagined that the market is expandable in nature. The market is very flexible and can be expanded according to the view of classical economists.
Classical economists idealized the markets beyond the limits and were like the teenagers enjoying the world of fantasy. They did not recognize that the markets face several problems and it has to be controlled through different measures as nothing in the world can be self adjusting. Too much simplicity of the economy ruined the whole world and their extreme simplicity towards the economy lead them towards huge destruction and the Great Depression of 1930's prevailed which created a significant impact in the world. John Maynard Keynes also known as the savior of the Great Depression, had heavily criticized the classical view of economy.

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