[ { "post_id": "604", "post_category_id": "25", "post_title": "Practice Questions", "post_content_short": "Unit 2, Topic 2<\/strong>
\n\t
\n\tUsing the Measuring\n\tWhat Matters framework<\/a> from\n\tthe ABS, evaluate the extent to which Australia has achieved improved living standards by selecting two of the five themes.
\n\t
\n\t
\n\tUnit 4, Topic 2<\/strong>
\n\t
\n\tIn September 2025, a major mining operation in Queensland announced plans to cut around 750 jobs. The company cited increased state mining\n\troyalties and weak global demand as reasons for the decision. The closure is expected to affect local employment, small businesses in the\n\tregion, and state government revenue.
\n\tBHP\n\talliance to sack 750 workers, blaming Qld government mining royalties - ABC News<\/a><\/u>\n\n

Using the stimulus, explain how developments in the mining sector can affect aggregate demand in the Australian economy.", "post_icon": "", "post_content_type": "page", "post_content_url": "https:\/\/www.qeta.com.au\/news\/practice-questions\/practice-questions\/", "post_date": "2025-09-18 21:45:00" }, { "post_id": "603", "post_category_id": "8", "post_title": "The power of consumer power | AP News", "post_content_short": "The power of consumer power<\/strong>
\n\t(Unit 1 and Unit 2)<\/em>\n\n

\n\tDoes supply determine demand, or does demand determine what is supplied, and how much?<\/em>
\n\t
\n\tCosts of Production: Kraft\n\tHeinz undoes blockbuster merger after a decade of changing tastes<\/a> |\n\tAP News Sept. 2, 2025<\/em>
\n\t
\n\tWhen the company formed in 2015, it wanted to capitalize on its massive scale. But shifting tastes complicated those plans, with households\n\tseeking out healthier options. The economies of scale that Berkshire Hathaway and 3G Capital envisioned for Kraft Heinz never materialized.\n\tAs the behemoth struggles to adapt to changing consumer tastes, the company has announced $300 million dollar plans to split.\n", "post_icon": null, "post_content_type": "url", "post_content_url": "https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/kraft-heinz-oscar-mayer-lunchables-79a6fe0491da98bcda8c77a8227994c3?__s=e1by508dhkpq0wft1e4g", "post_date": "2025-09-18 21:45:00" }, { "post_id": "601", "post_category_id": "25", "post_title": "Practice Questions", "post_content_short": "Unit 4
\nExplain how fiscal policy can be used to reduce cyclical unemployment during an economic downturn.
\n
\nUnit 2
\nExplain how a subsidy on electric vehicles may improve market efficiency. In your response, refer to market failure, externalities, and the\nrole of government intervention.", "post_icon": "", "post_content_type": "page", "post_content_url": "https:\/\/www.qeta.com.au\/news\/practice-questions\/practice-questions\/", "post_date": "2025-09-18 21:45:00" }, { "post_id": "598", "post_category_id": "25", "post_title": "Practice Questions", "post_content_short": "Unit 4
\nDraw two models to show how an economy may move from optimal level of economic growth to "stagflation conditions". Explain a hypothetical event which may cause this to happen and one economic policy which could be implemented to address it. 
\n
\nUnit 2
\nExplain the concept of the "tragedy of the commons," using a real or hypothetical example, and propose a potential government\npolicy which can be used to reduce its impacts. ", "post_icon": null, "post_content_type": "page", "post_content_url": "https:\/\/www.qeta.com.au\/news\/practice-questions\/practice-questions\/", "post_date": "2025-07-31 04:10:20" }, { "post_id": "595", "post_category_id": "25", "post_title": "Practice Questions", "post_content_short": "Unit 4
\n1. Explain the concept of leading, lagging and coincident indicators providing two examples of each. 
\n
\nUnit 2
\n1. Explain the concepts of negative and positive externalities using casino games (negative) and youth sports (positive) as examples. Draw a price mechanism model for each showing these externalities. 
\n
", "post_icon": null, "post_content_type": "none", "post_content_url": null, "post_date": "2025-07-24 04:31:51" }, { "post_id": "594", "post_category_id": "8", "post_title": "Too many small businesses in construction? | CEDA", "post_content_short": "CEDA (Committ for Economic Development in Australia)  has producers a fascinating report on productivity in the construction industry\n(or relative lackthereof), highlighting the high proportion of small businesses and the associated challenges things like lack of scale has\non housing supply. According to the report, tax incentives favour construction workers to start small businesses, and incentivises small\nbusinesses to stay small -- both factors preventing the growth of more productive larger scale construction companies. For those digging\ninto the price mechanism or microeconomic reform, this could provide some excellent food for thought. Here's\na quick video,<\/a>\nand below is the report. ", "post_icon": null, "post_content_type": "url", "post_content_url": "https:\/\/www.ceda.com.au\/researchandpolicies\/research\/workforce-skills\/size-matters-why-construction-productivity-is-so-weak", "post_date": "2025-07-24 04:26:05" }, { "post_id": "593", "post_category_id": "8", "post_title": "Future Releases | ABS", "post_content_short": "It'll be interesting to see the Monthly CPI data which comes out next week -- 30th of July. As many of you likely have seen, there's a\nbelief that the RBA's "shock decision" to keep the cash rate unchanged a couple weeks ago was to hold out and see this monthly inflation figure. Unemployment was released last week, ticking up a little bit, supposedly fueling even stronger forecasts of an August rate\ncut. Interesting times ahead for those learning about monetary policy. 
\n
\nIn any the ABS revamped their website over the last year, making\nit quite easy to track and flag upcoming data releases<\/a>.\nFor how this relates to pedagogy, if your students have a tendency to look up articles first, which means they often parrot other peoples\nanalysis rather than conduct their own, then jumping on the data as soon as it is released may help. Sometimes key indicators are released\nduring class, which means we can try to write our analysis before the media pushes it out. ", "post_icon": null, "post_content_type": "url", "post_content_url": "https:\/\/www.abs.gov.au\/release-calendar\/future-releases", "post_date": "2025-07-24 04:12:29" }, { "post_id": "592", "post_category_id": "25", "post_title": "Practice Questions", "post_content_short": "Unit 4
\n1. Explain the impact of historically high wage growth in relation to business productivity and cost-push inflation.
\n2. Would a reduction in income taxes be considered a macroeconomic or microeconomic policy? Make the case for both. 
\n
\nUnit 2
\nExplain how a widening gap in income inequality may weaken the effectiveness of expansionary fiscal or monetary policy regarding stimulating\neconomic growth.", "post_icon": null, "post_content_type": "none", "post_content_url": null, "post_date": "2025-07-17 04:01:01" }, { "post_id": "588", "post_category_id": "8", "post_title": "Unemployment rises to 4.3% | ABS", "post_content_short": "It turns out that evidence is ramping up further that the RBA may lower interest rates at the next meeting. The\nABS has just released new labour market data<\/a>\nshowing that the unemployment rate has risen from 4.1% to 4.3% (seasonally adjusted).  The ABC here examines key drivers, including global supply surprises and domestic wage growth, and evaluates the Reserve Bank’s policy responses. Market forecasts, business sentiment, and household impacts are also discussed, so there's a tonne for classrooms to unpack much of the economic cycle, monetary policy and the\ncircular flow of income. ", "post_icon": null, "post_content_type": "url", "post_content_url": "https:\/\/youtu.be\/8csW2vxqaTM?si=guX2BaVdisJbW_05", "post_date": "2025-07-17 03:53:36" }, { "post_id": "587", "post_category_id": "25", "post_title": "Practice Questions", "post_content_short": "Economic Management
\n1. Explain how the Australian government might use fiscal policy to respond to a recession. In your answer, discuss the potential benefits\nand risks of increasing government spending during economic downturns.
\n2. Describe how the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) uses monetary policy to control inflation. Evaluate why lowering interest rates\nmight help the economy but could also have some negative effects.
\n
\nInequality
\n1. Explain the difference between income inequality and wealth inequality. Discuss one way the Australian government might try to\nreduce these inequalities and why it could be effective or not.", "post_icon": "", "post_content_type": "page", "post_content_url": "https:\/\/www.qeta.com.au\/news\/practice-questions\/practice-questions\/", "post_date": "2025-06-18 00:52:24" }, { "post_id": "586", "post_category_id": "8", "post_title": "Key Economic and Social Indicators (KESI) | APH", "post_content_short": "We have a new source for economic data!!!
\n
\nIt's not entirely new actually, but APH's KESI has received a pretty significant renovation. The\nKey Economic & Social Indicators (KESI) dashboard from the Australian Parliamentary Library<\/a>\noffers an interactive snapshot of Australia’s latest economic and social data—covering areas like employment, GDP, household and foreign\ndebt, wages, prices, and business conditions. The updated design makes it incredibly easy to scale to specific timelines, something that\nshoul dbe super handy when trying to format stimulus. This tool is invaluable: it presents real-world statistics in a clear, accessible\nformat, allows users to download data files, and supports deeper analysis of trends affecting Australian society.", "post_icon": "", "post_content_type": "url", "post_content_url": "https:\/\/www.aph.gov.au\/About_Parliament\/Parliamentary_departments\/Parliamentary_Library\/Statistics_and_Maps\/Dashboards", "post_date": "2025-06-18 00:48:51" }, { "post_id": "585", "post_category_id": "8", "post_title": "Iron Ore in Decline | ABC News", "post_content_short": "The Business ran an interesting story looking at recent trends and related global issues placing downward pressure on the value of iron ore.\nAustralia’s iron ore exports are losing value as weaker demand from China and rising global supply push prices down. This decline could hit government revenue and the broader economy hard. While a rebound is possible if China boosts stimulus, long-term challenges remain. To stay\ncompetitive, Australia may need to shift toward higher-grade production and diversify its mining sector. Watch\nthe full story to see what’s at stake<\/a>. Students\nmay find this interesting as it shows how global events can directly impact Australia’s economy and living standards. It also links to key\ntopics in our syllabus like trade, government revenue, and structural change.", "post_icon": "", "post_content_type": "url", "post_content_url": "https:\/\/youtu.be\/caFqBKsw3ag?si=hX7FHmquJ-LFW-Vs", "post_date": "2025-06-18 00:37:35" }, { "post_id": "584", "post_category_id": "8", "post_title": "Solar Panel Waste | ABC News", "post_content_short": "Here's a short news bite for anyone looking at environmental economics. There seems to be an emerging problem with how to dispose of solar\npanels at their end of life. What might be a novel problem for most of us, the management of this may serve as an engaging deep-dive related\nto ecological sustainable development and product life cycles. ", "post_icon": "", "post_content_type": "url", "post_content_url": "https:\/\/youtu.be\/SYXuwTk_q8A?si=2xk7NRmxmVnyKPr_", "post_date": "2025-06-18 00:27:14" }, { "post_id": "582", "post_category_id": "25", "post_title": "Practice Questions", "post_content_short": "Unit 4
\n1. Draw and explain a LRAS\/AD model, and a Long-run Phillips Curve model, to show the concept of "stagflation". 
\n2. Suggest and explain 3 economic indicators, that are not GDP, unemployment or CPI, and how they may be trending, to allow us to infer that stagflation may be occuring. 
\n
\nUnit 2
\n1. Explain the concept of "the tragedy of the commons" using an example that is not over-fishing or over-hunting. 
\n2. Identify and explain two negative impacts of historically increasing wealth inequality. 
", "post_icon": "", "post_content_type": "page", "post_content_url": "https:\/\/www.qeta.com.au\/news\/practice-questions\/practice-questions\/", "post_date": "2025-06-12 01:50:36" }, { "post_id": "581", "post_category_id": "8", "post_title": "Why Australia's Economy is Stalling | TLDR News Global", "post_content_short": "Here's a great video that seniors may find especially interesting...and depressing. Judging on my classes' reactions this is one of\n\tthe more thought\/discourse provoking videos in recent times -- especially for stat\/indicator heavy videos. It's 3 weeks old as well,\n\tso about as current as they come. \n\n

\n\tTLDR News (British News\/Commentary YouTube Channel) discusses the challenges\n\tfacing the Australian economy<\/a>,\n\twhich, despite a long period of significant growth, is now showing signs of strain. While the overall Gross Domestic Product (GDP) appears\n\tto be increasing, this is largely attributed to factors like immigration and government spending. A more concerning trend highlighted is\n\tthe decline in GDP per capita and disposable incomes. This has even led to concerns from credit rating agencies regarding Australia's\n\tfiscal responsibility.\n\n

\n\tThey do a great job of explaining several key factors contributing to this economic slowdown. Things like declining productivity, a\n\tsevere housing crisis impacting affordability and living standards, and the potential impact of shifts in the global economy, particularly\n\twith major trading partners. These combined factors, along with slower export growth and a reliance on temporary revenue sources, paint a\n\tchallenging picture for Australia's future economic prospects.\n\n

\n\tThere's a lot of analysis and evaluation as we know it. We even started interrogating some of the sources for validity to form\n\t"counter points" which we tend to think of as "critical economic reasoning". For example, students can discuss\n\twhether Australia is as labour-intensive as the other countries, and how that factors into labour productivity. One table suggested\n\tthat maybe since Australia's industry is so service-based, that perhaps "labour productivity" may be lower than other\n\teconomies that have more capital-intensive industries. In other words, the question was raised -- surely a factory with mostly robots\n\tmaking widgets with a small number of human workers is more "productive" than health clinics, schools and law firms, if you\n\tmeasure productivity by output produced by hour of human labour.<\/em>\n\n

\n\tFascinating stuff, and how great is it that a room full of teenagers are smart enough to shake their heads at the sight of some line\n\tgraphs. \n\n


<\/em>", "post_icon": "", "post_content_type": "url", "post_content_url": "https:\/\/youtu.be\/QgR2nxrfKVI?si=9ApGEhqUPR_1Qj15", "post_date": "2025-06-12 01:44:33" }, { "post_id": "579", "post_category_id": "25", "post_title": "Practice Questions", "post_content_short": "Market Structures and Microeconomic Reform
\n\t1. Compare and contrast the incentives for innovation in perfect competition versus monopolistic competition. Justify why one might foster\n\tmore innovation than the other
\n\t2. Oligopolies can lead to either "intense competition or cooperation." Discuss the potential benefits and drawbacks for consumers\n\twhen oligopolistic firms choose to cooperate (e.g., collusion) rather than compete fiercely.\n\n
", "post_icon": "", "post_content_type": "none", "post_content_url": null, "post_date": "2025-06-04 07:34:42" }, { "post_id": "578", "post_category_id": "8", "post_title": "RBA Assistant Governor Speech to ESA Queensland | ESA", "post_content_short": "In this speech to the Economic Society of Australia (Queensland), Sarah Hunter, Assistant Governor (Economic), explores the\ninterconnectedness of global and domestic economies, and outlines the RBA’s analytical framework for navigating economic uncertainty and informing monetary policy decisions. Some fortunate students were able to attend as well highlighted by some brilliant Q&A discussion.\nKey topics discussed were uncertainty, inflation, employment and of course international tensions.", "post_icon": "", "post_content_type": "url", "post_content_url": "https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=ZxpQLvegqoQ", "post_date": "2025-06-04 07:33:01" }, { "post_id": "577", "post_category_id": "8", "post_title": "Housing Value Index 02 Jun | CoreLogic", "post_content_short": "With a couple of interest rate cuts this year, and many of us teaching the price mechanism and\/or monetary policy, CoreLogic sure is coming in handy. This article from CoreLogic\nprovides an accessible overview of recent trends in Australia’s housing market<\/a>,\nhighlighting national patterns and key economic influences on property values. It offers insights into how markets respond to factors like\ninterest rates, consumer confidence, and affordability—making it a valuable resource for high school economics students studying real-world\napplications of demand and supply, monetary policy, and economic indicators. The article helps students link theoretical models to current\nevents, encouraging critical thinking about the housing sector’s role in the broader economy. It's a useful classroom discussion tool for\nboth macroeconomic and microeconomic concepts.", "post_icon": "", "post_content_type": "url", "post_content_url": "https:\/\/www.corelogic.com.au\/news-research\/news\/2025\/housing-values-continue-to-rise-as-growth-trends-converge-across-the-capital-cities?utm_campaign=13600422-AU%20Gated%20-%20Home%20Value%20Index&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-8_0tokW9ub2R48ysazdpi93Y5_", "post_date": "2025-06-04 07:25:46" }, { "post_id": "576", "post_category_id": "25", "post_title": "Inflationary and Deflationary Gaps | Jacob Clifford", "post_content_short": "Here's another perennial classic!
\nI imagine there may be a lot of senior students out there trying to wrap their heads around the Long-Run\nAggregate Supply Curve<\/a>\nas they lean into the depths of Unit 4. As a go-to, Jacob Clifford's Youtube channel is one of the better explainer videos out there in\nterms of covering inflationary, deflationary and optimal levels of output across our AS\/AD models. Some of the language may be a bit\ndifferent from our Australian vocabulary, but the concepts are the same. 
\n
", "post_icon": "", "post_content_type": "url", "post_content_url": "https:\/\/youtu.be\/a2azB2eag5I?si=VUQXdpPHGB2oQg8a", "post_date": "2025-06-04 07:21:31" }, { "post_id": "575", "post_category_id": "8", "post_title": "Practice Questions", "post_content_short": "Market Structure
\n\t1. Explain one way a monopoly can negatively impact consumers. Provide an example to support your answer.
\n\t2. What is a key difference between a monopoly and an oligopoly? How might this difference affect pricing and competition?\n\n

\n\tMacroeconomic Objectives
\n\t1. Define the natural rate of unemployment and explain why it is not considered zero. Include one type of unemployment that contributes\n\tto it.\n", "post_icon": "", "post_content_type": "page", "post_content_url": "https:\/\/www.qeta.com.au\/news\/practice-questions\/practice-questions\/", "post_date": "2025-05-29 05:43:13" }, { "post_id": "574", "post_category_id": "8", "post_title": "Future Ready with AI | UQ", "post_content_short": "Educators looking to harness the power of AI in their teaching and administration are invited to a full-day professional development event\nat the University of Queensland. This engaging session offers practical tools and insights designed to help participants integrate AI effectively into the classroom and streamline everyday tasks. With a focus on real-world applications, the event empowers educators to\nenhance their practice and stay ahead in a rapidly evolving digital landscape.
\n
\nEven better, UQ has offered QETA members a 20% discount – just use the code UQSNET20 during the registration for the discount to apply.
\n
\nEvent: <\/strong>Future Ready with AI
\nDate:<\/strong> Thursday 24 July 2025
", "post_icon": "", "post_content_type": "url", "post_content_url": "https:\/\/uqschoolsnet.com.au\/event\/session\/724", "post_date": "2025-05-29 05:40:58" }, { "post_id": "570", "post_category_id": "8", "post_title": "Practice Questions", "post_content_short": "Unit 4
\nImagine an economy that is currently facing an inflationary gap. Explain using both an LRAS\/AD model and a Longrun Phillips Curve why, in\nthe absence of government intervention, inflationary pressures may continue to increase. 
\n
\nUnit 2
\nExplain these concepts
\n1. Tragedy of the commons
\n2. Demerit goods
\n3. Perfect competition
\n4. Allocative efficiency", "post_icon": "", "post_content_type": "page", "post_content_url": "https:\/\/www.qeta.com.au\/news\/practice-questions\/practice-questions\/", "post_date": "2025-05-22 04:26:37" }, { "post_id": "569", "post_category_id": "8", "post_title": "What’s New in Economics for the Real World Units 3 & 4? | Cengage & Free Textbook!", "post_content_short": "Cengage are offering a free webinar for teachers interested in the Unit 3 & 4 Textbook update, on Thursday 29th<\/sup> of\nMay via Teams from 4:00 – 5:00 pm. The session will highlight the refreshed chapter structure and key updates including the\nnew chapter devoted to success in the external exam.  Those who attend this webinar in full will receive one free resource of the\nnew Economics for the Real World <\/strong>upon publication. Register\nfor webinar<\/a><\/strong>", "post_icon": "", "post_content_type": "url", "post_content_url": "https:\/\/events.teams.microsoft.com\/event\/4540b55f-21ce-4a94-a31f-e1e670566c64@f2decbd0-6479-4935-a9f0-5b8ec8ca9ec7", "post_date": "2025-05-22 04:21:08" }, { "post_id": "568", "post_category_id": "8", "post_title": "Explore Economics | RBA Education", "post_content_short": "One of the other great newsletters out there comes from the RBA itself<\/a>. Those in the known may have already seen the RBA’s Explore Economics<\/em><\/a>\ninitiative provides a valuable suite of resources aimed at encouraging students to engage with economics by highlighting its relevance to real-world issues. The page includes accessible explainer videos on key topics like inflation, monetary policy, and the role of the\nRBA—ideal for reinforcing classroom learning.
\n
\nTeachers will also find downloadable posters to prompt critical thinking, and videos featuring RBA economists sharing their career pathways to inspire students, and a "Careers\nin STEM"<\/a> to showcase career pathways in Economics. This initiative is especially useful for demonstrating the practical application of economics and helping students see its role in addressing challenges such as sustainability, productivity, and economic well-being.", "post_icon": "", "post_content_type": "url", "post_content_url": "https:\/\/www.rba.gov.au\/education\/explore-economics\/", "post_date": "2025-05-22 04:18:35" }, { "post_id": "567", "post_category_id": "8", "post_title": "Cash Rate Target Lowered by 25 basis points | RBA", "post_content_short": "We have a new cash rate! Unit 4 is my favourite of our syllabus. It means that what is happening at a federal level whether through fiscal or monetary policy is directly related to what our students are learning. As such, earlier this week the Reserve Bank decided to lower\nthe cash rate target by 25 basis points to 3.85 per cent. For those that are new to teaching Unit 4, a mainstay activity is for students to read and unpack the RBA Governor Michelle Bullock's statement on monetary policy. The goal is is to examine the commentary\nand analysis on the performance all of the economic indicators mentioned as a way of consolidating learning and absorbing key language. My classes did this exact thing this week. If it helps here are the instructions I wrote on the board:
\n
\n1. Go this website<\/a> and copy the text into your\nnotes
\n2. Highlight every economic indicator mentioned as:
\n- Green = "increasing economic activity"
\n- Red = "decreasing economic activity"
\n- Yellow = "....hard to tell"
\n3. Define every theory drop (i.e., "Aggregate Demand")
\n4. Based purely on the statement, draw an economic cycle model and note where the economy is
\n
\n
", "post_icon": "", "post_content_type": "url", "post_content_url": "https:\/\/www.rba.gov.au\/media-releases\/2025\/mr-25-13.html", "post_date": "2025-05-22 04:11:02" } ]