University of Washington | Tacoma
Geography 349
Spring 2012

PREPARING  FOR  THE  FIRST  IN-CLASS  TEST

Basically, everything from my online notes, as elaborated in class, and the written exercises is reasonable material for the test:  if I thought it was important enough to write about it myself or to have you write about it, it's important enough for a test.  Here are some specific issues and questions.


You might want to take a look at Test 1 from earlier years.

I'll ask you for a little empirical memorization, from Dicken's Chapter 2.  Specifically, I think you should leave this course knowing
> which 3 countries are the world's largest producers of agricultural products, of manufactured goods, and of services; 
> which country is the world's largest exporter of each type of product; 
> which country is the world's largest importer of each type of product; 
> the rank of the United States in world exports and world imports of agricultural products, merchandise trade, and traded services;  and
> which two countries have the world's largest bilateral trade flow.


Of course, a major purpose of the course is to be able to make sense of these trade flows, so I might ask you to explain -- to make sense of -- those patterns by using any (combination) of the trade "theories" (frameworks or explanations) we've studied.

What is the "old" international division of labor?  What is the New International Division of Labor (NIDL)?

I want you to be able to interpret a trade-balance table, and to understand the relationship among components of the economy (see examples of these online).  Don't bother to memorize any of the numbers presented online;  if I want you to work with such a table, I'll provide the table.

I have repeatedly referred to a key relationship between trade balances and capital flows;  what is that relationship?  How is that relationship manifested on a table of a country's international accounts?

Be very conversant with the neoclassical theory of international trade.  (The online notes and DRS Ch. 6 are especially helpful;  but I've referred to other resources as well). 
> Why is it a "normative" theory? 
> Why is it a "deductive" theory? 
>What basic question does it try to answer? 
> How does it answer that question?  (I.e., be able to explain basic trade theory.)  As you explain this, make use of (and be able to define, if I ask) terms such as "opportunity costs," "comparative advantage,"  "factor proportions," and "gains from trade." 
> What are some of the key assumptions of this approach?  (These are not the simplifying assumptions we used, such as only 2 countries, 2 products, and 2 factors;  or the absence of transportation costs -- those are not the key assumptions, and we can make full use of this model without
those assumptions). 
> In what way(s) might the "real world" differ from each of those key assumptions?
> Understand the concept of factor price equalization, and the limits to it in practice.

What is the Leontief paradox?  What was paradoxical about Leontief's findings?  Understand three ways to resolve the paradox.

Have a basic understanding of the product life cycle of international trade and investment, and how it might help explain the Leontief paradox.

How does "new trade theory" modify the basic neoclassical model?

I will very likely ask you to interpret and to make use of our formula G1 = (A1/B2)(C2/C1) - a1/b1.  There's no need to memorize that set of letters and numbers:  I'd give you that, and I'd tell you that a & b are products, 1 & 2 are countries, etc.  What you're responsible for is the interpretation of these ratios and of each term -- and being able to use the formula.

What does each of the three ratios of the gains-from-trade formula (the formula in red) suggest for government (and perhaps corporate) policies in a country that wants to maximize its gains from trade?  [I.e., I’m looking for three policies, each suggested by one of the three ratios in that formula.]
 
Why might the goal of maximizing exports (e.g., the US exporting as much beef as it possibly can) call for different policy from the goal of maximizing the gains from trade (the US wanting to maximize the number of cameras it gets in return for each unit of beef it exports)?
 
Why might a country want to maximize exports instead of maximizing its gains from trade?

Be able to define the key forms of trade barriers.  DRS Ch. 7 is also useful (but optional).

Be able to speak to the different arguments for trade barriers, from the online notes and DRS Ch. 7. 

What are the basic effects of economic integration?  (Why is it called "economic integration"?)  What is factor price equalization?

Know the three key institutions of multilateral trade liberalization, and the levels of regional economic integration which are allowed by the WTO despite the MFN provision of the WTO.  (Clement et al. pp. 47-54 and Dicken pp. 180-204 are very helpful).  Be able to distinguish trade creation from trade diversion (and here).

Dadush & Nielson suggest what benefits of establishing multilateral trade agreements?  What elements of an "unfinished agenda" for multilateral trade negotiation?

What are the major factors that influence changes in the value of a currency?  How does each influence operate (e.g., in what direction is the influence)?

Why do Ahearn et al. feel that the current pattern of international trade balances is not sustainable?  What adjustment measures to they suggest?


copyright James W. Harrington, Jr.
revised 26 April 2012