thesis is dedicated to the analysis of the results of neoliberal socio-economic policy applied in years 1983-2003 in Australia by governments of formally different political orientations as a part of broader macro and microeconomic...
morethesis is dedicated to the analysis of the results of neoliberal socio-economic policy applied in years 1983-2003 in Australia by governments of formally different political orientations as a part of broader macro and microeconomic reform, which was designed in order to improve competitiveness of Australian economy. I will analyse mostly results of this transformation in such areas as labour market (mainly unemployment), inflation, dynamics of GDP and real wages. My argument is that the American model followed by Australia and also New Zealand has not the real chances to prove it in the Australian conditions and thus had to fail.
In this thesis I also analyse usefulness of solutions characteristic for the American model of the 1980s for Australia and New Zealand. To estimate the success of reforms, having in view the improvement of the competitiveness of economy of a given country, one should at the beginning specify understanding of such key terms as competitiveness of economy, her determinants as well as the ways of her measurement. One should also distinguish the idea of competitive ability from the results of its implementation, that is position, which given economy occupies in a given moment of time, i.e. competitive position. The first is determined by natural resources: human, infrastructure, technology, know how, capital and position of a given economy among the other countries. The second is usually measured using total GNP (or GDP) and GNP (GDP) per capita, share in world trade, the efficiency of work (wider: the productiveness of a given economy).
Estimating the competitiveness of economies of Australia and NZ, I have concentrated on such “classic” measures as: for competitive position - GDP and GDP per capita, efficiency (productivity) of work as well as widely understood conditions of work and pay, including the condition of labour market, and for competitive ability - the broadly understood indicators of economic growth. I have also analysed the social results of reforms, as well as, generally, the usefulness of American model of reforms for different countries (national economies).
On the basis of analysis of statistical data and literature of the subject, I came to conclusion, that the growth of efficiency (productivity) in Australia in the 1980s and 1990s, caused, among other things, by the mentioned reforms, was unstable, and partially broke down in the late part of the 20th century, when according to many estimates the level of that efficiency returned to the level of the 1970s, and so from before the reforms. According to some experts, it even returned to the level lower than in the 1960s.
The neo-liberal reforms in Australia and New Zealand improved, without any doubts, competitiveness of economies of those countries, especially their competitive position as measured by such indicators as GDP and GDP per capita and official unemployment rate, as well as their competitive ability as measured by such indicators as dynamics of GDP and GDP per capita. However, those reforms caused also a number of negative phenomena, such as the chronic deficits of current account balance, and for this reason very serious growth of foreign debts, which in turn negatively influences (by the way of high interest rates) the economic growth of those countries. The analysed reforms brought also enlarged levels of social stratification, and thus increased level of social tensions. Therefore, exact specification of their influence on quality of life seems to be difficult.