Mark Johnston (@econfix) profile picture

Mark Johnston

@econfix

Economics teacher in Auckland, NZ. Run a blog that helps students understand issues in the world economy. Keen on sport especially hockey and indoor rowing.

 Auckland, NZ
econfix.wordpress.com
Joined February 2011
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Keynes on A.I. econfix.wordpress.com/2026/1…
Keynes on A.I.

Keynes on A.I.

Below is an interview with a John Maynard Keynes bot. Keynes predicted that technology would increase productivity and would change what people did for a living and increase the amount of leisure t…

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Contestable markets and entry limit pricing econfix.wordpress.com/2026/1…
Contestable markets and entry limit pricing

Contestable markets and entry limit pricing

Contestable Markets is part of Unit 7 in the CIE A Level course. Amongst the chief determinants of a firm’s behaviour, according to neo‑classical theory, is the number and size of its competitors. …

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China’s export boom but domestic stagnation econfix.wordpress.com/2026/1…
China’s export boom but domestic stagnation

China’s export boom but domestic stagnation

China is becoming increasingly successful at selling goods to the rest of the world, but many Chinese people are struggling financially. The Business Daily Podcast from the BBC looked at this issue…

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CIE and NCEA Level 3 revision – Natural Monopoly econfix.wordpress.com/2026/1…
CIE and NCEA Level 3 revision – Natural Monopoly

CIE and NCEA Level 3 revision – Natural Monopoly

In the A2 multiple choice paper (P3) and the NCEA Level 3 Marginal Analysis, natural monopoly is a popular topic . Here are some thoughts on the types of questions they could ask on natural monopol…

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Denmark and the economics of wind energy econfix.wordpress.com/2026/1…
Denmark and the economics of wind energy

Denmark and the economics of wind energy

Since the oil crisis years of 1973 (400% increase) and 1979 (200% increase) Denmark has invested heavily in renewable energy (including wind) to reduce its exposure to unstable fossil fuel prices b…

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A2 Economics – Perfect labour market and monopsony with a minimum wage econfix.wordpress.com/2026/1…
A2 Economics – Perfect labour market and monopsony with a minimum wage

A2 Economics – Perfect labour market and monopsony with a minimum wage

With the essay paper next Tuesday here is a revision note on the labour market market. Marginal revenue productivity (MRPL) is a theory of wages where workers are paid the value of their marginal r…

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A2 Economics – Differing objectives of firms econfix.wordpress.com/2026/1…
A2 Economics – Differing objectives of firms

A2 Economics – Differing objectives of firms

The A2 essay paper is next Tuesday and differing objectives of firms is a potential essay question in Section B – Micro. The standard neo-classical assumption is that a business seeks to maxi…

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AS Economics – costs and benefits of growth. econfix.wordpress.com/2026/1…
AS Economics – costs and benefits of growth.

AS Economics – costs and benefits of growth.

With the AS Paper 2 next week here is a revision note on the costs and benefits of growth and a mindmap. This could potentially be a 12 mark question in Section C. Costs of economic growth Stress a…

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AS Economics – how do we know when a current account deficit is bad? econfix.wordpress.com/2026/1…
AS Economics – how do we know when a current account deficit is bad?

AS Economics – how do we know when a current account deficit is bad?

With the AS paper next week here is a post on the current account. A current account deficit (CAD) allows residents to consume more products that it produces. However the country needs to finance t…

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AS Revision – the labour market and unemployment econfix.wordpress.com/2026/1…
AS Revision – the labour market and unemployment

AS Revision – the labour market and unemployment

Next week is the AS Level essay paper and below is a revision note on the labour market. The labour force is that part of the total population willing and able to work; most will have jobs, but som…

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A2 Economics – collusion and price leadership econfix.wordpress.com/2026/1…
A2 Economics – collusion and price leadership

A2 Economics – collusion and price leadership

With the Cambridge Economics Paper 4 approaching here is a revision note on collusion and price leadership. Collusive agreements often prove difficult to sustain. Most are illegal as they raise pri…

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A2 Economics – Monopolistic Competition and an increase in demand. econfix.wordpress.com/2026/0…
A2 Economics – Monopolistic Competition and an increase in demand.

A2 Economics – Monopolistic Competition and an increase in demand.

Been covering monopolistic competition at the Cambridge A2 Economics revision course and looked at this graph – thanks Tutor2u. Note that because the AR and the MR change that there is a new …

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AS Economics Revision – Elasticity of Supply econfix.wordpress.com/2026/0…
AS Economics Revision – Elasticity of Supply

AS Economics Revision – Elasticity of Supply

Currently doing a CIE AS Level revision course run by the Association of Cambridge Schools New Zealand (ACSNZ). Today we went through PES. This topic can be part of an essay question in Section B o…

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NZ$ plunges to 13-year low as higher Aussie rates lure hot money econfix.wordpress.com/2026/0…
NZ$ plunges to 13-year low as higher Aussie rates lure hot money

NZ$ plunges to 13-year low as higher Aussie rates lure hot money

News this week looked at the New Zealand dollar dropping to a 13 year low against the Australian dollar:Sept 2013 NZ$1 = A$0.89Sept 2026 NZ$1 = A$0.81 The reasons for this are mainly to do with the…

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A Level Economics – Mergers and Acquisitions econfix.wordpress.com/2026/0…
A Level Economics – Mergers and Acquisitions

A Level Economics – Mergers and Acquisitions

Part of the A Level syllabus covers the external growth of firms. This refers to mergers and acquisitions and the various methods of integration. Below is the section from the course outline. The p…

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How the Fear of Losing Shapes an Economy econfix.wordpress.com/2026/0…
How the Fear of Losing Shapes an Economy

How the Fear of Losing Shapes an Economy

Many thanks to Jamie Ogilvie (Yr 13 Economics student) for this post on behavioural economics.Imagine you are given $100. You’re faced with a decision, flip a coin for $200 or walk away with …

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The AI Boom: Opportunity or Economic Risk? econfix.wordpress.com/2026/0…
The AI Boom: Opportunity or Economic Risk?

The AI Boom: Opportunity or Economic Risk?

Many thanks to Ben Qi (Year 13 A Level Economics student) for this post. Artificial intelligence has moved from experimental technology to a major force in the economy. Large businesses are investi…

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Trump the Keynesian econfix.wordpress.com/2026/0…
Trump the Keynesian

Trump the Keynesian

President Trump announced last week that he would give every American $5,000 if they give him a Republican House and Senate. This would cost cost around $1.3 trillion and is estimated to add 1% to …

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A2 Economics revision – the Kinked Demand Curve econfix.wordpress.com/2026/0…
A2 Economics revision – the Kinked Demand Curve

A2 Economics revision – the Kinked Demand Curve

With the exam season approaching in the southern hemisphere here is something on the kinked demand curve. In 1939 Paul Sweezy of Harvard University wrote his paper ‘Demand Under Conditions of Oligo…

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Similarities and Differences of Developing countries econfix.wordpress.com/2026/0…
Similarities and Differences of Developing countries

Similarities and Differences of Developing countries

As it is approaching exam time in the southern hemisphere, below are some notes on Development Economics – a popular question in the A2 essay paper – Section C / Paper 4. With nearly 13…

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