government economic service 2014
DESCRIPTION
Presentation from Alex Shirvani, Assistant Economist, from the Government Economic Service about the 2014 graduate scheme.TRANSCRIPT
GOVERNMENT ECONOMIC SERVICE
Making economists betterMaking better use of economics
GES
UNCLASSIFIED
GES presentationAlex Shirvani, BIS
•Economics of Government intervention•What economists in government do•Application process
I won’t duplicate the information online:
http://www.civilservice.gov.uk/networks/ges https://www.gov.uk/faststream
GOVERNMENT ECONOMIC SERVICEMaking economists betterMaking better use of economics
GES
Economics of Government Intervention
Government intervenes in the market for two reasons
GOVERNMENT ECONOMIC SERVICEMaking economists betterMaking better use of economics
GES
Efficiency Equity
Making the optimum use of scarce resources
Addressing market failures to create Pareto improvements
Non-political: doesn’t make value judgement on what is right
An ‘efficient’ distribution may involve considerable inequalities
Redistributing resources to offset inequality
Political: involves democratic judgement on what is ‘fair’
Efficiency interventions
First rule of welfare economics:
A perfectly functioning market will lead to a Pareto efficient outcome:
•The right factor mix of inputs is used in production•The right things are produced, given existing inputs•Things are consumed by people that value them most
We can’t usually get a ‘Pareto optimum’ but we can make Pareto improvements when we make markets work better
GOVERNMENT ECONOMIC SERVICEMaking economists betterMaking better use of economics
GES
Efficiency
GOVERNMENT ECONOMIC SERVICEMaking economists betterMaking better use of economics
GES
Efficiency interventions
When markets work better the UK is better off
•We produce more with the resources we have– GDP is higher
•We make sure our input factors are utilised better – More people have jobs, and jobs better suited to their skills
•We produce the right things (comparative advantage)– We can sell more exports
•Consumers have greater choice– People buy things that improve their personal welfare
GOVERNMENT ECONOMIC SERVICEMaking economists betterMaking better use of economics
GES
Market failures
Sometimes free markets won’t achieve Pareto efficiency
GOVERNMENT ECONOMIC SERVICEMaking economists betterMaking better use of economics
GES
Imperfect competition Natural monopolies, transport, energy markets
Externalities Negative: pollution, things with bad health impacts
Positive: spillovers from R&D, social benefits from education
Asymmetric information Healthcare, credit markets, insurance, quality/safety of goods
Public goods National defence, street lighting, national justice system
Tackling market failures
GOVERNMENT ECONOMIC SERVICEMaking economists betterMaking better use of economics
GES
Information, education and advice
Publishing league tables, crime stats, public education campaigns
(‘talk to Frank’), labelling, advisory services
Direct provision Government directly providing policing, armed forces, bird flu
vaccine
Economic instruments Taxes, user charges, subsidies, grants, tax credits, tradable
permits, loan guarantees
Regulation and legislation
Regulation of rail fares/utility prices, compulsory motor
insurance, trading standards, health & safety laws, banning
tobacco advertising
Tackling market failures
GOVERNMENT ECONOMIC SERVICEMaking economists betterMaking better use of economics
GES
http://www.ei-lat.ge/images/doc/understanding_policy_options.pdf
For further information read the Home Office document “Understanding policy options”
Equity interventions
A Pareto efficient outcome might not be seen as ‘fair’ It is Pareto efficient if one person has everything!
Government may also intervene for reasons of ‘equity’ (ie redistribution of wealth) to tackle social deprivation
•Free prescriptions•Extra money for schools in deprived areas•Fee incentives to encourage access to HE to students from less well off background
Equity interventions depend on political/moral viewpoints
GOVERNMENT ECONOMIC SERVICEMaking economists betterMaking better use of economics
GES
What economists in government do
There are two main types of government intervention
GOVERNMENT ECONOMIC SERVICEMaking economists betterMaking better use of economics
GES
Regulatory Spending
Westminster/devolved government/EU brings in, changes or scraps a regulation
Economists look at the impact of the regulatory change (costs v benefits)
This is called an Impact Assessment
The Treasury allocates money at fiscal events (Autumn Statement, Budget, Spending Review)
Departments bid for money from the Treasury to finance their spending projects
Economists help put together Business Cases for these bids
Impact Assessments
A regulatory change has benefits and costsExample: proposal to introduce minimum alcohol unit price
GOVERNMENT ECONOMIC SERVICEMaking economists betterMaking better use of economics
GES
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/157763/ia-minimum-unit-pricing.pdf
Benefits: improved health, reduced NHS costs, reduced alcohol-related crime, reduced lost productivity due to alcohol (total: £21bn per year), some businesses will gain (eg pubs if people substitute from cheap supermarket alcohol)
Costs: higher prices to consumers, low income consumers especially affected, businesses face familiarisation, transition costs, exchequer may face reduced tax receipts
Business cases
Establish the rationale for the spending (market failure)
Build an NPV model of the expected value to the economy
This will involve several assumptions – these must be underpinned by evidence (academic research/evaluations of similar policies)
•Total economic costs: exchequer cost plus leveraged private spending •Expected returns on the investment•How much of the returns are additional (not displacement, deadweight, leakage, substitution)•Wider benefits: including spillovers, positive externalities
GOVERNMENT ECONOMIC SERVICEMaking economists betterMaking better use of economics
GES
Policy evaluation
Impact assessments and Business cases are examples of policy appraisal – done before the policy is brought in
After the policy is brought in evaluation tells you how well it worked/is working
Various evaluation techniques: randomised control trials, quasi-experimental methods, difference in differences
Key point is establish the counterfactual (what would have happened if the policy wasn’t brought in) and estimate the difference, eg increased output, jobs, improved health
GOVERNMENT ECONOMIC SERVICEMaking economists betterMaking better use of economics
GES
The Green Book
GOVERNMENT ECONOMIC SERVICEMaking economists betterMaking better use of economics
GES
For further information on appraisal and evaluation techniques
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-green-book-appraisal-and-evaluation-in-central-governent
Parts to read before the Economic Assessment Centre:
-Chapter 3: Justifying action-Annex 1: Government intervention (explains efficiency/equity and gives you definitions of all the market failures)-Annex 4: Risk and uncertainty-Annex 6: Discount rate
Other things economists do
GOVERNMENT ECONOMIC SERVICEMaking economists betterMaking better use of economics
GES
Writing evidence papers Writing a published/unpublished paper on the evidence base for a particular theme
Managing external projects Develop a research theme/evaluation, draw up an invitation to tender, assess bidders, award contract and manage the contractor up to publication
Economic support for Ministers
Written and oral Parliamentary Questions, briefings and submissions, briefing on pre-release statistics
Career path
Assistant Economist (£26k-32k)- Rotate jobs every year in your department- After 2 years can move department- After 2 years may be opportunities for funded MSc Economic Adviser (Grade 7; £45k +)- No longer rotate jobs- Significant responsibility, lots of economics
Grade 6- Still an economist but more ‘strategic’ role
Senior Civil Service
GOVERNMENT ECONOMIC SERVICEMaking economists betterMaking better use of economics
GES
Application process
Apply for the Economist option on the Analytical fast streamhttps://www.gov.uk/civil-service-fast-stream-how-to-apply
GOVERNMENT ECONOMIC SERVICEMaking economists betterMaking better use of economics
GES
Economic Assessment Centre
GOVERNMENT ECONOMIC SERVICEMaking economists betterMaking better use of economics
GES
Go to the EAC Open Day
Technical report 30 mins to type answer on pre-released question written for economists
Plain English report 30 mins to type answer on pre-released question written for non-economists
Short Answer Q’s 30 mins: 10 questions on variety of micro and macro
Interview 20 mins: short presentation on answer to pre-released question (with follow-up questions from interviewers)20 mins: questions on SAQs (to help you gain marks)20 mins: question on your chosen specialised topic
You will be given a pre-released question a few weeks before the EAC date
Application timetable
Apply in either Round 1 or Round 2
You can only apply in one round per year, so if you are apply in Round 1 and are unsuccessful you have to wait till Round 1 next year, you can’t apply in Round 2 as well.
* Dates may change!
GOVERNMENT ECONOMIC SERVICEMaking economists betterMaking better use of economics
GES
Round 1 Round 2Open for applications 1 Sept 2014 16 Feb 2015
Application deadline 30 Sept 2014 7 April 2015
EAC Early Oct/Nov 2014 May/June 2015*
FSAC Dec 2014 June/July 2015*
Student placements
The GES provides year-long sandwich student placements and 6 to 12 week summer internships
To be eligible 50 per cent of your course must be in economics and you must be on track for a 1st or 2:1
First year undergraduates aren’t eligible
Summer placement applications will open in January 2015
GOVERNMENT ECONOMIC SERVICEMaking economists betterMaking better use of economics
GES
Find out more
1.Check out the GES and Fast Stream websites2.Check out the Green Book and Understanding Policy Options
• If you can’t access them online, email me for the pdfs3.Look at the Economy part of the ONS website
• Follow on Twitter / like on Facebook 4.Look for Nicholas Barr’s book The Economics of the Welfare State
Contact for questions:
GOVERNMENT ECONOMIC SERVICEMaking economists betterMaking better use of economics
GES