Have you ever wondered why nurses are so greatly valued by society and yet get paid so much less than actors or actresses? Do you ever read the news and wonder why inflation, economic growth or international trade should matter to us? Do you ever question why we pay tax on some goods and services and not others? And what does the Government do with that tax revenue? If so, then Economics may be the subject for you. Economics at its core focuses on the way that society uses scarce resources and allocates them to produce goods and services. During that process of production a number of issues have to be solved. The role of government and the external influences on the economy form a vital part of the course. You will learn how the performance of the economy can be measured including inflation, growth and employment and how the government can influence these things. Our approach to Economics is to apply economic theory to support analysis of current economic problems and issues within the UK and beyond, encouraging students to appreciate the interrelationships between microeconomics and macroeconomics. Other topic areas include banking and finance, international trade, globalisation and how prices are determined.