Economics

Course summary

Economics teaches students to think logically and to use theories to understand how economies operate. At the centre of the subject is the question of how we divide up our resources, and how decisions resulting from this affect us all - in other words, who gets what and why? The emphasis is very much on applying economics to real-world problems and the topical nature of the subject must be stressed. Economic issues such as globalisation, membership of the EU, poverty alleviation, banking and finance, labour markets and possible routes to achieving sustained economic growth are all studied. Economics is a social science and students require strong written and data analysis skills. It is assumed that students have no prior knowledge of the subject as it is not offered at GCSE level. To enhance students’ understanding, visits are organised to The Adam Smith Institute, LSE, The Bank of England and lectures by the IEA and the RES. Students enter various competitions including The Marshall Society Essay Competition and the Churchill College Cambridge Exchange Rates Competition.