The Long-Run Trend in Real GDP Is Upward

question 114

Essay

The long-run trend in real GDP is upward. How is this possible given business cycles? What explains the upward trend?

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Definitions:

Total Variable Costs

The total of all costs that vary with the level of production, including materials, labor, and other expenses that change with output.

Units of Output

The quantity of product that a company produces in a given period.

Marginal Costs

The increase in total production cost that arises from producing one additional unit of a good or service.

Average Fixed Cost Curve

A graph that shows the fixed costs of production divided by the quantity of output produced, illustrating how these costs dilute over larger production volumes.