The purpose of this assessment is to analyze a scenario based on how inflation t
ID: 1188777 • Letter: T
Question
The purpose of this assessment is to analyze a scenario based on how inflation tends to increase prices and diminishes the consumers’ ability to purchase goods and services over time.
Assessment Description:
Every time a Hollywood moviemaker has a major box office success, the entertainment media compares the new film’s sales against those of past movies. These media reports usually put movies such as Titanic (1997), The Dark Knight (2008), and Avatar (2009) at the top of the list.
The problem with such media comparisons is that they fail to differentiate between films’ nominal and real ticket sales. When all past films’ ticket sales are expressed in terms of the real purchasing power of the dollar, rankings of top-selling movies change dramatically. When sales are adjusted for the real purchasing power of the dollar, the top movies include Gone with the Wind (1939), The Sound of Music (1965), and Star Wars (1977).
Does the fact that the dollar price paid to view a typical film today is much higher than the price paid to view a movie in 1939 mean that more real purchasing power is required to see a movie today than in 1939? Explain with respect to the real purchasing power and purchasing power parity.
Explanation / Answer
No, it does not mean that more real purchasing power is required to see a movie today than in 1939 as the real purchasing power is adjusted for inflation.
Purchasing power means that quantity of good/services that can be bought for a dollar. However the real purchasing power adjust the inflation factor and measures the equivalent amount of movie ticket that can be bought today after adjusting dollar for inflation in comparison to what can be bought in 1939.
As per purchasing power parity
Real Purchasing Power= Purchasing Power today/((1+inflation)^(current year-Base year))
Where purchasing power=Amount of goods/services that can be bought in unit amount of dollar
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