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Homework answers / question archive / Suppose the depreciation rate of capital decreased at time t* permanently
Suppose the depreciation rate of capital decreased at time t* permanently. How would this affect real wage rate, real rental rate, real interest rate and price level in long run and very-long run in a closed market economy?
) Based on the Neoclassical Growth Model or Solow Growth Model, a permanent reduction in the depreciation rate of capital at time t* essentially implies that the capital stock in the economy at the given time period depreciates at a relatively lesser rate and hence, the economy is able to retain higher workable physical capital stock in the economy which can be used for current and future productive purposes thereby contributing to the economic growth. Now, as a result of the higher capital stock retention in the economy, the capital per worker required in the production process or the capital stock required per worker in the production process in the economy would consequently increase as conceptually, the workers can have higher existing capital stock to work with. This implies that the capital per worker in the economy would increase as the depreciation rate of the capital stock decreases in the economy and the overall amount of capital stock in the economy would be higher compared to the overall work or labor force in the economy signifying that the nominal wage rate of the existing work or labor force in the economy decreases potentially thereby leading to a reduction in the real wage of the worker or laborers, holding everything else as constant or unchanged in the economy. Furthermore, an increase in the overall or total existing capital stock in the economy due to a lower depreciation rate also implies that the productivity or the efficiency level of the present capital stock in the economy increases thereby leading to an increase in the price of the capital stock of the rental rate of capital. Due to higher availability of the capital stock and a reduction in the capital depreciation rate, the investment and the savings rate in the economy increase consequently as the demand for capital stock increases in the economy due to higher productivity and efficiency level of the existing capital stock. An increase in the investment and savings rate in the economy would lead to higher financial borrowings in the economy by the firms and business organizations resulting in a potential decrease in the interest rate in the money or loanable funds market. As the investment rate and capital per worker increase in the economy, the long-run production level of goods and services would increase in the economy potentially leading to a reduction in the general price level of goods and services in the economy, again holding everything else constant. However, in the very long-run, the general or overall price level would tend to stabilize as the rational expectations of economic agents become effective in the economy which is primarily determined by the economic behavior of these concerned agents.