Covid-19 – articles directly related to the 2020-22 pandemic.
Ecological Sustainability – consideration of the maintenance of life support systems, environmental pollution, biodiversity loss, the climate system, geophysiological health, nutrient cycling, environmental impact of economic growth, environmental impact of population growth, the planetary boundaries, steady state economy. Economic analyses of, and the modelling of economic factors affecting, climate change and viral pandemics. Ecological economics.
Employment – studies and statistics relating to full employment, unemployment, underemployment, participation rate, U1–U6, Job Guarantee, and the psychological and health effects of unemployment.
Financial System – incorporating the central bank. deposit-taking financial institutions, commercial banks, primary bond dealers, Treasury securities, banking reserves (exchange settlement deposits), repos, state fiat money and commodity money, currencies.
General – articles about people, events or issues of a general nature.
Health and Wellbeing – including health funding, national health systems, pharmaceutical industry, impact of neoliberalism on mental and physical health, homelessness, drug addiction, domestic violence and abuse, psychological impacts of economic policies.
International Trade/Finance – issues relating to trade wars and their impact, tariffs and other restrictive practices, international and regional investment agreements, the pros and cons of trade deficits and surpluses, globalisation, credit rating agencies.
Macroeconomics – the study of large scale or general economic factors, such as interest rates, national productivity, inflation, price levels, economic growth rate, taxation, Gross Domestic Product (GDP), Genuine Progress Indicator (GPI), Index of Sustainable Economic Welfare (ISEW).
Neoliberalism – understanding those approaches that favour free-market capitalism, characterised by deregulation, tax reductions for the wealthy and corporations, reductions in government spending, and growing inequality. Neoclassical economics.
Post-Keynesian Economics – subjects and issues such as effective demand, factors affecting employment, financial fragility, monetary circuit theory, endogeneity, chartalism, the state theory of money, functional finance, Modern Monetary Theory (MMT).
Social Justice — concern for justice in terms of the distribution of wealth, and for opportunities and privileges within our society, including government welfare policy.
Technology — renewable energy systems and their comparison with nonrenewable energy systems, automation and artificial intelligence, other technologies with an economic impact.
In a blow to democracy, the TPP-11 implementing legislation was passed by Australian Senate on Oct 18, following eight years of opposition from civil society. Labor Senators voted with the Coalition government to pass the legislation, which was opposed by the Greens, the Centre Alliance and most other crossbench Senators.
