Please choose one of the following essay topics:

Essay Topics

Topic 1:
Economic theory tells us that when the price of a good increases demand for that good will decrease. Use economic theory to show how the demand for cigarettes has changed over time (including both the percentage of population who smoke and the number of tobacco products consumed). What does the evidence tell us about the price elasticity of demand for cigarettes over time and is the price elasticity of demand the same for all population groups? Provide an example of a policy that will impact on the price of cigarettes and the evidence of the effectiveness of this type of policy in reducing demand.

Topic 2:
Contrast technical and allocative efficiency in the health care sector. Discuss how efficiency of managing chronic disease interventions may be improved in the health care sector. Provide evidence from the literature of real examples of improvements in both technical and allocative efficiency to support your answer.

Topic 3:
Explain how the production function for a health good or service affected by the invention of a new process related to it? Use a diagram to explain your answer. Under what conditions will this change in the production function result in lower prices to the consumer for the good/service? Will lower prices for the good/service translate to lower household expenditure on healthcare? Explain your answer using examples from the literature.