The great depression of the 1930s demonstrated that, at least in the short run, the market system does not automatically lead to full employment. In the General theory of Employment, Interest and Money (1936), John Maynard Keynes argued that market forces could produce an equilibrium with high unemployment of indefinite duration. For example, if people are worried about the possibility of losing their jobs in the near future they will probably saving money and consume less, which will lead to a fall in demand, and consequently in production and employment. In such circumstances, producers will clearly not be interested in making new investments.In such circumstances, producers will clearly not be interested in making new investments. So people's savings will remain unused, and the economy will settle into a new equilibrium at a lower level of activity - with fewer goods been produced, fewer people employed, and reduced rate of income and investment.Classical economic theory stated that in the long run, excess savings would cause interest rate to fall and investment to increase again. Keynes disagreed arguing that market economies are inherently unstable and without a self-correcting mechanism, except perhaps in the long run - but as he famously put it, " in the long run, we are all dead".Keynes, therefore recommended governmental intervention in the economy, to counter the business cycle. During an inflationary boom governments could decrease their spending or increase taxation.During a recession, on the contrary, they could increase their expenditure, or decrease taxation, or increase the money supply and reduce interest rates, so as to stimulate the economy and increase the output, investment, consumption and employment.Keynes also argued that even a small amount of additional government spending or an increase in private investment causes output to expand by an amount greater than itself, because of the multiplier effect: the new money is repeatedly respent, except for the proportion that people choose to save.
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