Theory of Growth

Adam Smith

• 16 June 1723
• Born in Scotland
• Was Scottish moral philosopher
• Considered to be Father of Economics
• Smith began delivering public lectures in 1748
in University of Edinburgh
• In 1762, the University of Glasgow conferred
on Smith the title of Doctor of Laws (L.L.D).).
• His Book: An Inquiry into Nature and Causes
of the Wealth of Nations (1776)

• He wanted to examine :
– Why some countries are richer and some poorer ?
– What are the basic economic factors that can
increase the wealth of an economy ?

Wealth of a country is not gold as assumed by

Mercantilists or agriculture as assumed by
Physiocrats.
• According to Adam Smith :
– Wealth of an economy is the value of its Total Output
– includes industrial and agricultural output.
– Growth increases wealth by increasing total output,
income and wealth and standard of living.

• How can growth increase ?

If inputs increase, output will also increase.
Three factors (inputs) – land, labour and capital – owned
by landlords, workers and capitalists.
Assumptions:
• Supply of land cannot increase – it is finite
• Labour is available in infinite quantity, so wage rate is
at subsistence

• Labour productivity increases through

1. Division of labour 2. Increase in K/L

• Investment is endogenous – determined by savings

• Market economy with Prefect Competition
• Diminishing Returns
• Laissez faire, invisible hand allocates resources
 Specialization of Labour
• Labour specialization increases output, by
increasing productivity of labour
• This leads to increasing returns to scale. So
growth is self-reinforcing
• He gives the example of a pin factory:
– If each worker produces entire pin, O/L is low, one
worker produces only 20 pins a day
– But if there is specialization, with 18 sub processes,
output per man increases to 4800 pins a day .
• Labour specialization increases output because :
– Skill increases with repetition
– Time is saved
– The worker can innovate and improve his
performance

• But increase in Labour specialization depends on

demand (Market) for the product. So Adam
Smith states :
“ Division of labour must always be limited by
the extent of the market”
 Capital Accumulation

• It is crucial for economic growth

• As capital increases, capital per man (K/L) also
increases, leading to increase in labour
productivity and growth
• Investment → Capital formation
• Only Capitalist class invests
– Workers receive subsistence wages, cannot save
– Landlords only consume, not save
 The Virtuous Cycle
• Capital Accumulation increases K/L
• Higher productivity of labour with higher K/L
• Higher productivity leads to higher incomes
• Higher income leads to increased demand and
bigger markets
• Leads to specialization of labour with more
division of labour
• But more division of labour leads on to higher
productivity
• This is Smith’s Virtuous Circle
Smith’s Virtuous Cycle of Growth
Increase in
K/L

Increase in Division of
Investment Labour

Increase in
Market
Output,
Increases
income
 Stationary Stage
• Although there are increasing returns to labour
specialization, growth cannot go on forever. This is
because:
1. Competition for labour increases, as K accumulation
increases
2. Employment increases and total wage payment
increases
3. Profits decrease, investment falls and growth levels
fall
4. Ultimately, rate of growth becomes Zero
5. This is the Stationary State.
• Features:
– No increase in
investment
– No increase in
output – Zero
growth
– No increase in
wage rate
– No increase in
standard of living
 Criticism

• Adam Smith was a pioneer in Economics

• Crude theory of growth, profits and investment
• Neglects the growth of agriculture
• Based on “Iron Law” of wages
• Stationary state – ignores the role of technical
progress
Any
Confusion ???