Question

Difficulty: MediumIncome Method of Measurement

Match each economic transaction or receipt under the income method of measuring national income with its correct factor income classification or accounting treatment.

  • Monthly state pensions and unemployment relief grants paid to citizensTransfer payment (Excluded from National Income)
  • Dividends distributed to shareholders of a private manufacturing firmCorporate profit component (Reward for entrepreneurship)
  • Net income earned by a sole proprietor operating a local retail storeMixed income of the self-employed (Combined factor earnings)
  • Royalties received by a landowner from a petroleum extraction companyRental income (Reward for land and natural resources)

Answer

State pensions and unemployment relief grants match with Transfer payment (Excluded from National Income); Dividends distributed to shareholders match with Corporate profit component; Net income earned by a sole proprietor matches with Mixed income of the self-employed; Royalties received by a landowner match with Rental income.
The income method measures national income by summing all factor rewards earned by residents for participating in current economic production: compensation of employees (wages/salaries), rental income (including land royalties), net interest, corporate profits (dividends, retained earnings, tax), and mixed income of the self-employed. Receipts that do not correspond to productive output, such as welfare grants and pensions, are transfer payments and are strictly excluded.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify non-factor payments that do not reflect current economic output.
Unemployment grants and state pensions are non-factor receipts (transfer payments) and must be excluded from Gross Domestic Product under the income approach.
Including transfer payments leads to double counting, as no productive activity occurred in exchange for the payment during the current accounting period.
2
Classify earnings from corporate enterprise ownership.
Dividends paid out of corporate profits are factor payments accruing to shareholders for providing entrepreneurial risk capital.
Corporate profits consist of dividends, corporate taxes, and undistributed profits, all of which are included under factor incomes.
3
Determine the classification of self-employed earnings.
Income of an independent sole proprietor is classified as mixed income of the self-employed.
Unincorporated business owners blend wage income, interest, rent, and profit into a single unseparated income pool.
4
Classify earnings derived from natural resources and property rights.
Royalties paid for mineral extraction rights on land are grouped under rental income.
Rent includes payments for the use of land and natural resources in production.

Key Concept

Classification of Factor Incomes and Non-Factor Receipts in National Income Accounting
Estimated Time:1m 30s
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