ExpertHard15 marksExtended Response
AQA GCSE · Question 26 · How the economy works
Do you think that the overall benefits of HS2 are likely to be greater than the costs? Use Items A and B and your own economic knowledge to justify your view.
Do you think that the overall benefits of HS2 are likely to be greater than the costs? Use Items A and B and your own economic knowledge to justify your view.
How to approach this question
1. **Introduction:** Briefly state the issue – weighing the costs and benefits of HS2.
2. **Paragraph on Benefits:** Discuss the arguments FOR the project. Use evidence from Items A and B. Mention private benefits (faster travel, jobs) and external benefits (reduced congestion, regeneration, tackling inequality).
3. **Paragraph on Costs:** Discuss the arguments AGAINST the project. Use evidence from Items A and B. Mention private costs (construction costs from Fig 5), external costs (environmental damage, noise), and the opportunity cost of the spending.
4. **Evaluation and Conclusion:** This is the most important part. Make a justified judgement. Do not just sit on the fence. Weigh the arguments. For example, you could argue costs are more certain than benefits, or that the opportunity cost is too high. Acknowledge the complexity (e.g., short-term vs. long-term, how to value non-monetary factors). Conclude with a clear 'yes' or 'no' supported by your reasoning.
Full Answer
This is a 15-mark evaluation question, the highest tariff on the paper. It requires a two-sided argument followed by a justified conclusion. The key is to use the source material as a springboard and integrate it with your own economic knowledge.
**Analysis of Benefits:**
- **Private:** Faster journeys, job creation (Item A).
- **External:** Reduced inequality (linking London to North, Item B), regeneration, less road congestion.
**Analysis of Costs:**
- **Private:** The huge construction cost (£118.9bn from Figure 5).
- **External (Social Costs):** Environmental damage, noise pollution, disruption (implied in Item A).
- **Opportunity Cost:** What else could £118.9bn be spent on?
**Evaluation:** The skill is in weighing these up. A good evaluation might point out that costs are immediate and quantifiable, whereas benefits are in the future and harder to predict. The cancellation of the Leeds leg is a crucial piece of evidence to use in evaluation, as it weakens the 'benefit' side of the argument. The final judgement should flow logically from the arguments presented.
Common mistakes
Providing a list of pros and cons without any attempt to weigh them up or come to a conclusion. Not using the data and text from the provided Items. Focusing only on financial costs and ignoring social or opportunity costs.
Practice the full AQA GCSE Economics Paper 1
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