I looked at the history of HSC economics extended response questions, and I think there'll be at least one economic policy on economic issues question, and something to do with free trade and protectionism, and maybe something to do with external stability or balance of payments
This is going to look horribly, horribly nerdy but heres the data I have to support this estimate, from the past 8 years of HSC economics estimates
(collecting data is easier than studying)
Policies impact on Economic Issues / Objectives
- One or more every single year since 2015 - 17 total
- 4 years had at least one per question
Economic Issues
- 3 included âEconomic Policiesâ
- 4 included âMacroeconomic Policiesâ
- 2 included âMicroeconomic Policiesâ
- 1 included âFiscal Policyâ
- 2 included âMonetary Policyâ
- 3 included âLabour Market Policiesâ
Issues / Objectives
- 2 included âeconomic objectivesâ (but not since 2017)
- 6 included âEconomic Growthâ
- 4 included âPrice Stabilityâ or âInflationâ
- 4 included âUnemploymentâ or âFull Employmentâ
- 4 included Distribution on income (or and) wealth
- 3 included âExternal Stabilityâ (one as both options)
- 1 included âAustralian Economyâ (2016)
- 1 included âconflicts between objectivesâ
On average (excluding general or entire objectives, such as economic objectives, Australian economy), questions included 1.5 issues / objective
- 9 included one topic
- 2 on environment
- 2 on economic objectives / economy
- 1 on economic growth
- 1 on inflation
- 1 on conflicts between objectives
- 6 included 2 topics
- 5 included economic growth
- 2 included unemployment, inflation, or distribution of income
- 1 included external stability
- 2 included 3 topics
- Both occured in the same year, both included external stability, income distribution
Trade, Globalization, Protectionism
- One or more every year except 2020
- 6 included Australia relationship with trade (such as impacts on flows, specific agreements, and impacts on objectives)
- 5 included Global Economic Growth (as a cause or effect)
- 3 included impacts of free trade and/or protectionism
- 2 included the impacts of globalization
BOP or External Stability (including exchange rates)
- 3 included the Balance of Payments or CAD
- 2 specifically referenced exchange rates (most implied / involved)
- 2 included external stability
- 1 included economic growth
China
So, yeah, totally nerdy but I would suspect that a economic policy on issues question and a trade protectionism question at the very least