Tuesday, January 24, 2017

Basic Concepts of Economics (01/03/17)

They are 5 concepts that you must know:

1. Macroeconomics vs. Microeconomics

Macroeconomics- is the study of the economy as a whole ( Big picture).
Ex: International trade, inflation.
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Microeconomics- is the study of individual or specific units of the economy.
Ex: Supply, demand, market structure, business organizations, etc.

2. Positive economics vs. Normative economics

Positive economics- are claims that attempt to describe the world as is. It is very descriptive, collects and presents facts. Fact based.

Normative economics- are claims that attempt to prescribe how the world should be. Opinion based.

3. Needs vs. Wants

Needs- basic requirements for survival.

Wants- desires.

4. Scarcity vs. Shortage

Scarcity- is the fundamental economic problem that all societies face. Basicically it is how to satisfyy unlimited wants with limited resources.
Rx: Oil.

Shortage- this is a situation where quantity demanded is greater than quantity supplied( QD>QS).

5. Goods vs. Services

Goods- tangible commodities.

-Consumer goods: goods that are intended for final use by the consumer.
Ex: A car, a cookies, juice, etc.

-Capital goods: items used in the creation of other goods.
Ex: the car engine & tires,the cookies flour & sugar.

Services- work that is performed for someone.

Factors of Production


1. Land- natural resources

2.  Labor- work exerted

3. Capital involves two types:

a) Human capital: where people aqcuire skill and knowledge through experience and education.
b) Physical capital : can be money tools, buildings & machines.


4. Entrepreneurship- it involves risk taking. The entrepreneurs combine the factors of production in order to become successful.

Trade-offs

Is an alternative that we we sacrifice when we make a decision.
Ex: A farmer who grows tomato in his land and can not grow corn.

Oppurtunity cost

Is the next best alternative. What do you give of in order to get something. Before the  trade- offs.
Ex: First a red bull > coffee> water
Guns or Butter

Refer to trade-offs that the gov't face, when choosing whether to produce more or less military goods or consumer goods.

Thinking at the Margins

Deciding whether to add or subtract one additional unit of some resource.

Resources:
http://scholar.harvard.edu/sendhil/scarcity

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