Econ- Chap.1 – Flashcards

Unlock all answers in this set

Unlock answers
question
Our economic wants far exceed the ______.
answer
productive capacity of our scarce resources
question
The social science concerned with how individuals, institutions, and society make optimal (best) choices under conditions of scarcity.
answer
Economics
question
The way economists view things from a unique perspective; an economic way of thinking that has several critical and closely interrelated features. Viewing the world through the lens of scarcity
answer
economic perspective
question
To obtain more of one thing, society forgoes the opportunity of getting the next best thing. That sacrifice is the opportunity cost of the choice.
answer
opportunity costs
question
The core of economics is the idea that "there is no free lunch." You may be treated to lunch, which is "free" for you, but someone bears the cost-ultimately society. Scarce resources are required. Because society could have used these resources to produce something else, it sacrifices those other goods and services in making the lunch available. This is an example of ______
answer
opportunity costs
question
The pleasure, happiness, or satisfaction obtained from consuming a good or service. They allocate their time, energy, and money to maximize their satisfaction.
answer
utility
question
With utility, because people weigh costs and benefits, their economic decisions are _____ or ______, not "random" or "chaotic."
answer
"purposeful" or "rational"
question
With purposeful behavior, how are consumers purposeful?
answer
with deciding what goods and services to buy
question
With purposeful behavior, how are business firms purposeful?
answer
with deciding what products to produce and how to produce them
question
With purposeful behavior, how are government entities purposeful?
answer
with deciding what public services to provide and how to finance them.
question
With purposeful behavior, economics assumes that human behavior reflects _____?
answer
rational self-interest
question
What does purposeful behavior mean?
answer
People make decisions with some desired outcome in mind.
question
The Economic Perspective focuses on what 3 aspects?
answer
1. Scarcity and Choice 2. Purposeful Behavior 3. Marginal Analysis: Benefits and Costs
question
What is marginal analysis?
answer
comparisons of marginal benefits and marginal costs, usually for decision making. Most choices or decisions involve changes in the status quo, meaning existing state of affairs.
question
With marginal analysis, each option involves marginal benefits and, because of scarce resources, ____ _____.
answer
marginal costs
question
With marginal analysis, in making choices rationally, the decision maker must compare ___ amounts.
answer
two amounts
question
With marginal analysis, opportunity costs are present whenever a _______.
answer
decision is made
question
With marginal analysis, in a world of scarcity, the decision to obtain the marginal benefit associated with
answer
some specific option always includes the marginal cost of forging something else.
question
What is an economic principle?
answer
A statement about economic behavior of the economy that enables prediction of the probable effects of certain actions
question
Examines either the economy as a whole of its basic subdivisions or aggregates, such as government, household, and business sectors.
answer
Macroeconomics
question
With macro, a collection of specific economic units treated as if they were one unit.
answer
Aggregate.
question
In using aggregates, macroeconomics seeks to . . .
answer
obtain an overview, or general outline, of the structure of the economy and the relationships of its major aggregates.
question
Micro of Macro speaks of such economic measures as total output, total employment, total income, aggregate expenditures, and the general level of prices in analyzing various economic problems.
answer
Macro
question
The part of economics concerned with individual units such as a person, a household, firm, or an industry.
answer
Microeconomics
question
At this level of analysis, the economist observes the details of an economic unit, or very small segment of the economy, under a figurative microscope.
answer
Microeconomics
question
Micro or Macro where we look at decision making by individual customers, workers, households, and business firms. Measure the price of a specific product, the number of workers employed by a single firm, the revenue or income of a particular firm, government entity, or family.
answer
Micro
question
Focuses on facts and cause-and-effect relationships. It includes description, theory development, and theory testing(theoretical economics). Avoids value judgments, tries to establish scientific statements about economic behavior, and deals with what the economy is actually like.
answer
Positive economics
question
Incorporates value judgments about what the economy should be recommended to achieve a desirable goal (policy economics). It looks at the desirability of certain aspects of the economy. It underlies expressions of support for particular economic policies.
answer
Normative economics
question
"The unemployment rate in France is higher than that in the US." Norm or Pos?
answer
Positive
question
"France ought to undertake policies to make its labor market more flexible to reduce unemployment rates" Norm or Pos?
answer
Normative
question
Most of the disagreement among economists involves norm or pos questions.
answer
Normative, which means most economic controversy reflects differing opinions or value judgments about what society should be like.
question
The need to make choices because economic want exceed economic means.
answer
economizing problem
question
What 3 things are part of the INDIVIDUAL economizing problem?
answer
1. Limited Income 2.Unlimited Wants-can never be fully satisfied 3.A Budget Line
question
Because we have only limited income but seemingly insatiable wants, it is in our self-interest to economize: . . .
answer
to pick and choose goods and services that create maximum utility.
question
A schedule or curve that shows various combinations or 2 products a consumer can purchase with a specific money income
answer
Budget line(budget constraint)
question
What 3 aspects are part of A Budget Line?
answer
1. Attainable and Unattainable Combinations 2.Tradeoffs and Opportunity Costs 3.Choice 4.Income changes
question
With A Budget line, with attainable and unattainable combinations, u can only buy things that are . . .
answer
within ur budget, not things that are unattainable. All combinations beyond the budget line are unattainable.
question
With A Budget line, with Tradeoffs and Opportunity Costs, the straight-line budget constraint, with its constant slope, indicates ____
answer
constant opportunity cost
question
With A Budget line, with Choice, limited income forces people to choose what to . . .
answer
buy and what to forgo to fulfill wants. You will evaluate your marg b and c to make choices that maximize your satisfaction. Other people will make diff choices then you will.
question
With A Budget line, with Income Changes, an increase in money income shifts the budget line to the ___, a decrease in money shifts to the ____.
answer
increase:right, decrease:left
question
What 2 things are involved in Society's Economizing Problem?
answer
Scarce Resources and Resource Categories: land, labor, capital, and entrepreneurial ability
question
All natural, human, and manufactured resources that go into the production of goods and services.
answer
Economic resources
question
What 4 general categories to economists classify economic resources?
answer
Land, Labor, Capital, and Entrepreneurial Ability
question
All manufactured aids used in producing consumer goods and services. Ex: all factory, storage, transportation, and distribution facilities, as well as tools and machinery.
answer
Capital
question
Economists refer to the purchase of capital goods as ____.
answer
investment
question
What is the difference between capital goods and consumer goods?
answer
Consumer goods satisfy wants directly, whereas capital goods do so indirectly by aiding the production of consumer goods.
question
Because land, labor, capital, and entrepreneurial ability are combined to produce goods and services, they are called the _______.
answer
factors of production, or "inputs"
question
What 4 aspects are part of the Production Possibilities Model?
answer
Production Possibilities Table, PP Curve, Law of Increasing Opportunity Cost and Optimal Allocation
question
The Production Possibilities Model initially assumes what 4 things?
answer
Full employment, Fixed resources, Fixed technology, and Two goods
question
The alternatives and choices society faces can be understood through this macroeconomic model of production possibilities.
answer
Production Possibilities Model
question
The Production Possibilities Model, explain fixed technology.
answer
The method used to produce output is constant
question
The Production Possibilities Model, explain full employment
answer
Econ employing all available resources
question
The Production Possibilities Model, explain fixed resources
answer
The quality and quantity of the factors of production are fixed.
question
The Production Possibilities Model, explain two goods
answer
Econ producing only 2 goods: consumer goods and capital goods.
question
With the Production Possibilities Model and the graph for it, why are A and E the 2 extremes?
answer
A represents economy devoted all its available resources to the production of robots(capital goods) and E would be for pizzas(consumer goods). They are unrealistic extremes because an economy typically produces both capital and consumer goods.
question
_____ lists the different combinations of two products that can be produced with a specific set of resources, assuming full employment.
answer
Production Possibilities Table
question
The data presented in a production possibilities table are shown graphically as ______. This displays the different combination of goods and services that society can produce in a fully employed economy, assuming a fixed availability of supplies of resources and constant technology.
answer
Production Possibilities Curve
question
With the Production Possibilities Curve, why is the curve a constraint?
answer
because it shows the limit of attainable outputs. Points on the curve are attainable as long as the economy uses all its available resources.
question
Principle: as the production of a particular good increases, the opportunity cost of producing an additional unit rises. Ex: comparing the point of pizzas vs. robots on a Production Possibilities Table.
answer
Law of Increasing Opportunity Costs
question
The law of increasing opportunity costs is reflected in the shape of the ______.
answer
production possibilities curve. The curve is bowed out from the origin of the graph and shows that when the economy moves from A to E, it must give up successively larger amounts of industrial robots.
question
The economic rationale for the law of increasing opportunity costs is that . . .
answer
economic resources are not completely adaptable to alternative uses. Many resources are better at producing one type of good than at producing others.
question
Economic Rationale and increasing opportunity costs for society
answer
Start and A and move to B, there is a shift in resources whose productivity is relatively high in pizza production and low in industrial robots. As we move from B to C, C to D, and so on, resources highly productive of pizzas become increasingly scarce. To get more pizzas, resources whose productivity in industrial robots is relatively great will be needed.
question
With MC and MB, any economic activity should be expanded as long as ___ exceeds ____.
answer
marginal benefit exceeds marginal cost. It should be reduced if MC exceeds MB
question
With MB and MC, the optimal amount of activity occurs when (what formula)?
answer
MB=MC
question
With unemployment in the PP Model, a move toward full employment would yield . . .
answer
a greater output of one or both parties
question
*Is Economics an old or new branch of study?
answer
New
question
*What is micro?
answer
Management of my business unit (more narrow than macro).
question
*What were Adam Smith's 2 concerns and did an investigation cuz of it?
answer
1. Why some nations are rich and some are poor 2. Even if country rich, country still had poor and rich. Refering to UK cuz rich and was dominating nation.-This is cuz of lack of edu, etc.
question
*What did Adam Smith write in 1759?
answer
"The Theory of Moral Sentiment"
question
*From Adam Smith, it was discovered that export driven nations are _____ and import driven nations are____.
answer
export driven = wealthy import driven = poor Ex today: China, India vs. Africa, Bangladesh
question
*What is economics?
answer
Exploring the prosperity of nations and reasons why prosperity. How resources are being distributed. Reason for prosperity is poverty.
question
*FED-what they do, when they came around
answer
Can pump $ into the economy. They came up in 1930s, but never involved with running of the country. Only made sure that $ circulating. No bailouts. Bank failures
question
*Economics boils down to decisions by trends or individual made by who?
answer
humans. Part of qualitative social science
question
*Who came up with(DC?) economics being concerned with human behavior (social science) and the science of human survival, sustainability and progress.
answer
J.M. Keynes
question
*Economics studies the _____, ______, and ______ of goods and services. If this cycle is disrupted, then everything falls apart, like econ right now.
answer
Production(manufact), Distribution(market), and Consumption(consumers) of goods and services.
question
*With the market, a producer's incentive is ____ and a consumer's incentive is ____.
answer
Producer: profit-to maximize it. Consumer-satisfaction of what buying (qualitative)
question
*As a social science, Economics today is more of science and math or art?
answer
More of science and math
question
*What 2 factors are effecting our economy now?
answer
1.Element of greed in CEOs=things collapse Fear-where peeps investing today. 2. Not sure about where $ will go or our jobs.
question
*Macro
answer
broad picture
question
*Micro
answer
single unit. The study of units, individual households, like ex: GM
question
*What does an Economist do?
answer
They have estimates, continually changes and need to update to go w/ the changes. Predictions are based on past trends, if it continues. But things can change-that are unpredictable.
question
*What does "Economic Methodology" mean? What 2 types of statements come from this?
answer
How economics is done or the way it should be done. How do you resolve and study these issues of the economy. 2 Statements: Positive and Normative
question
*"Price control during drought will lead to food shortages and starvation death" Example of normative or positive?
answer
Positive- because it conforms the reality and you can get info on "price control", supply and deathrate.
question
*"People should be protected against price gouging, during a drought; hence the Government should use price control." Example of normative or positive?
answer
Normative
question
*What are the 5 steps in Economic Analysis (A Scientific Approach) ?
answer
1.Recognize the problem (ex: bankruptcy, recession, loans, etc) 2.Make assumptions 3.Develop a model 4.Make predictions 5.Test the model
question
*Marginal
answer
refers to extra/additional or next best.
question
*The best next alternative and how much it costs. Sacrifice should be less value than benefit. Ex: taking this class is a small sacrifice for more huge benefit. Which principle?
answer
The Principle of Increasing Opportunity
question
*Principle: Having more of one good thing usually means having less of another
answer
The Scarcity Principle
question
*Principle: Take no action unless its marginal benefit is at least as great as its marginal cost
answer
The Cost-Benefit Principle
question
*Principle: Use the resources with the lowest opportunity cost before turning to those with higher opportunity costs.
answer
The Principle of Increasing Opportunity
question
*Principle: Efficiency is an important social goal, because when the economic pie grows larger, everyone can have a larger slice. Basically, goal to use resources efficiently.
answer
The Efficiency Principle
question
*What 2 reasons is the econ bad now?
answer
1.Savings have ↑, even though people have jobs, they are saving more for the future cuz uncertain of future. 2. Peeps lost jobs
question
*Why is self-interest not selfish?
answer
Not selfish because of the Spill-over or Ripple effect cuz self-interest has an effect on helping others also, not just you. It pays the laborers, helps increase better resources for the company, etc.
question
*What is a hypothesis?
answer
A statement that can be tested, meaning it can be proved or disproved.
question
*If it is market driven, then it is _____ driven
answer
consumer driven
question
*Production is dominated by these 3 types
answer
1.Labor Intensive (labor driven) 2.Capital Intensive (Capital Driven) 3.Knowledge based technology
question
*What are the 4 fundamental questions before decision makers?
answer
1.What to produce? 2.How to produce it?-choice of technology and technique of the product driven by the available resources. 3.For whom to produce? 4.How to accommodate change?
question
*What is free market?
answer
gov doesn't intervene, but not a successful business model
question
*"The Market System" is an economic principle coined by who?
answer
Adam Smith(1776: An Inquiry into the nature and causes of the wealth of nations)
question
*The 1776 book written by Adam Smith was about?
answer
Said that the greatest benefit to a society is brought about by individuals acting freely in a competitive marketplace in the pursuit of their own self-interest.
question
*With Adam Smith, what is the "Invisible Hand"?
answer
A natural phenomenon that guides free markets and capitalism through competition for scarce resources.
question
*What are the 2 measures of econ efficiency with the Efficiency Principle?
answer
Productive and Allocative
question
*With the Efficiency Principle, what is Productive?
answer
least-cost method of production
question
*With the Efficiency Principle, what is Allocative?
answer
Producing goods/services most desired by the society.
question
*4 parts of Great Depression
answer
1.Very high level of unemployment-25% (today 9.5%) 2.Fall in Prices (General Price Level). --no job = no means to buy stuff = lower prices-- 3. Deflation. Bankruptcy, Overproduction 4.Role of Central Bank (FED)- Federal Reserve
question
*Describe the 4th question of the 4 fundamental questions before decision makers?
answer
How to accommodate change 1.Guiding function of price 2.Promoting technological advances-for the long run, needs to be updated constantly. 3.Promoting capital accumulation ---Because of constant changes, does econ have skills to change and adapt.
question
*What does each point represent in the formula ∏ = TR-TC
answer
TR= revenue measured of goods sold at one price= p∙q (price ∙ quality). TC is FC + VC (fixed cost and variable cost)
question
*What is Normative and its language?
answer
Lang: ought to be, should be, can be, (good/bad). Qualitative, value based= driven by one's opinion. Can be very subjective in nature = vary from person to person-opinion based
question
*What is Positive and its lang?
answer
Lang: it is, it was, it will be. Quantitative empirical- data is objective. Cause and effect
question
*In a market, what is a producer's incentive?
answer
Incentive is profit and to maximize it
question
*In a market, what is the consumer's incentive?
answer
Incentive is Satisfaction(qualitative) of what buying and Utility-how useful it is, maximization
Get an explanation on any task
Get unstuck with the help of our AI assistant in seconds
New