question

The main incentive for business activity is:

answer

profit

question

Adam Smith coined the term "invisible hand" meaning:

answer

a metaphorical hand that leads individuals to promote social interest by pursuing self interest

question

which of the following choices best illustrates the concept of Adam Smiths "invisible hand"

answer

A Vietnamese farmer grows rice; an exporter ships it to the United States, and a grocer in New York sells it to a customer.

question

The opportunity cost of a choice is:

answer

the value of the next best opportunity foregone.

question

In the 2 hours between classes a student can do one of three things, ranking them from most to least desirable as: (1) chat with friends, (2) study economics, or (3) eat lunch. This student's opportunity cost of chatting with friends is:

answer

the value of studying economics.

question

Susan quits her administrative job, which pays $40,000 a year, to finish her four-year college degree. Her annual college expenses are $8,000 for tuition, $900 for books, and $2,500 for food. The opportunity cost of attending college for the year is:

answer

$48,900.

question

What is thinking on the margin?

answer

Making choices by comparing the additional benefits and additional costs from doing a little bit more of some activity.

question

A grocery store is running a "buy-one-get-another-at-one-half-off" promotion on a dozen doughnuts. So the first dozen is $6 and the second would be $3. A person would buy the second dozen if their marginal benefit from the second dozen doughnuts is:

answer

greater than $3

question

One benefit of trade is that it:

answer

allows for increased specialization and mass-production techniques that lower per unit costs of production.

question

The better Martha Stewart is at running her business:

answer

the higher her opportunity cost of ironing her own shirts.

question

The historical rise in living standards of American workers is primarily a result of:

answer

the rise in American productivity.

question

What are the institutions that help foster the appropriate incentives for economic growth?

answer

a dependable legal system, property rights, and competitive and open markets

question

Institutions that support economic growth are the ones that:

answer

provide incentives for entrepreneurs to take risks and innovate.

question

Booms and busts refer to the:

answer

fluctuations in economic activity over time.

question

Which of the following explains why economic booms and busts cannot be avoided?

answer

The economy is always being struck by unavoidable shocks.

question

The Zimbabwean government printed money as fast as it could for years. As a result:

answer

Zimbabwe experienced inflation at a rate of billions of percent per month

question

A policymaker wants to reduce inflation. In order to make an intelligent decision about how to do so, the policymaker:

answer

needs to know the causes of inflation, for example, the government's printing of too much money.

question

The decisions made by the Federal Reserve Bank sometimes result in negative effects on the economy because:

answer

too much money or too little money might induce inflation or unemployment due to bad timing of decisions.

question

If the central bank creates too much money, _____ is the result. If the central bank doesn't create enough money, an economic _____ is the result.

answer

inflation; slowdown

question

The average starting salary of economics majors is just behind that of:

answer

chemical and nuclear engineering majors

question

Mark values his drum set at $800 and Ella values her guitar at $1,000. Suppose that Mark trades his drum set for Ella's guitar.

answer

Mark must value Ella's guitar for at least $800, and Ella must value Mark's drum set for at least $1,000.

question

The main reason why specialization can raise productivity is that:

answer

knowledge in human brains is limited.

question

Economies can grow due to:

answer

the extent to which markets facilitate specialization through trade.

question

The relationship between trade and specialization is best characterized as follows:

answer

Trade increases specialization, which in turn increases the demand for trade.

question

Utilizing comparative advantage can best be exemplified as:

answer

a world-renowned chef hiring someone to cook meals for his family.

question

Jesse is good at math and excellent at making friends and Addae is equally good at both. Mathematically and socially challenged Jordan wants to hire tutors to help in each area. Who should tutor Jordan in which area to maximize Jordan's college experience?

answer

Jesse should teach how to make friends and Addae should teach math.

question

Table: iPhone and iPod Production One iPhone One iPod Canadian labor units 3 4 United States labor units 2 2 According to the table on iPhone and iPod production, the opportunity cost of producing one iPhone is:

answer

3/4 of one iPod for Canada, and one iPod for the United States.

question

Suppose France can produce four phones or three computers with one unit of labor, and Sweden can produce one phone or two computers with one unit of labor. If France can trade only with Sweden, then the theory of comparative advantage suggests that:

answer

France should specialize in producing phones and import computers from Sweden.

question

Which of the following statements shows how absolute advantage can be distinguished from comparative advantage?

answer

Absolute advantage refers to the ability to produce a larger amount of goods with the same number of inputs, whereas comparative advantage refers to the ability to have the lowest opportunity cost of production.

question

The theory of comparative advantage is:

answer

always relevant for identifying whether gains from trade can be obtained.

question

Suppose a country without any international trade opens its borders to international trade. After specialization how will its location on its production possibility frontier change?

answer

The country moves along the PPF toward its comparative advantage.

question

On a production possibilities frontier a trade-off can be illustrated as:

answer

a movement along the frontier itself.

question

Table: Production Possibilities for the United States and Mexico Corn (millions of tons) Potatoes (millions of tons) United States corn50 potato 10 Mexico corn40 potato 5 According to the table on production possibilities for the United States and Mexico, Mexico's opportunity cost of producing each ton of potatoes is ______, while the United States' opportunity cost of producing each ton of potatoes is ______.

answer

eight tons of corn; five tons of corn

question

Which of the following explains why someone with an absolute advantage in painting houses may NOT spend their time painting houses?

answer

They may be relatively better at something else than painting houses.

question

Based on these data (USA production possibilities 50 Corn or 10 Potatoes; Mexico production possibilities 40 Corn or 5 Potatoes), the USA and Mexico could agree to trade:

answer

6 corn from Mexico for 1 Potato from the USA

question

High-productivity workers fear trade because they think they cannot compete with workers in low-productivity countries. Low-productivity workers fear trade because they think they cannot compete with workers in high-productivity countries. Which of these fears is justified?

answer

Neither set of fears is justified.

question

Adam Smith said, "It is the maxim of every prudent master of a family never to attempt to make at home what it will cost him more to make than to buy. The tailor does not attempt to make his own shoes, but buys them of the shoemaker. The shoemaker does not attempt to make his own clothes, but employs a tailor." Which of the following concepts best illustrates Smith's intent with this statement?

answer

comparative advantage

question

In many universities, graduate students are employed to teach introductory undergraduate courses, even though the full professors at these universities have more experience and could potentially teach these courses better. Which of the following best explains why universities choose to hire graduate students instead of full professors to teach their introductory courses?

answer

The opportunity cost of teaching an introductory course is higher for full professors than for graduate students.

question

Gains from international trade are best characterized as potential gains from:

answer

both importation and exportation.

question

Only a very small portion of people who use microwaves know how they work. This is an example of:

answer

division of knowledge.

question

The ability of one producer to produce one good or service using fewer inputs than another producer is:

answer

absolute advantage.

question

A producer has a comparative advantage over other producers if his production of the good involves:

answer

a lower opportunity cost.

question

Anita is a wonderful baker and can bake 10 cakes in a day, but then has no time left to make cookies. If she bakes only cookies, she can make 200 cookies in a day. John can make equally delicious cakes and cookies but can only make seven cakes or 100 cookies in a day. Based on this information, which of the following statements is true?

answer

Anita should bake cookies and John should bake cakes.

question

The principles of comparative advantage, specialization, and trade apply to: I. individuals. II. communities. III. regions. IV. nations.

answer

I, II, III, and IV

question

The demand curve for oil shows:

answer

the quantity demanded of oil at different oil prices.

question

Recall the discussion about the demand for oil in your textbook. Which of the following correctly explains why the demand curve for oil is negatively sloped? As the price of oil rises:

answer

consumers increasingly use oil only for those purposes without good substitutes.

question

Which of the following explains why the demand for oil has a negative slope?

answer

Oil is not equally valuable in all of its uses

question

To economists, the term consumer surplus means:

answer

the consumer's gain from trading.

question

A decrease in demand refers to:

answer

a leftward shift of the demand curve

question

Which variable is NOT a demand shifter?

answer

price of raw materials

question

Which variable does NOT shift the demand curve?

answer

price of the good itself

question

Fred gets a raise and orders Lone Star Beer, thereafter, instead of Shiner Bock. Joe gets a raise and orders an extra Shiner Bock at Happy Hour. This means that:

answer

Shiner Bock can be a Normal Good for some people; an inferior good for others.

question

Coke and Pepsi are substitute soft drinks. Which of the following would cause the demand curve for Pepsi to shift to the left?

answer

the price of Coke decreases

question

The supply curve for oil shows:

answer

the quantity of oil supplied at different prices of oil.

question

Suppose that Saudi Arabia can produce oil at $4 per barrel, Iran at $10 per barrel, and Canada at $25 per barrel. If the price of oil is $90 per barrel, what is total producer surplus per barrel for world suppliers?

answer

$231

question

A change in which factor would shift the supply curve?

answer

production technology

question

An increase in supply refers to:

answer

a rightward shift of the supply curve.

question

As the price of lead falls (a key input in the production of automobile batteries), the costs of producing batteries decreases, shifting the supply curve of batteries:

answer

down and to the right.

question

If producers form expectations that copper prices will be higher in the future, then this will shift the:

answer

supply curve of copper to the left.

question

In the early 1980s, movie rentals averaged $5 a night; by the early 1990s that average was $1 per night. This is an example of a supply curve shifter based on:

answer

the entry of new suppliers into the market.

question

A firm produces volleyballs and soccer balls. What happens to the supply of soccer balls if the market price of volleyballs increases?

answer

The opportunity cost of producing soccer balls rises, so the supply curve of soccer balls decreases.

question

Joe runs a landscape company and uses one of his home's bedrooms as a home office. This office could be used to earn rental income from college students. If average rental income in Joe's neighborhood were to rise:

answer

Joe's opportunity cost of using a bedroom as a home office would increase.

question

A farmer can grow soy or sorghum. If the price of soy increases, the opportunity cost of growing sorghum ______, shifting the supply curve of sorghum ______.

answer

increases; up and to the left

question

The most important concepts in economics, according to the textbook, are supply, demand, and the:

answer

idea of equilibrium.

question

Which one of the following choices would cause the demand curve for an inferior good to shift to the left?

answer

a rise in incomes

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