Thursday, January 8, 2015

Macroeconomics/ Microeconomics
Macroeconomics -the study of the major components of the economy.
-          Ex. Inflation, GDP, International trade
Micro economics-Study of how households and firms make decisions and how they interact in markets
-          ex. supply and demand, market structures

Positive economics vs normative economics
Positive economics- Claims that attempt to describe the world as is, it is very descriptive (fact based)
-          Ex. Minimum wage laws causes unemployment
Normative economics- claims that attempt to prescribe how the world should be, very prescriptive in nature (opinion based)
-          Ex. The government SHOULD raise the minimum wage.

Needs vs Wants
Needs- basic requirements for survival  -Ex. Food, water, shelter
Wants- desires of citizens, broader than needs

Scarcity vs Shortage
Scarcity- most fundamental economic problem facing all societies. Satisfying unlimited wants and needs with limited resources.
Shortage- Quantity demanded is greater than quantity supplied (temporary)

Goods vs Services
Goods- tangible commodities. 2 types- consumer goods and capital goods
-          Consumer- goods intended for final use by consumer
-          Capital goods- items used in the creation of other goods ex. Factor, machinery, trucks
Services-  work that is performed for someone else

Factors of production


1. land-natural resources
2. Labor- work force
3. capital- human-knowledge and skills /physical- human made objects used to create other goods/services
4. entrepreneurship- innovator/risk taker


Tradeoffs
Tradeoffs- Alternatives we give up when we choose one course of action over another
Opportunity cost- the most desirable alternative given up by making a decision
Production possibility graphs- shows alternative ways to use resources.


Point e- (outside the curve) – economic growth, technology, new resources





Productive efficiency- producing at lowest cost and allocating resources efficiently, full employment of resources. (any point on the curb)

Allocative efficiency- where to produce on the curb 

4 comments:

  1. Its highly interesting how Macroeconomics and Microeconomics are closely alike, a major component of the difference between the two is the fact that Macroeconomics deals on a larger scale and effects the majority of the economy.

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  2. your blog details the fine line between micro and macro within economics. it could be a bit more structured but overall contains enough notes to be viable

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  3. I like that you used the graph in order represent what is inefficient, efficient, and unattainable. You could improve your blog by adding about the aspects of supply and demand and their determinants.

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  4. Your explanation of this unit is very well done and highly informative on what the unit is about

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