AOS 1- microeconomics Flashcards
Relative Scarcity
needs/wants=unlimitted
resources too satisfy them(labour, natural, capital)=limited
–> need for economic decisions to be made of how to allocate resources
need
Items which are essential to survive (water shelter clothing food)
wants
Items which are non-essential however enhance our lives (phone television computer)
opportunity cost
Value of the next best alternative for gone when economic decision is made
efficient allocation of resources
this occurs when living standards are maximised and our needs/wants are best satisfied
allocative efficiency
the efficient allocation of resources occurs when living standards and welfare are maximised. x increase living standards by reallocation
productive/technical efficiency
X possible to increase outputs without increasing inputs. maximising the output from a given level of input
inter-temporal efficiency
how well resources are allocated over different time periods so the living standards of current generations are not jeopardising the living standards of the future generations
dynamic efficiency
how quickly economies can reallocate resources to achieve allocative efficiency, being adaptive and creative in response to changing economic circumstances
three economic questions
What (and how much) to produce?
who to produce for?
how to produce it?
nature and conditions for a free and perfectly competitive market
Consumer sovereignty exists- consumers direct/allocate resources
large number of buyers and sellers, of which, none have market power (price takers)
homogenous products (identical+ easily substitutable)
ease of exit and entry (low startup costs, regulations etc)
assumptions of perfectly competitive market
Buyers and sellers operate with perfect info
resources are mobile
behavior is rational, buyers=maximise utility/satisfcaction, sellers=profit
law of demand
increase price-> decrease demand and vice versa
demand
willingness and ability of consumers to purchase goods and services
market/price mechanism
describes how forces of supply and demand influence (relative) prices of goods and services, which then coordinates productive resources (such as labour and capital and natural) are allocated in economy
income effect
reduced consumption of g/s whose prife has increased, due to reduction in consumers purchasing power or an increase in consumption of a good or service whose price has decreased due to increase in consumers purchasing power
substitution effect
decreased consumption of a g/s whose price has increased due to changed trade-off: the fact that one must give up more of another g/s to get more units of the high priced g/s
non price demand factors
changes is disposible income
price of substitutes
price of compliments
preferences+tastes
interest rates
pop. demographics
consumer confidence
discretionary income
disposible income availiable for consumption following the payment of all ‘non avoidable’ expenditures, such as food/clothing
disposible income
income availiable for spending after the receipt of welfare benfits and deduction of personal taxes