Booklet 6 Flashcards
bureaucracy
a system of government in which most of the important decisions are made by state officials rather than by elected representatives. A bureaucracy is a way of administratively organizing large numbers of people who need to work together.
business cycle
The business cycle is the fluctuation in economic activity that an economy experiences over a period of time. peak: high income, production and employment. recession: declining production, sales, and employment. depression: high unemployment, low profits, little production. recovery: expanding production, sales, and employment
capital
The money or other assets with which an entrepreneur stats a business; any mechanism used in the creation of wealth. Ex. a hammer for a carpenter opening a business.
capitalsit
a wealthy person who uses money to invest in trade and industry for profit in accordance with the principles of capitalism.
capitalism (lassiez-faire)
Laissez-faire capitalism. An economic system based on free markets, fair competition, wise consumers, and profit motivated producers; a minimum of government involvement is favoured.
cartel
an association of manufacturers or suppliers with the purpose of maintaining prices at a high level and restricting competition. ex. OPEC
central planning
a planned economy. the state or government makes economic decisions rather than the interaction between consumers and businesses. left
command economy
an economy in which production, investment, prices, and incomes are determined centrally by a government. left
conservative
holding to traditional attitudes and values and cautious about change or innovation, typically in relation to politics or religion.
consumer sovereignty
the situation in an economy where the desires and needs of consumers control the output of producers.
debt
something, typically money, that is owed or due.
deficit
a deficiency; an excess of liabilities or expenditures over income or assets in a given period. Deficit spending by a government is spending that is financed by borrowing and may occur in order to “kick-start” a stagnant economy. deficit financing was encouraged by keynes (gov spending more than it has through borrowing)
demand
the desire of purchasers, consumers, clients, employers, etc., for a particular commodity, service, or other item.
demand-side economics
Demand side economics is based on the belief that the main force affecting overall economic activity and causing short-term fluctuations is consumer demand for goods and services. Keynesian economics. left. recession is caused by decreased consumer spending. critisized for creating bureaucracy
duties
In economics, a duty is a kind of tax levied by a state. The term is often used to describe a tax on certain items purchased abroad.
equality
the state of being equal, especially in status, rights, and opportunities.
income tax
tax levied by a government directly on income, especially an annual tax on personal income.
indicative planning
a form of economic planning implemented by a state in an effort to solve the problem of imperfect information in market and mixed economies in order to increase economic performance. sweden
inflation
an increase in the general price level of products, the cost of labour, and interest rates.
invisible hand
The unobservable market force that helps the demand and supply of goods in a free market to reach equilibrium automatically is the invisible hand. Description: The phrase invisible hand was introduced by Adam Smith in his book ‘The Wealth of Nations’.
inequality
lack of equality
factors of production
Factors of production is an economic term that describes the inputs that are used in the production of goods or services in order to make an economic profit. The factors of production include land, labor, capital and entrepreneurship.
fiscal policy
the means by which a government adjusts its spending levels and tax rates to monitor and influence a nation’s economy. to stimulate economy gov will run a deficit by spending on public works and providing welfare. to slow economy gov will raise taxes and reduce spending
Five Year Plan
(especially in the former Soviet Union) a government plan for economic development over five years. The first such plan in the Soviet Union was inaugurated in 1928.
free market
a market that operates with limited government intervention. In a free-market economy, questions regarding production and marketing of goods and services are decided through the free interaction of producers and consumers. right
Gosplan
The State Planning Committee, commonly known as Gosplan, was the agency responsible for central economic planning in the Soviet Union.
Great Depression
an economic crisis that began in late 1929 with the sock market crash and continued through the 1930s. During this period, banks failed, factories closed, many people became unemployed, and international trade declined. lead to more government involvement (modern liberalism/welfare capitalism)
John Maynard Keynes
a British economist whose ideas fundamentally changed the theory and practice of macroeconomics and the economic policies of governments. said that capitalism’s problems were caused by extreme swings in the business cycle.
Keynesian Economics
increased government expenditures and lower taxes to stimulate demand and pull the global economy out of the depression. when people spend they create demand which encourages production. good times: gov will reduce spending, increase taxes, deficit, increase interest rates to control economic growth. during bad times gov will increase spending, reduce taxes, decrease interest rates (so people spend) to create economic recovery by consumer spending
lassiez-faire
Non-interference or non-intervention. Laissez-faire economics theory supports free markets and an individual’s right to own private property. right
left-wing
Left-wing politics supports social equality and egalitarianism, often in opposition to social hierarchy and social inequality
lenin
a Russian communist revolutionary, politician and political theorist. He served as head of government of Soviet Russia from 1917 to 1924 and of the Soviet Union from 1922 to 1924. Under his administration, Russia and then the wider Soviet Union became a one-party communist state governed by the Russian Communist Party. Ideologically a Marxist, he developed political theories known as Leninism.
liberal
open to new behavior or opinions and willing to discard traditional values.
liberty
the state of being free within society from oppressive restrictions imposed by authority on one’s way of life, behavior, or political views.
market economy
an economic system in which economic decisions and the pricing of goods and services are guided solely by the aggregate interactions of a country’s individual citizens and businesses. There is little government intervention or central planning.
Karl Marx
Karl Marx was a philosopher, economist, historian, political theorist, sociologist, journalist and revolutionary socialist. Based the ideas for communism
Marxism
the political and economic theories of Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, later developed by their followers to form the basis for the theory and practice of communism. a radical form of socialism