ECON 101 - chp. 1 Flashcards
Define economics
social science that studies the choices that individuals, businesses, governments, and entire societies make as they cope with scarcity and the incentives that influence and reconcile those choices.
define scarcity
Our inability to get eveyrthing we want
why and how do we make choices?
we make choices due to scarcity.
the choices we make depend on the incentives we face
Define incentive
a reward that encourages an action or penalty that discourages an action
provide a positive incentive
scholarship for getting high grades
provide a negative incentive
parking ticket
define microeconomics
study of choices that individuals and businesses make, the way those choices interact in markets, and the influence of governments.
define macroeconomics
study of the performance of the national and global economics
what are the 2 questions that summarize the scope of economics
- how do choices end up determining what, how, and for whom goods + services get produced?
- do choices made in the pursuit of self-interest also promote social interest?
define goods + services
objects that people value and produce to satisfy human wants
define factors of production
resources we use to produce goods + services
describe what we produce
what we produce varies across countries and changes over time
describe how we produce
how we produce is based on the technologies and resources we use
what are the factors of production
- land
- labour
- capital
- entrepreneurship
what does the quality of labour depend on?
human capital (knowledge + skills)
define land
the “gifts of nature” that we use to produce goods + services
how to obtain human capital
education, work experience, on-the-job training
define capital
tools, instruments, machines, building and other constructions that businesses use to produce goods + services
Define entrepreneurship
the human resources that organizes land, labour, and capital
for whom does the goods and services get produced for?
dependent on the incomes that people aern
what are the revenue for each factor of production
- land = rent
- labour = wages
- capital = interest
- entrepreneurship = profit
which factor of production revenue earns the most? what percentage?
wages from labour earns the most. about 70%
define self-interest
choice that you think are best for you
define social interest
choices that are best for society as a whole
what are the 6 key ideas that define the economic way of thinking
- a choice is a tradeoff
- people make rational choices by comparing benefits + costs
- benefit is what you gain from something
- cost is what you must give up to get something
- most choices are “how-much” choices made at the margin
- choices respond to incentives
define a rational chocie
a chocie that compares the costs and benefits and achieves the greatest benefit over cost for the person making the choice
how do you determine the rationality of a choice?
on the wants of the person making the choice
define benefit in the econ context
the gain/pleasure that it brings and is determined by preferences
define preferences
what a perons likes and dislikes and the intensity of those feelings
define opportunity cost of something
is the highest-valued alternative that must be given up to get it.