Econ Terms Flashcards
spending by households on goods and services, with the exception of the purchase of new housing
Consumption
Coins and bills in the hands of the public
Currency
conditions that prevent firms from freely entering or exiting a market
Barriers to Entry
severe recession
Depression
graphical depiction of relationship between level of desired expenditures in an economy and the price level
Aggregate demand curve
graphical depiction of relationship between quantity of goods and services firms which to supply and the price level
Aggregate supply curve
total output divided by the quantity of labor employed in its production
Average labor productivity
sudden rush of depositors seeking to withdraw funds from the banking system
Bank run
fluctuations in aggregate economic activity
Business cycle
long-lived goods that are themselves produced and are used to produce other goods and services, but are not used up in the production process
Capital goods
group of firms that collude in a given market to restrain competition, often making quota arrangements among themselves
Cartel
proposition that if private parties can bargain without cost over the allocation of resources, then they can solve the problem of externalities on their own
Coase Theorem
ability to produce a good or service at a lower opportunity cost than other producers
Comparative advantage
market with many buyers and sellers trading a homogenous good or service in which each buyer and seller is a price taker
Competitive market
two goods for which a rise in the price of one leads to a decline in the demand for the other
Complements
index constructed by comparing the cost of purchasing a fixed basket of goods at different times
Consumer Price Index (CPI)
difference between the amount that a buyer would be willing to pay for a good or service and the price actually paid
Consumer surplus
decrease in private investment that occurs as a result of a reduction in government saving or an increase in government borrowing
Crowding out
unemployment caused by deviations of output from its potential level
Cyclical unemployment
reduction in total surplus that results from a market distortion such as a tax
Deadweight loss
graphical representation of the quantity of a good or service demanded as a function of the price
Demand curve
table showing the relationship between the price of a good or service and the quantity demanded
Demand schedule
property whereby each each additional increase in inputs results in a smaller increase in the quantity produced
Diminishing returns to scale
interest rate that the Federal Reserve charges banks when they must borrow reserves from it
Discount rate
difference between the revenue realized by a producer and the opportunity cost of production
Economic Profit
percentage change in quantity demanded or supplied as a result of a one percent change in price
Elasticity
an individual who takes on the risk of attempting to create new products or services, establish new markets, or develop new methods of production
Entrepreneur
situation in which the forces in a system are in balance so that the situation is stable and unchanging
Equilibrium
ability to prevent buyers from enjoying the benefits of consuming a good or service without paying for it
Excludability
period between a trough and a peak in economic activity
Expansion
when the action of one person affects the well-being of someone else but where neither party pays nor is paid for these effects
Externality
Founded in Great Britain in 1884, Fabians pursued socialism through gradual political reforms, as opposed to the violent struggles witnessed in Russia, China, Vietnam, Korea, and other nations.
Fabian Society
rate that banks charge other banks when they lend reserves
Federal Funds Rate
goods or services that are purchased by their ultimate user
Final Goods
institutions through which individuals with savings can supply these funds to persons or firms that wish to borrow money to purchase consumption goods or invest in physical capital
Financial markets
use of taxes and spending to influence aggregate demand and through it the level of overall economic activity
Fiscal policy
cost of production that is independent of the quantity produced
Fixed cost
when a company invests in an operational entity in a foreign country that the company or individual will manage directly
Foreign Direct Investment (FDI)
unemployment that results because it takes time for workers to search for jobs that are best suited to their tastes and skills
Frictional unemployment
benefits that both individuals or nations realize from mutually beneficial exchange
Gains from trade
spending on goods and services by federal, state, and local governments
Government purchases
market value of final goods and services produced in an economy during a specified period of time
Gross Domestic Product (GDP)
skills and experience that are acquired through education, training, and on the job experience that increase a worker’s productivity
Human capital
case of a market with a small number of sellers, so that sellers have market power
Imperfect competition