Economic Methodology and the Economic Problem Defenitions Flashcards
Allocative efficiency
When economic resources are utilised to produce the combination of
goods and services that maximise economic welfare.
Allocative price function
: Prices allocate resources away from markets with excess supply
to markets with excess demand.
Capital
producer goods
Capital/producer goods:
Goods used in the production of other goods.
Ceteris paribus
All other things being held constant
Choice
Selecting one of multiple alternatives when deciding how to allocate scarce
resources.
Consumer good:
Goods consumed by households & individuals, used to satisfy needs and
wants.
Economic welfare:
The economic satisfaction/wellbeing of individuals/households/groups in
an economy.
Enterprise:
The ability to utilise factors of production effectively
Factors of production:
Inputs of the production process, such as land, labour, capital and
enterprise
Finite resource:
Non-renewable resource that becomes increasingly scarce.
Fundamental economic problem
Deciding how to best allocate scarce resources to
maximise overall economic welfare.
Imperfect information:
When individuals lack the information to make the best decision.
Incentive price function:
: Prices create incentives for people to adjust their economic transactions
Infrastructure
: Facilities required for an economy to function
labour
: Workers with human capital
land
Natural physical materials, as well as space for fixed capital
need
Something necessary for human survival, e.g. food, shelter.
Normative statement:
Statements including value judgements, that cannot be easily
proved/disproved.
Opportunity cost:
: Loss of other alternatives due to selecting one of a set of options.
Pareto efficiency:
State of resource allocation, where in order to make an economic agent
better off, another agent is made worse off
Positive statement
Statements including facts, that can easily be proved/disproved.
Production possibility frontier:
A curve displaying the various possible combinations of two
products that can be produced with finite resources.
Production possibility frontier:
A curve displaying the various possible combinations of two
products that can be produced with finite resources.