Microeconomics Flashcards
Define demand
The quantity of a good or service that consumers are willing and able to purchase at various prices during a specific time period, ceteris paribus.
state the law of demand
The principle that as the price of a product decreases, the quantity demanded of it will increase, ceteris paribus.
what are the assumptions underlying the law of demand?
- Human nature and behaviour
- Income effect
- substitution effect
- law of diminishing marginal utility
what causes movements along the demand curve?
changes in price
what are the non-price determinants of demand?
-changes in income
-changes in the price of related goods
-tastes and preferences, future expectations, number of consumers, seasonal changes
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Define supply
Supply is defined as the quantity of a good or service that producers are willing and able to offer at various prices during a specific time period, ceteris paribus
state the law of supply
the price of a product increases, the quantity supplied will usually increase, ceteris paribus.
what are the assumptions underlying the law of supply? [HL]
- the law of diminishing marginal returns
- increasing marginal cost of production
what causes movements along the supply curve?
changes in price
what are the non-price determinants of supply?
- changes in costs of production
- techonoogical change
- future expectations
- number of firms in the market
- changes in prices of related goods
- government intervention
what is market equilibrium?
The point where the supply curve of a good or service crosses the demand curve, at the price where the quantity demanded equals the quantity supplied.
what is disequilibrium?
A state where quantity demanded does not exactly equal quantity supplied, due to changes in the external environment (non-price determinants of demand and supply).
what is surplus?
When the quantity demanded of a good is less than the quantity supplied; occurs when the price in the market is above the equilibrium price. Also known as excess supply.
what is shortage?
When the quantity demanded of a good is more than the quantity supplied; occurs when the price in the market is below the equilibrium price. Also known as excess demand.
what is the price mechanism?
The way in which price changes affect quantity demanded and quantity supplied, thus determining resource allocation in a market.
Define allocative efficiency
Producing the optimal combination of goods from a society’s point of view; achieved when the economy is allocating resources so that no one can be better off without making somebody else worse off.
What is Consumer surplus?
The difference between the price that consumers pay and the price that they are willing to pay.
What is producers surplus?
Difference between the price producers are willing and able to sell it and the price earned from selling the good at the market price.
What is the social/community surplus?
The sum of the consumer surplus and producer surplus; the total benefit gained by society when the market is at equilibrium.
Define rational behaviour
In economic theory, behaviour of a consumer or producer that seeks to maximise utility or profit, respectively; behaviour that exhibits stable preferences over time.
Define bounded rationality
the idea that human rationality is limited in predictable ways.
Define imperfect information
A situation in which the parties to a transaction have different or limited information.
when consumers will maximise their total utility?
when the marginal utility is zero
Define bounded self-control
The idea that human beings have some self-control, but that it is limited.
Define bounded selfishness
The idea that human beings, while somewhat selfish, also act as conditional cooperators.
Define choice architecture
The way choices are structured for consumers. there are three types of choice: deafult choice, mandated choice and restricted choice
Define Default choice
A situation where an option is automatically set for consumers, but that they can change it if they wish.
Define restricted choice
A situation where consumer choices are limited.