Microeconomics Unit 1.1 Economic Problem

Question 1

What is the economic problem?

Answer 1

Humans have unlimited wants and needs but limited resources.

Question 1

What is an economic good?

Answer 1

There is a limited supply. These goods are scarce.

Question 2

What is a free good?

Answer 2

This is not usually seen as limited in supply

Question 3

Give an example of a free good.

Answer 3

Air

Question 4

What are the three questions of the economic problem?

Answer 4

What should be produced?
How should it be produced?
For whom should it be produced?

Question 5

What is microeconomics the study of?

Answer 5

The study of the behaviour of individuals, firms and governments in relation to the allocation of products and/or resources.

Question 6

What is scarcity?

Answer 6

When there is a limited amount of something

Question 7

What is the study of the behaviour and performance of the economy as a whole

Answer 7

Macroeconomics

Question 8

What is a positive statement?

Answer 8

A factual statement which can be tested.

Question 9

What is a normative statement?

Answer 9

An opinion based statement.

Question 10

What are economic agents?

Answer 10

Key groups involved in the economic problem- e.g. government, firms and households.

Question 11

What are the two key roles of households in the economy?

Answer 11

Consumers
Providing labour or a workforce.

Question 12

What are the two key roles of firms in the economy?

Answer 12

Producers of goods and services.
Purchasers of goods and services in the production process.

Question 13

What is the role of the Government in the economy?

Answer 13

Taxation
Spending
Social Welfare
BUT the role of the government depends on the political party

Question 14

What is rationality?

Answer 14

The assumption each economic agent (firms, households and governments) act in their own best interests:
Households maximise utility
Firms maximise profit
Governments maximise welfare.

Question 15

What are the factors of production?

Answer 15

Land, labour, capital and enterprise.

Question 16

What do the factors of production do?

Answer 16

They are the building blocks to produce goods and services.

Question 17

What is a the reward of a factor of production?

Answer 17

The return for the use of a factor of production (by firms)

Question 18

What is the reward for land?

Answer 18

Rent

Question 19

What is the reward for labour?

Answer 19

Wages and salaries

Question 20

What is the reward for capital?

Answer 20

Interest

Question 21

What do economists mean by land?

Answer 21

The area of the earth’s surface and the raw materials within it e.g. soil, coal, fish.

Question 22

What is the reward for enterprise?

Answer 22

Profit

Question 23

What do economists mean by labour?

Answer 23

The mental and physical effort of people

Question 24

What do economists mean by capital?

Answer 24

Buildings, machinery, vehicles and money

Firms often borrow money to invest in new capital. This means buy a machine, IT system or anything man made which will help with production.

Question 25

What do economists mean by enterprise?

Answer 25

The entrepreneur who takes a risk and organised the other factors of production.

Some economists see entrepreneurs as another form of labour.

Question 26

Try writing this out

Exam question: Explain the concept of rationality (4)

Answer 26

Rationality in economics is the main assumption made about the key agents in economic systems. Firstly, it assumes agents seek to maximise one goal in line with their preferences. For consumers this is utility, for firms it is profit and for governments it is the level of welfare in society. Rational behaviour is based on the assumption of access to perfect information and the agent is able to weigh up all the options before making the decision. It assumes agents are not influenced by emotions, morals or psychology and form decisions using logic.