understanding economics Flashcards
where dies the word economics come from and what does it stand for
Ancient Greek word oikonomos
which means household( smallest form of society)
what is economics
the study of distribution and usage of resources to societies in order to satisfy unlimited wants and needs
according to Lionel Robbins
-study of human behavior
- relationship between ends and scarce, means that both have alternative uses
according to Paul A. Samuelson
- economics is the study of how society choose
- use finite resources that may have alternate uses
- to create certain goods and to allocate them for use
means that we are not only studying the how’s and why’s of the decision we are studying the decision making aspect
finite resources
what is scarcity?
available resources are limited to satisfy our wants and needs
what are the branches of economics and what are they
- macroeconomics
-disccuss aggregate(total economic activity) related economic processes
-imposes assumptions that are used to make macroeconomic models - microeconomics
- economic division that examines how individual make choices on allocating scarce capital
what are the views of economics and what are they about
- positive economics
-based on relevant facts and figures
- focuses on explaining economic development
- seeks to create a cause and effect relationship - normative economics
- based on own opinion
- focuses on political view
- seeks to summarize desire of individuals
identified the wealth of nations which are ____
-his book marked the beginning of economics as a distinct discipline
Adam smith
first major work das capital
focused on labor theory and what he viewed as capital exploitation ( capitalist workers are forced to sell their labor power for a lower price due to their lack of ownership of production means
- his goal can only be achieved by overthrowing ____
karl marx
social conditions
wrote the principle of economics
- theory neoclassical economics/marginalism was founded
what was one of his notable principle?
Alfred marshal
the price and output of a good is determined by both supply and demand
his book general theories of work OPENED UP MACROECNOMICS
John Maynard keynes
what is contemporary economics
also known as mathematical economic
- it uses calculus, linear statistical and computer science to analyze unintended effects
a simplified description of the relationship between two or more variables
- aims ti address real world problem
theory
- used for testing theories
- it is often used by economists rather than a theory