TTXXX
TTXXX
TTXXX
1
INTRODUCTION
Economy. . .
. . . The word economy comes from a Greek word for one who manages a household.
Principle #2: The Cost of Something Is What You Give Up to Get It. Decisions require comparing costs and benefits of alternatives.
Whether to go to college or to work? Whether to study or go out on a date? Whether to go to class or sleep in?
The opportunity cost of an item is what you give up to obtain that item.
Principle #3: Rational People Think at the Margin. Marginal changes are small, incremental adjustments to an existing plan of action.
Principle #6: Markets Are Usually a Good Way to Organize Economic Activity.
A market economy is an economy that allocates resources through the decentralized decisions of many firms and households as they interact in markets for goods and services.
Households decide what to buy and who to work for. Firms decide who to hire and what to produce.
Principle #6: Markets Are Usually a Good Way to Organize Economic Activity.
Adam Smith made the observation that households and firms interacting in markets act as if guided by an invisible hand.
Because households and firms look at prices when deciding what to buy and sell, they unknowingly take into account the social costs of their actions. As a result, prices guide decision makers to reach outcomes that tend to maximize the welfare of society as a whole.
Asymmetric Information
Principle #8: The Standard of Living Depends on a Countrys Production. Standard of living may be measured in different ways:
By comparing the total market value of a nations production.
Principle #9: Prices Rise When the Government Prints Too Much Money.
Inflation is an increase in the overall level of prices in the economy. One cause of inflation is the growth in the quantity of money. When the government creates large quantities of money, the value of the money falls.
Principle #10: Society Faces a Short-run Tradeoff Between Inflation and Unemployment. The Phillips Curve illustrates the tradeoff between inflation and unemployment: Inflation Unemployment Its a short-run tradeoff!
Summary
When individuals make decisions, they face tradeoffs among alternative goals. The cost of any action is measured in terms of foregone opportunities. Rational people make decisions by comparing marginal costs and marginal benefits. People change their behavior in response to the incentives they face.
Summary
Trade can be mutually beneficial. Markets are usually a good way of coordinating trade among people. Government can potentially improve market outcomes if there is some market failure or if the market outcome is inequitable.
Summary
Productivity is the ultimate source of living standards. Money growth is the ultimate source of inflation. Society faces a short-run tradeoff between inflation and unemployment.