Introduction to Economics
Introduction to Economics
๐น 1. What is Economics?
- Economics is the study of how individuals, firms, and governments make choices when resources are scarce.
- It addresses the problem of scarcity and how to make efficient choices.
๐น 2. Central Economic Problems
Because resources are limited and human wants are unlimited, every economy faces three fundamental questions:
- What to produce?
- Deciding which goods and services should be produced and in what quantity.
- How to produce?
- Choosing the method of production (labor-intensive or capital-intensive).
- For whom to produce?
- Deciding how goods are distributed among individuals and groups in society.
๐น 3. Types of Economics
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Microeconomics:
- Focuses on individual units like households, firms, markets.
- Topics: Demand & supply, price, consumer behavior, cost of production.
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Macroeconomics:
- Studies the whole economy.
- Topics: National income, GDP, inflation, unemployment, fiscal/monetary policy.
๐น 4. Basic Economic Terms
- Scarcity: Limited nature of resources.
- Choice: Selecting the best option due to scarcity.
- Opportunity Cost: The cost of the next best alternative foregone.
- Resources (Factors of Production):
- Land – natural resources
- Labor – human effort
- Capital – man-made tools and machines
- Entrepreneurship – risk-taker and organizer
๐น 5. Positive vs Normative Economics
- Positive Economics: Deals with facts and cause-effect relationships (e.g., “An increase in tax reduces consumption”).
- Normative Economics: Based on value judgments (e.g., “The government should reduce taxes”).
๐น 6. Economic Activities
- Production – Creation of goods and services.
- Consumption – Using goods to satisfy needs.
- Distribution – Sharing of produced goods among people.
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