Unit 2: EconomicsUnit 2: Economics

What is Economics?What is Economics?

◦“A science that deals with the allocation, or use, of scarce resources for the purpose of fulfilling society’s needs and wants.” – Addison-Wesley

Economics:

Social Science concerned with the way society chooses to employ its limited resources which have alternative uses to produce goods and services for present and future consumption

What is Economics?What is Economics?

So then the big two concepts are that:◦Resources are scarce!◦Society has unlimited needs and wants!Economics decides the “best” way of providing one to the other

Supply/Demand-as demand increases the price goes up, which attracts new suppliers who increase the supply bringing the price back to normal.

-as supply increases, the price will go down because demand will decrease

Push/Pull:

When people migrate, they don't just leave one place and magically arrive somewhere else. Usually something pushes them away from their native country and pulls them toward a new place. This idea is called the push-pull factor.

Business Cycle:A business cycle is basically defined in terms of periods of expansion or recession.

During expansions, the economy is growing in real terms as evidenced by increases in indicators like employment, industrial production, sales and personal incomes.

Recession - a period of temporary economic decline during which trade and industrial activity are reduced

Depression: a long and severe recession in an economy or market.

The Great Depression – 1929 – 1941

Federal Budget:the amount of money that is available for a federal government to spend in a particular year

Deficit – we owe money

Surplus – we have extra money

Capitalism:

an economic and political system in which a country's trade and industry are controlled by private owners for profit, rather than by the state.

Centrally Planned Economy:

An economic system in which economic decisions are made by the state or government rather than by the interaction between consumers and businesses.

The state can set prices for goods and determine how much is produced, and can focus labor and resources on industries and projects without having to wait for private investment capital.

Free Enterprise:

an economic system in which private business operates in competition and largely free of state control.

United States –

What type of economy do we have?

We have a mixed economy…

public schools and collegestobacco regulationalcohol regulationfarm subsidiesmeat inspectionpharmaceutical regulationshealth insurance lawscar insurance

Scarcitythe fundamental economic problem of having seemingly unlimited human wants in a world of limited resources. It states that society has insufficient productive resources to fulfill all human wants and needs.

Natural Resources:

materials or substances such as minerals, forests, water, and fertile land that occur in nature and can be used for economic gain.

Factors of ProductionFactors of Production

There are 4 factors that must all be used to produce anything◦Natural Resources (also referred to as “land”)

Distribution:

the action or process of supplying goods to stores and other businesses that sell to consumers

Factors of ProductionFactors of Production

There are 4 factors that must all be used to produce anything◦Labor – effort of a person for which they are paid

Factors of ProductionFactors of Production

◦Capital – human-made resources used to create other goods

Factors of ProductionFactors of Production

Physical Capital – Also called Capital Goods, objects that are used to produce other goods

Factors of ProductionFactors of Production

Human Capital – knowledge or skills workers get from education and experience

Factors of ProductionFactors of Production

There are 4 factors that must all be used to produce anything◦Entrepreneurship – person who takes a risk in combining the other 3 factors to create a new good

QUIZ – QUIZ – Number your paper 1 - 6Number your paper 1 - 6

1. Which of the following are factors of production?◦a. Capital and Land◦b. Scarcity and shortages◦c. Technology and productivity◦d. economics and business decisions

Answer is …Answer is …

a. capital and land

Next question …Next question …

2. Which of the following is an example of using physical capital to save time and money?◦a. hiring more workers to do a job?◦b. building extra space in a factory to simplify

production◦c. switching from oil to coal to make

production cheaper◦d. lowering workers’ wages to increase profits

Answer is …Answer is …

b. building extra space in a factory to simplify production

next question …next question …

3. To what part of an industry does a worker’s education contribute?◦a. technology◦b. physical capital◦c. human capital◦d. scarce resources

Answer is …Answer is …

c. human capital

next question …next question …

4. Which of the following is an entrepreneur?◦a. a person who earns a lot of money as a

singer or dancer◦b. a person who creates a game and sells it to

a game manufacturer◦c. a person who starts an all-organic cleaning

supplies business that employs others◦d. a person who works as a highly paid

computer programmer

Answer is …Answer is …

c. a person who starts an all-organic cleaning supplies business that employs others

Next …Next …

5. What is the difference between a shortage and scarcity?◦a. A shortage can be temporary or long-term,

but scarcity always exists.◦b. A shortage results from rising prices;

scarcity results from falling prices. ◦c. A shortage is a lack of all goods and

services; scarcity concerns a single item.◦d. There is no real difference between a

shortage and scarcity

answer …answer …

a. A shortage can be temporary or long-term, but scarcity always exists!

next….next….

6. What does an economist mean by the term LAND?◦a. farmland only◦b. food crops grown on farmland as well as the

farmland itself◦c. goods and services that are produced form

the land◦d. all natural resources used to produce goods

and services

answer …answer …

d. all natural resources used to produce goods and services!