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Flashcards in BASIC Microeconomics IDEAS Deck (26)
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1
Q

Factors of production

A

The resources used in the production of goods and services

2
Q

Resources

A

The natural occurring and human-made items in an economy

3
Q

Economic Problem

A

Resources are scarce but wants are infinite

4
Q

scarcity

A

when resources are limited in supply

5
Q

wants

A

desires, not needed for survival

6
Q

needs

A

essential for living

7
Q

Ceteris Paribus

A

all other things being equal / other things held constant / all else unchanged

8
Q

Factor income

A

the reward to the factors of production

9
Q

land

A

natural resources in production - oil, livestock

factor income: rent

10
Q

labour

A

workers and their skills

factor income: wages

11
Q

enterprise

A

a project or undertaking, typically one that is difficult or requires effort.

  • entrepreneur: the person that organises production and is willing to take risks
  • factor income: profit
12
Q

capital

A

human-made aids to production

13
Q

renewable resources

A

replaced at a rate equal to or quicker than consumption

14
Q

non-renewable resources

A

cannot be replaced at a rate equal to its consumption

15
Q

primary sector + secondary + tertiary

A

extraction of natural resources

manufactoring and assembly

services

16
Q

short run

A

at least one FOP does not change

17
Q

long run

A

all FOPs can change

18
Q

very long run

A

change in technology

19
Q

free goods

A

A free good is a good with zero opportunity cost. This means it can be consumed in as much quantity as needed without reducing its availability to others

  • Not scarce
  • No opportunity cost
  • No market price
  • etc. air, sunlight
20
Q

economic goods

A

goods and services are produced which satisfy consumers needs and wants directly

  • Scarce
  • Opportunity cost
  • Market price
  • etc. food, clothing
21
Q

public goods

A

good or service that is provided without profit to all members of a society, either by government or a private individual or organisation

  • Non-rivalry (non-diminishing) - consumption by one person does not reduce availability for others.
  • Non-excludable - non-paying consumers cannot be prevented from consuming the product.
  • Non-rejectable - everyone consumes, whether they want to or not.
  • etc. street lighting, lighthouses, fireworks display, national defence.
22
Q

merit goods

A
  • private good
  • external benefits
  • one that has positive side effects when consumed
  • underproduced and under-consumed due to information failure (consumers are not fully aware of the effects).
  • better for a person than the person that may consume the good realises
  • etc. education, healthcare.
  • Government intervention: subsidies, laws & regulations, provide information.
23
Q

demerit goods

A
  • private good
  • external costs
  • one that has negative side effects when consumed
  • habit-forming, relatively cheap and readily avaliable
  • due to information failure (consumers are not fully aware of the effects).
  • etc. alcohol, cigarettes.
  • Government intervention: tax, laws & regulations, provide information.
24
Q

private goods

A

an item that yields positive benefits to people

  • Rivalry (diminishing) - consumption by one person reduces availability for others.
  • Excludable - can prevent people who have not paid from consuming the product.
  • Rejectable - people do not have to consume if they don’t want to.
  • etc. clothing, food
25
Q

public goods are provided by

A

the government due to the free-rider problem:

  • Due to non-excludability, consumers have no incentive to pay.
  • Private firms cannot charge a price and therefore can not make revenue or profit.
  • Therefore, private sector will not provide the public good.
26
Q

quasi-public good

A

Semi-rivalry and semi-excludable.