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What is the Economic Problem?
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Wants are unlimited, resources are limited (Scarcity problem)
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Resources
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Inputs, or factors of production, used to produce goods and services
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What are the 4 types of resources available?
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1. Land (Natural Resources)
2. Labor
3. Capital (Human/Physical)
4. Entrepreneurial Ability
2. Labor
3. Capital (Human/Physical)
4. Entrepreneurial Ability
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Land (Natural Resources)
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Plots of land, water, trees, gas, oil, etc.
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Renewable Resources
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resources that can be used indefinitely if used conservatively
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Exhaustible Resources
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Resources that are limited in their amount
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Labor
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The physical and mental efforts of people
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What resource does Labor come from?
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Time
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What types of Capital Resources are there?
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Physical Capital and Human Capital
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Physical Capital
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Tangible things that are needed to produce goods and services (factories, highways, machines, buildings, tools, etc.)
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Human Capital
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Intangible things, such as the knowledge and skill, that people use to enhance their productivity
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Entrepreneurial Ability
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Talent and organizational ability to develop new products and processes and start a firm
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Who are considered risk-takers?
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Entrepreneurs
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What type of payments do Natural Resources earn?
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Rent
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What type of payments does Labor earn?
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Wages
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What type of payments does Capital earn?
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Interest
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What type of payments does entrepreneurial ability earn?
answer
Profit
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Good
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A tangible item used to satisfy wants
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Service
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An activity used to satisfy wants (intangible)
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Scarcity
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When people desire more than what is available at a price of $0.00.
If it is not free, it is considered scarce.
If it is not free, it is considered scarce.
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Markets
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A set of arrangements where buyers and sellers carry out exchange at mutually agreeable terms
(anywhere where buyers and sellers can exchange goods/services)
(anywhere where buyers and sellers can exchange goods/services)
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Product Market
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Where goods/services are sold/bought
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Resource Market
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Where resources are sold/bought
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What does marginal mean?
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Incremental, additional, or extra
"one more"
"one more"
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What is the marginal benefit?
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The dollar value placed on the satisfaction obtained from one more unity of a good
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What is marginal cost?
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The dollar value of the sacrifice made to obtain one more unit of a good
"How much does it cost to produce one more?"
"How much does it cost to produce one more?"
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In regards to marginal analysis, when will consumers "take action"?
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When Marginal benefit> Marginal Cost
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Describe the concept of Rational Self Interest
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People make decisions that they perceive to be in their own best interests
people will try to maximize benefits, or minimize expected costs
people will try to maximize benefits, or minimize expected costs
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What do rational choices require?
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time and information
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Describe the concept of Rational Choices
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individuals will gather enough information so that the benefits exceed the costs of gathering such information
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Microeconomics
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Examines the factors that influence individual economic choices and how particular markets influence the choices of various decision makers
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Macroeconomics
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Studies the performance of the economy as a whole
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What is an Economic Theory?
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A prediction of the way that the real economy reacts in certain situations
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What are Economic Models?
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Stripped down versions of the real economy that allow us to experiment
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What does the phrase "Ceteris Paribus" mean?
answer
"all else constant"
everything that doesn't matter will be considered irrelevant and will therefore stay the same
everything that doesn't matter will be considered irrelevant and will therefore stay the same
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Name the 4 steps of the Scientific Method
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1. Identify the question and define variables
2. Specify assumptions
3. Create a hypothesis
4. Test the hypothesis
2. Specify assumptions
3. Create a hypothesis
4. Test the hypothesis
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What does Marginal analysis help us determine?
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WHY an INDIVIDUAL buys a good
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What does Economics predict?
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Average behavior
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What does an Economic theory predict?
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What will happen throughout the economy
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What is Positive analysis?
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It consists of a positive statement that tells us the way the world actually IS.
It is a fact.
It is a fact.
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What is Normative analysis?
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It consists of a normative statement that tells use the way the world SHOULD BE.
It is an opinion.
It is an opinion.
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What is the Fallacy that Association is Causation
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Just because two events occur in time together, does not mean that one event caused the other
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What is the Fallacy of Composition
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Just because it is good for one, does not mean it is good for all