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Macroeconomics Final - Ch. 1-3
Definitions from the Ragan Lipsey Canadian Macroeconomics book
52
Economics
Undergraduate 1
04/14/2011

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Term
Economy
Definition
A system in which scarce resources are allocated among competing uses
Term
Factors of Production
Definition
Resources used to produce goods and services; frequently divided into the basic categories of land, labour, and capital
Term
Goods
Definition
Tangible commodities, such as cars or shoes
Term
Services
Definition
Intangible commodities, such as haircuts or medical care
Term
Production
Definition
The act of making goods or services
Term
Consumption
Definition
The act of using goods or services to satisfy wants
Term
Opportunity Cost
Definition
The cost of using resources for a certain purpose, measured by the benefit given up by not using them in their best alternative use
Term
Production Possibilities Boundary
Definition
A curve showing which alternative combinations of commodities can just be attained if all available resources are used efficiently; it is the boundary between attainable and unattainable output combinations
Term
Resources Allocation
Definition
The allocation of an economy's scarce resources of land, labour, and capital among alternative uses
Term
Microeconomics
Definition
The study of the causes and consequences of the allocation of resources as it is affected by the workings of the price system
Term
Macroeconomics
Definition
The study of the determination of economic aggregates such as total output, the price level, employment, and growth
Term
Specialization of Labour
Definition
The specialization of individual workers in the production of particular goods or services
Term
Division of Labour
Definition
The breaking up of a process into a series of specialized tasks, each doe by a different worker
Term
Barter
Definition
An economic system in which goods and services are traed directly for other goods and services
Term
Transnational Corporations (TNCs)
Definition
Firms that have operations in more than one country. Also called multinational enterprises (MNEs)
Term
Traditional Economy
Definition
An economy in which behaviour is based mostly on tradition
Term
Command Economy
Definition
An economy in which most economic decisions are made by a central planning authority
Term
Free-market Economy
Definition
An economy in which most economic decisions are made by private households and firms
Term
Mixed Economy
Definition
An economy in which some economic decisions are made by firms and households and some by the government
Term
Normative Statement
Definition
A statement about what ought to be as opposed to what actually is
Term
Positive Statement
Definition
A statement about what actually is (was or will be), as opposed to what ought to be
Term
Variable
Definition
Any well-defined item, such as the price or quantity of a commodity, that can take on various specific values
Term
Endogenous Variable
Definition
A variable that is explained within a theory. Sometimes called an induced variable or a dependent variable.
Term
Exogenous Variable
Definition
A variable that is determined outside the theory. Sometimes called an autonomous variable or an independent variable
Term
Economic Model
Definition
A term used in several related ways: sometimes for an abstraction designed to illustrate some point but not designed to generate testable hypotheses, and sometimes as a synonym for theory
Term
Index Number
Definition
An average that measures change over time of such variables as the price level and industrial production; conventionally expressed as a percentage relative to a base period, which is assigned the value 100
Term
Cross-sectional data
Definition
A set of observations made at the same time across several different units (such as households, firms or countries)
Term
Time-series data
Definition
A set of observations made at successive period of time
Term
Scatter Diagram
Definition
A graph of statistical observations of paired values of two variables, one measured on the horizontal and the other on the vertical axis. Each point on the coordinate grid represents the values of the variables for a particular unit of observation
Term
Quantity Demanded
Definition
The amount of a good or service that consumers want to purchase during some time period
Term
Demand Schedule
Definition
A table showing the relationship between quantity demanded and the price of a commodity, other things being equal
Term
Demand Curve
Definition
The graphical representation of the relationship between quantity demanded and the price of a commodity, other things being equal
Term
Demand
Definition
The entire relationship between the quantity of a commodity that buyers want to purchase and the price of that commodity, other things being equal
Term
Substitutes in Consumption
Definition
Goods that can be used in place of another good to satisfy similar needs or desires
Term
Complements in consumption
Definition
Goods that tend to be consumed together
Term
Change in Demand
Definition
A change in the quantity demanded at each possible price of the commodity, represented by a shirt in the whole demand curve
Term
Change in Quantity Demanded
Definition
A change in the specific quantity of the good demanded, represented by a change from one point on a demand curve to another point, either on the original demand curve or on a new one.
Term
Quantity Supplied
Definition
The amount of a commodity that producers want to sell during some time period
Term
Supply Schedule
Definition
A table showing the relationship between quantity supplied and the price of a commodity, other things being equal
Term
Supply Curve
Definition
The graphical representation of the relationship between quantity supplied and the price of a commodity, other things being equal
Term
Supply
Definition
The entire relationship between the quantity of some commodity that producers wish to sell and the price of that commodity, other things being equal
Term
Change in Supply
Definition
A change in the quantity supplied at each possible price of the commodity, represented by a shift n the whole supply curve
Term
Change in Quantity Supplied
Definition
A change in the specific quantity supplied, represented by a change from one point on a supply curve to another point, either on the original supply curve or on a new one
Term
Market
Definition
Any situation in which buyers and sellers can negotiate the exchange of goods or services
Term
Excess Demanded
Definition
A situation in which, at the given price, quantity demanded exceeds quantity supplied
Term
Excess Supply
Definition
A situation in which, at the given price, quantity supplied exceeds quantity demanded
Term
Equilibrium Price
Definition
The price at which quantity demanded equals quantity supplied. Also called the market-clearing price
Term
Disequilibrium Price
Definition
A price at which quantity demanded does not equal quantity supplied
Term
Disequilibrium
Definition
A situation in a market in which there is excess demand or excess supply
Term
Comparative Statics
Definition
The derivation of predictions by analyzing the effect of a change in some exogenous variable on the equilibrium
Term
Absolute Price
Definition
The amount of money that must be spent to acquire one unit of a commodity. Also called money price
Term
Relative Price
Definition
The ration of the money price of one commodity to the money price of another commodity; that is, a ratio of two absolute prices
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