Shared Flashcard Set

Details

Ch 3:The Economic Problem
Unit 1 - Foundations of Macroeconomics
23
Economics
Undergraduate 1
01/22/2008

Additional Economics Flashcards

 


 

Cards

Term
Production Possibilities Frontier (PPF)
Definition
  • The boundary between combinations of goods and services that can be produced and combinations that can not be prouced given the available factors of production & the state of technology.Is a valuable tool for illustrating the effects of scarcity and its consequences
  • It puts 3 features of Production Possibilities in sharp focus. They are the distinction bet:
  1. Attainable & Unattainable Combinations
  2. Full Employment & Unemployment
  3. Tradeoffs and Free Lunch

 

Term

1.___Occurs in production possibilities when all the available factors of production are being used

Definition
Full Employment
Term

1.____Occurs when some factors of production are not used

Definition
1. Unemployment
Term
Trade off
Definition
Is a constraint or limit to what is possible that forces an exchange or substitution of one thing for something else
Term

When resources are fully employed, where does production occur in the PPF?

Definition

It occurs at points on the PPF

Term
When resources are unemployed, where does production occur in the PPF?
Definition
At a point inside the PPF
Term
What is the formula to calculate opportunity cost?
Definition

Opportunity cost

=

decrease in x

/

increase in y

 

! : If opportunity cost = x then

x = Δy ÷Δx

Term
Specialization
Definition
Concentrating on the production of only one good
Term
Comparative Advantage
Definition
The ability of a person to perform an activity or produce a good or service at a lower opportunity cost than someone else
Term
Absolute Advantage
Definition
When one person is more productive than another person in several or even all activities
Term
Explain why it is not possibe for anyone to have a comparative advantage on everything even if they have an absolute advantage on all activities?
Definition
It is not possible for anyone to have a comparable advantage on everything even though they might have an absolute advantage in everything because of opportunity cost. So gains from specialization & trade are always available when opportunity costs diverge
Term
Economic Growth
Definition
  • The sustained expansion of the production possibilities
  • Brings a benefit - expanded production possibilities in the future
  • Economic Growth is not free. To make it happen, we must decrease the production of goods for consumption now. Even with economic growth we continue to face opportunity costs.
  • It rotates the PPF outward to a new PPF 

 

Term
Technological change
Definition
Is the development of new goods and services and of better ways to producing existing goods and services
Term
Expansion of Human Capital
Definition
Is the improvement in the quality of labour that comes from educatoin, on-the-job training & work experience
Term
Capital Accumulation
Definition
Is the growth of capital resources
Term
What are the 3 features of production possibilities?
Definition

It distinguishes bet.

  1. Attainable & Unattainable combinations
  2. Full Employment & Unemployment
  3. Trade-offs and Free Lunches
Term
When is production possibilities attainable?
Definition
If the points are on or inside the PPF
Term
When are production possibilities unattainable?
Definition
If the points are outside the PPF
Term
What are the 3 key factors that influence economic growth?
Definition
  1. technological change
  2. Expansion of human capital
  3. Capital Accumulation
Term
Use the production possibilities frontier to illustrate the economic problem?
Definition
  1. Is the boundary between the combinations of goods and services that can be produced and combinations that can not be produced given the available factors of production and state of technology
  2. 3 key ideas of PPF: 1. Attainable & unattainable; 2. Full employment and unemployment; 3. Tradeoffs and free lunches

 

Term

How do we calculate opportunity cost

Definition
P.39
Term
Explain how specialization and trade expand production possibilities?
Definition
P.39
Term
Explain how technological change & increase in capital & human capital expand production possibilities
Definition
P.39
Supporting users have an ad free experience!