...prior written consent of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., including, but not limited to, in any network or other electronic storage or transmission, or broadcast for distance learning. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 Text printer code/Cover printer code 0 9 8 7 6 5 4 ISBN 0-07-288477-0 www.mhhe.com The Nature and Method of Economics CHAPTER ONE THE NATURE AND METHOD OF ECONOMICS CHAPTER OVERVIEW This chapter begins with a discussion of the meaning and importance of economics. In this first chapter, however, we will not plunge into problems and issues; instead we consider some important preliminaries. We first look at the economic perspective—how economists think about problems. Next, we state some of the benefits of studying economics. Then, we examine the specific methods economists use to examine economic behavior and the economy, distinguishing between macroeconomics and microeconomics. Finally, the problems, limitations, and pitfalls that hinder sound economic reasoning are examined. The Appendix to Chapter 1 provides an important introduction to graphical analysis. While this will be review material for most students, for some this may be new....
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...THIS CHAPTER YOU WILL . . . Learn three key facts about shor t-run economic fluctuations Consider how the economy in the shor t run dif fers from the economy in the long run A G G R E G AT E AND DEMAND S U P P LY Use the model of aggregate demand and aggregate supply to explain economic fluctuations A G G R E G AT E Economic activity fluctuates from year to year. In most years, the production of goods and services rises. Because of increases in the labor force, increases in the capital stock, and advances in technological knowledge, the economy can produce more and more over time. This growth allows everyone to enjoy a higher standard of living. On average over the past 50 years, the production of the U.S. economy as measured by real GDP has grown by about 3 percent per year. In some years, however, this normal growth does not occur. Firms find themselves unable to sell all of the goods and services they have to offer, so they cut back on production. Workers are laid off, unemployment rises, and factories are left idle. With the economy producing fewer goods and services, real GDP and other measures of income fall. Such a period of falling incomes and rising 413 See how shifts in aggregate demand or aggregate supply can cause booms and recessions 414 PA R T E I G H T S H O R T - R U N E C O N O M I C F L U C T U AT I O N S recession a period of declining real incomes and rising unemployment depression a severe recession unemployment is called...
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...Economics theories (Neo) Classical Theories 1. Introduction The term 'Classical' refers to work done by a group of economists in the 18th and 19th centuries. Much of this work was developing theories about the way markets and market economies work. Much of this work has subsequently been updated by modern economists and they are generally termed neo-classical economists, the word neo meaning 'new'. 2. Belief Classical economists were not renowned for being a happy, optimistic bunch of economists (in terms of their economic thinking!). Some believed that population growth would be too rapid for the resources available (Malthus was a particular exponent of this view). If this wasn't enough to depress the rate of long-term growth (and the rest of the population along with it!) then diminishing returns would cause further problems for growth. They believed that the government should not intervene to try to correct this as it would only make things worse and so the only way to encourage growth was to allow free trade and free markets. This approach is known as a 'laissez-faire' approach. Essentially this approach places total reliance on markets, and anything that prevent markets clearing properly should be done away with. Much of Adam Smith's early work was on this theme, and he introduced the notion of an invisible hand that guided economic activity and led to the optimum equilibrium. Many people see him as the founding father of modern economics. The Victorian period...
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...Macroeconomics • Concerned with the big economic issues that determine you own economic well-being as well as that of your family and everyone. Each issue involves the overall economic performance of the nation rather than whether one particular individual earns more of less than another • Global economic crisis o Began in late 2007 has created enormous losses of income and jobs for millions. • Big three concepts o Unemployment rate • Higher the overall unemployment rate the harder it is for individual who wants a job to find work. • Wide spread consensus that unemployment is the most important macroeconomic issue has been further spread by the bad labor market of 09-10 o Inflation rate • High inflation means that prices on average are rising rapidly while a low inflation rate means that prices on average are rising slowly. 0 means essentially the same over time. Retired people lose the most because what they have saved buy less. High inflation helps those who have borrowed. Creates uncertainty o Productivity growth • The aggregate output per hour of work that a nation produces in total goods and services • The faster aggregate productivity grows the easier it is for each member of society to improve his or her standard of living. • If growth rate stays the same we have to sacrifice going forward by building fewer hospitals and schools. Called zero-sum society because any extra good or service enjoyed by one person requires that something be taken away from another...
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...the past century while others stay mired in poverty? Why do some countries have high rates of inflation while others maintain stable prices? Why do all countries experience recessions and depressions—recurrent periods of falling incomes and rising unemployment—and how can government policy reduce the frequency and severity of these episodes? Macroeconomics, the study of the economy as a whole, attempts to answer these and many related questions. To appreciate the importance of macroeconomics, you need only read the newspaper or listen to the news. Every day you can see headlines such as INCOME GROWTH SLOWS, FED MOVES TO COMBAT INFLATION, or STOCKS FALL AMID RECESSION FEARS. Although these macroeconomic events may seem abstract, they touch all of our lives. Business executives forecasting the demand for their products must guess how fast consumers’ incomes will grow. Senior citizens living on fixed incomes wonder how fast prices will rise. Recent college graduates looking for jobs hope that the economy will boom and that firms will be hiring. Because the state of the economy affects everyone, macroeconomic issues play a central role in political debate.Voters are aware of how the economy is doing, and they know that government policy can affect the economy in powerful ways.As a result, the popularity of the incumbent president rises when the economy is doing well and falls when it is doing...
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...the past century while others stay mired in poverty? Why do some countries have high rates of inflation while others maintain stable prices? Why do all countries experience recessions and depressions—recurrent periods of falling incomes and rising unemployment—and how can government policy reduce the frequency and severity of these episodes? Macroeconomics, the study of the economy as a whole, attempts to answer these and many related questions. To appreciate the importance of macroeconomics, you need only read the newspaper or listen to the news. Every day you can see headlines such as INCOME GROWTH SLOWS, FED MOVES TO COMBAT INFLATION, or STOCKS FALL AMID RECESSION FEARS. Although these macroeconomic events may seem abstract, they touch all of our lives. Business executives forecasting the demand for their products must guess how fast consumers’ incomes will grow. Senior citizens living on fixed incomes wonder how fast prices will rise. Recent college graduates looking for jobs hope that the economy will boom and that firms will be hiring. Because the state of the economy affects everyone, macroeconomic issues play a central role in political debate.Voters are aware of how the economy is doing, and they know that government policy can affect the economy in powerful ways.As a result, the popularity of the incumbent president rises when the economy is doing well and falls when it is doing...
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...Block IV MACROECONOMICS – II UNIT 17 Inflation 1-14 UNIT 18 Banking and Money Supply 15-31 UNIT 19 International Trade and Balance of Payments 32-50 UNIT 20 Economic Indicators 51-62 UNIT 21 Business Cycles 63-71 UNIT 22 Economic Growth, Development and Planning 72-84 Economics for Managers Expert Committee Dr. J. Mahender Reddy Vice Chancellor IFHE (Deemed to be University) Hyderabad Prof. Y. K. Bhushan Vice Chancellor IU, Meghalaya Prof. Loveraj Takru Director, IBS Dehradun IU, Dehradun Course Preparation Team Prof. Ramalingam Meenakshisundaram IFHE (Deemed to be University) Hyderabad Ms. Pushpanjali Mikkilineni IFHE (Deemed to be University) Hyderabad Mr. Pijus Kanti Bhuin IU, Sikkim Ms. Preetaq Dutta Rai IU, Jharkhand Ranchi Prof. S S George Director, ICMR IFHE (Deemed to be University) Hyderabad Dr. O. P. Gupta Vice Chancellor IU, Nagaland Prof. D. S. Rao Director, IBS, Hyderabad IFHE (Deemed to be University) Hyderabad Ms. Hadiya Faheem IFHE (Deemed to be University) Hyderabad Mr. Mrinmoy Bhattacharjee IU, Mizoram Aizawal Prof. Tarak Nath Shah IU, Dehradun Mr. Manoj Kumar De IU, Tripura Agartala © The ICFAI University Press, All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, used in a spreadsheet, or transmitted in any form or by any means – electronic, mechanical, photocopying or otherwise – without prior permission in writing from The ICFAI University Press, Hyderabad. Ref. No. Eco Mgrs SLM – 09...
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...1930’s, there were no expanding industries; everything was headed downward. * Microeconomics focuses on how decisions are made by individuals and firms and the consequences of those decisions; Macroeconomics examines the overall behavior of the economy—how the actions of all the individuals and firms in the economy interact to produce a particular economy-wide level of economic performance. * Many thousands or millions of individual actions compound upon one another to produce an outcome that isn’t simply the sum of those individual actions. (rubber-necking traffic jam example) * Paradox of thrift: when families and businesses are worried about the possibility of economic hard times, they prepare by cutting their spending. This reduction in spending depresses the economy as consumers spend less and businesses react by laying off workers. As a result, families and businesses may end up worse off than it they hadn’t cut their spending. * The flip-side is also true; seemingly profligate behavior leads to good times for all * Before 1930’s, economists regarded the economy as self-regulating: unemployment would be corrected through the invisible hand and government attempts would be ineffective/harmful. * Keynesian economics: a depressed economy is the result of inadequate spending. Government interaction can help a depressed economy through monetary and fiscal policies. * Monetary policy: uses changes in the quantity of money to alter interest...
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...1 Introduction: What Is Economics? Chapter Summary Economics is about making choices when options are limited. Options in an economy are limited because the factors of production are limited. We can use economic analysis to understand the consequences of our choices as individuals, organizations, and society as a whole. Here are the main points of the chapter: • Most of modern economics is based on positive analysis, which answers the question “What is?” or “What will be?” Economists contribute to policy debates by conducting positive analyses about the consequences of alternative actions. • Normative analysis answers the question “What ought to be?” • The choices made by individuals, firms, and governments answer three questions: What products do we produce? How do we produce the products? Who consumes the products? • To think like economists, we (a) use assumptions to simplify, (b) use the notion of ceteris paribus to focus on the relationship between two variables, (c) think in marginal terms, and (d) assume that rational people respond to incentives. • We use macroeconomics to understand why economies grow, to understand economic fluctuations, and to make informed business decisions. • We use microeconomics to understand how markets work, to make personal and managerial decisions, and to evaluate the merits of public policies. Learning Objectives 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. List the three key economic questions. Discuss the insights from economics for a real-world problem such as...
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...Answer:-A variation in demand implies “extension” or “contraction” of demand. When with a fall in price more of a commodity is bought there is an extension of demand. Similarly, when a lesser quantity is demanded with a rise in price there is a contraction of demand. In short demand extends when the price falls and it contracts when the price rises. Both of the terms are technically used in stating the law of demand. Question 3. :-Opportunity cost / alternative cost? Answer:-It is measure in terms of the forgone benefits from the next best alternatives use of a given resources in simple words scarifies or loss of alternative use of a given resource is turn as an opportunity cost. The alternative or opportunity cost of one unit of product A is the amount of product B that has been sacrificed by allocating the resources to produce A rather than B. Question 4. :-Low of Demand? Answer:-According to Ceteris Paribus, “The higher the price of the commodity the smaller is the quantity demanded and lover the price larger the quantity demanded other things remain constant.” In other words the demand for a commodity extends (i.e., the demand rises) as the price falls and contracts (i.e., demands falls) as the price rises. Or briefly stated, the low of demand stresses that, other thing remaining unchanged, demand varies inversely with the price. Question 5. :-Social Accounting? Answer:-The concept of social accounting is introduced by J.R....
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...– partial equilibrium and general equilibrium, positive economics and normative economics, managerial economics. Basic concepts – wealth, welfare and scarcity. Basic tools of economics analysis (equations and functions, graphs and diagrams, slope and intercepts) Module 2 : Consumers Behaviour and Demand Marishallian Approach : Equi-marginal utility, Law of demand – Determinants of demand. Elasticity of demand and its measurement. Price – Income – Cross and Promotional elasticity of demand. Consumer’s Surplus. Hicksian Approach : Indifference curves – properties of Indifference Curve, Consumer’s Equilibrium, Price effect, Income effect and substitution effect – Derivation of demand from Price Consumption Curve (PCC) – Giffen’s paradox. Samuelson Approach : Revealed Preference Theory. Module 3 : Production and Cost Analysis Concept of production function : short run and long run – Cobb – Douglass production function. isoquants – iso-cost line – producer’s equilibrium. Law of variable proportion and Law of returns to scale – Economies of scale – Economies of scope. Concepts of costs : Money and real cost, Opportunity cost, Social cost, Private cost – Derivation of short run and long run cost curves– Learning curve. SECTION –II Module 4 : Theory of Firm : Concepts of revenue : Total Revenue, Average Revenue and Marginal Revenue – Relationship between TR, AR and MR under perfect and imperfect competition – AR, MR and elasticity. Objectives of a Firm – Analysis of Equilibrium of...
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...INTRODUCTION TO MACROECONOMICS E202 $ ¥ Dr. David A. Dilts Department of Economics Doermer School of Business and Management Sciences Indiana-Purdue University-Fort Wayne June 1, 1993 Revisions: May 1994, December 1995, July 1996, November, 2000, May 2003, May 2006 PREFACE This Course Guide was developed in part because of the high cost of college textbooks, and in part, to help organize students’ studying by providing lecture notes together with the reading assignments. This Guide is provided to the student online at the Department of Economics website. Jayla Heller, the Department’s secretary has been kind enough to go through all of the frustration and hard work to put the guide in the appropriate format and put it online. To her goes my gratitude. The department, neither school, nor the professor make anything whatsoever from this Guide. In fact, the department’s budget and the professor’s own resources are used in the writing of the Guide, and the numerous draft copies that are produced in the revisions of this document. Like the sign in the Mom and Pop bait shop on Big Barbee Lake says, “This is a non-profit organization, wasn’t planned to be – it just worked out that way.” Well, actually it was planned to be a non-profit enterprise in this case. The professor also wishes to acknowledge the fact that several students have proposed changes, improvements, caught errors, and helped to make this document more useful as a learning tool. Naturally, any errors of omission...
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...RATES. 2. The lower price for a firm’s shares means that it can raise a smaller amount of funds, so investment in facilities and equipment will fall. 3. Higher stock prices mean that consumers’ wealth is higher, and they will be more likely to increase their spending. 4. They channel funds from people who do not have a productive use for them to people who do, thereby resulting in higher economic efficiency. 5. The United States economy was hit by the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression. Defaults in subprime residential mortgages led to major losses in financial institutions, producing not only numerous bank failures, but also the demise of two of the largest investment banks in the United States. These factors led to the “Great Recession” which began late in 2007. 6. The basic activity of banks is to accept deposits and make loans. 7. Savings and loan associations, mutual savings banks, credit unions, insurance companies, mutual funds, pension funds, and finance companies. 8. Answers will vary. 9. In the period from 2007 to 2011, both inflation and interest rates have generally trended downward compared to before that period. 10. The data in Figures 3, 5, and 6 suggest that real output, the inflation rate, and interest rates would all fall. 11. Businesses would increase investment spending because the cost of financing this spending is now lower, and consumers would be more likely to purchase...
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...higher on average than the other interest rates. 2. The lower price for a firm’s shares means that it can raise a smaller amount of funds, so investment in facilities and equipment will fall. 3. Higher stock prices mean that consumers’ wealth is higher, and they will be more likely to increase their spending. 4. They channel funds from people who do not have a productive use for them to people who do, thereby resulting in higher economic efficiency. 5. The United States economy was hit by the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression. Defaults in subprime residential mortgages led to major losses in financial institutions, producing not only numerous bank failures, but also the demise of two of the largest investment banks in the United States. These factors led to the “Great Recession” which began late in 2007. 6. The basic activity of banks is to accept deposits and make loans. 7. Savings and loan associations, mutual savings banks, credit unions, insurance companies, mutual funds, pension funds, and finance companies. 8. Answers will vary. 9. In the period from 2007 to 2011, both inflation and interest rates have generally trended downward compared to before that period. 10. The data in Figures 3, 5, and 6 suggest that real output, the inflation rate, and interest rates would all fall. 11. Businesses would increase investment spending because the cost of financing this spending is now lower, and consumers would be more likely to purchase a house or a car because the cost...
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...The process of work is at the core of social structure. The technological and managerial transformation of labor, and of production relationships, in and around the emerging network enterprise is the main lever by which the informational paradigm and the process of globalization affect society at large. In this chapter I shall analyze this transformation on the basis of available evidence, while attempting to make sense of contradictory trends observed in the changes of work and employment patterns over the past decades. I shall first address the classic question of secular transformation of employment structure that underlies theories of post-industrialism, by analyzing its evolution in the main capitalist countries between 1 920 and 2005. Next, to reach beyond the borders of OEeD countries, I shall consider the arguments on the emergence of a global labor force. I shall then turn to analyze the specific impact of new information technologies on the process of work itself, and on the level of employment, trying to assess the widespread fear of a jobless society. Finally, I shall treat the potential impacts of the transformation of work and employment on the social structure by focusing on processes of social polarization that have been associated with the emergence of the informational para- digm. In fact, I shall suggest an alternative hypothesis that, while acknowledging these trends, will place them in the broader framework of a more fundamental transformation:...
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