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1APEconomicsChapter2TheDisciplineofEconomics-ByJacindaJia2TopicListWhatiseconomicsMicrovs.MacroeconomicsPositivevs.normativeeconomicsOpportunitycostProductionpossibilitiesfrontierComparativeadvantage3EconomicsdefinedEconomicsisasocialsciencethatstudieshowresourcesareusedandisoftenconcernedwithhowresourcescanbeusedtotheirfullestpotential.Considerthecaseofastudentwhohasonly24hrstospendeachday.Oneproblemeverystudentfacesisjusthowmuchtimeshouldbeallocatedtoeachofthevariousactivitiesthatmakeforafulllife.Thisisaneconomicproblem,sincethestudentmustdecidehowtheresource(time)willbeusedtoitsmaximumpotential.4EconomicsdefinedThedisciplineofeconomicsisnotdirectlyconcernedwithmoneyorpoliticsorthestockmarket,howevereconomicproblemsaboundineachoftheseareas.1.Peoplewanttospendtheirmoneyinthebestway.2.Politicianswanttomakedecisionstoachievethemaximumbenefit.3.Investorswantthehighestreturnfromtheirearnings.Anytimesomeoneistryingtomakethemostoutofwhathehas,weareintherealmofeconomics.5Macroeconomicsvs.MicroeconomicsMicroeconomicsThestudyofhowhouseholdsandbusinessesmakechoices,howtheyinteractinmarkets,andhowthegovernmentattemptstoinfluencetheirchoices.MacroeconomicsThestudyoftheeconomyasawhole,includingtopicssuchasinflation,unemployment,andeconomicgrowth.6Macroeconomicsvs.Microeconomics?I:Theeffectofhighercigarettetaxesonthequantityofcigarettessold.A:Theeffectofhigherincometaxesonthetotalamountofconsumerspending.A:ThereasonsfortheeconomicsofEastAsiancountriesgrowingfasterthantheeconomiesofsub-SaharanAfricancountries.I:Thereasonsforlowratesofprofitintheairlineindustry.7NormativeandPositiveEconomicsThedisciplineofeconomicscanbesplitinanotherway-positiveandnormativeeconomics.Positiveeconomicsisbasedonthescientificmethod,andisconcernedwithwhatis.Normativeeconomicsinvolvesvaluejudgments,andisconcernedwithwhatoughttobe.8NormativeandPositiveEconomicsItmayappearasifpositiveeconomicsisasuperiorformofthedisciplinesinceitisgroundedinthescientificmethodandnormativeeconomicsisbasedonopinions.However,normativeeconomicsisacrucialpartoftheeconomicsdiscipline.Anyscientificstudywillrequireanexperiment,andexperimentscanbedesignedtohighlightascientist'sprejudices.Evenifaneconomistcankeephisbiasesoutofastudy,whydidhechoosethisparticularquestiontoinvestigate?Howevermucheconomistsstrivetobelikebiologistsandphysicists,therewillalwaysbealargenormativeaspect.9NormativeandPositiveEconomics/Analysis?A50-cent-per-packtaxoncigaretteswillreducesmokingbyteenagersby12%.ThefederalgovernmentshouldspendmoreonAIDsresearch.Risingpaperpriceswillincreasetextbookprices.ThepriceofcoffeeatStarbucksistoohigh.10ResourcesAresourceisanythingthatcanbeusedtoproduceagoodorservice.InMacroeconomicseveryresourceisclassifiedintooneofthreecategories:1.Land2.Labor3.Capital11OpportunityCost•OpportunityCostThehighest-valuedalternativethatmustbegivenupinordertoengageinanactivity.•Itiswhatmustbesacrificedtoobtainsomething.•P14table2.112ProductionPossibilitiesFrontierProductionpossibilitiesfrontierAcurveshowingalltheattainablecombinationsoftwoproductsthatmaybeproducedwithavailableresources.13ProductionPossibilitiesFrontierGraphingtheProductionPossibilitiesFrontier2-1BMW’sProductionPossibilitiesFrontier14DrawingaProductionPossibilitiesFrontierforRosie’sBostonBakery2-1LEARNINGOBJECTIVE1HoursSpentMakingQuantityMadeChoiceCakesPiesCakesPiesA5050B4142C3234D2326E1418F0501015ProductionPossibilitiesFrontierTwofactorscausethePPFtoSHIFT:1.Changesintheamountofresourcesintheeconomy2.Changesintechnologyandproductivity16ProductionPossibilitiesFrontiersShiftEconomicGrowthTheabilityoftheeconomytoproduceincreasingquantitiesofgoodsandservices.2-3EconomicGrowth17LawofincreasingcostsThePPFisnottypicallyastraightline.Opportunitycostwillnotbeconstantintherealworld.Thelawofincreasingcostsstatesthatasmoreofaproductisproduced,theopportunitycostincreases.RefertoTable2.2-p1718LawofincreasingcostsThePPFisnottypicallyastraightline.Opportunitycostwillnotbeconstantintherealworld.RefertoNextSlide!19ProductionPossibilitiesFrontiersIncreasingMarginalOpportunityCosts2-2Astheeconomymovesdowntheproductionpossibilitiesfrontier,itexperiencesincreasingmarginalopportunitycostsbecauseincreasingautomobileproductionbyagivenquantityrequireslargerandlargerdecreasesinaircraftcarrierproduction.Morefundsfortsunamireliefmeantlessfundsforothercharities.Trade-offsandTsunamiRelief2-120LawofincreasingcostsThelawofincreasingcostsstatesthatasmoreofaproductisproduced,theopportunitycostincreases.RefertoTable2.2-p1721LawofincreasingcostsThemoreofaproductthatisinitiallybeingproduced,thehighertheopportunitycostwillbetoproducemore.Concave-to-the-originPPFisduetothelawofincreasingcostsRefertofig2.3-p1822LawofIncreasingCosts-CausesWhengunproductionislow,theopportunitycostofincreasinggunproductionislow.Whengunproductionisincreased,theresourcesthatareadeptatmakinggunscanbeshiftedoffthefarmandintogunproduction----notmuchbutterwillbelost,butmanymoregunsareproduced.Theopportunitycostofgunsislowwhenalowlevelofgunsisbeingproduced.23LawofIncreasingCosts-Cause