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Chapter 1
Intro Terms
48
Economics
Undergraduate 1
09/06/2012

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Term
Boom
Definition
An expansion, with connotations of being fast and quite possibly unsustainable; often followed by a bust
Term
Business cycle
Definition
the pattern of periods of faster economic growth alternating with periods of slower or negative economic growth
Term
bust
Definition
a relatively dast economic contraction, usually following a boom
Term
contraction
Definition
a period of shrinking ecnomic activity 
Term
deflation
Definition
a decrease in the overall price level, as distinct from a decrese in the price od particular good
Term
depression
Definition
a deep long recession with a slow recovery
Term
Disinflation
Definition
a decrease in the rate of inflation; usually implies that there is still positive inflation just not as much as before
Term
downturn
Definition
the begining of a recession
Term
economic development
Definition
change in how an economy functions, potentially involving changes in resourse use, technology, social organization, and the role of markets; often happens along w/economic growth, but the two are not identical
Term
economic growth
Definition
the part of the business cycle where economic growth is relatively high
Term
inflation
Definition
an increase in the overall price level, as distinct from a increase in the price of one particular good
Term
inflation rate
Definition
the percentage in the overall price level during some period, usually a year
Term
living-standards growth
Definition
inprovement in the material stanard of living that an economy provides; an adequate living standard is one component of well-being
Term
Normative statement
Definition
a statement regarding how things should be, based on the speaker's values but hopefully also based on reasonable positive statements
Term
peak
Definition
the top of the business cycle, the point at which expansion stops and contraction sets in
Term
positive statement 
Definition
a statement regarding how things are, or an objective statement about the cause-and0effects relationships
Term
recession
Definition
a period of slow or negative ecnomic growth, often running forom a peak to trough
Term
recovery
Definition
the early part of an expansion, returing to higher employment and faster economic growth after a recession 
Term
trough
Definition
bottom of the business cycle, the point at which contraction ends and recovery begins
Term
unemployment
Definition
being out of work INVOLUNTARILY; at the current prevailing wage, you would like to be employed but can't find a job
Term
unemployment rate
Definition
the number of people unemployed, divided by the labor force
Term
well-being
Definition
a complex conditon with material, psychological, and social components, such as: adequate food, clothing, and shelter; cultural stimulation; family and companionship; sense of being needed; health; security
Term
Economic Actor
Definition

An entity that can make economic decisions. In macro is most commonly the gov't

(i.e. person buying a car, firm decides what to make, where to make it, where to get the supplies)

Term
Model
Definition
A way of representing the world to understand how some aspect of it works. Awlays simplify when you make them. Need balance, simple enough to undersand them
Term
Ceteris Paribus
Definition

"other things being equal"

Not because it's true but because it allows you to think clearly about specific linkages

Term
Private property
Definition
Employment, control, ownership, ability to dispoe of, and bequeath land, capital, and other forms of property by persons and privately owned firms
Term
Stocks
Definition
A variable measured at one point in time: your bank account, or the value of your portfolio, or National debt
Term
Flows
Definition

A variable measured over an interval of time.

i.e income per month, gov't deficit per year

Term
Fiscal Policy
Definition
Gov't decisions on how much to tax and how much to spend
Term
Monetery Policy
Definition
Gov't decisions about rates and the money supply; usually carried out by the central bank
Term
Compound growth formula
Definition

V2 = V1 x (1+r)^t

V1: starting value

V2: ending value

r: periodic growth rate

t: number of periods

Term
Rule of 72
Definition

To estimate the doubling time, divide the growth rate into 72:

if your GDP is 2.5% per year how long will it take to double?  

72/2.5=28.8

Term
Time-series data
Definition
Measurements of the same thing taken at different times, preferably evenly spaced times
Term
First law of Thermodynamics
Definition
Energy can be neither created nor destroyed, only transformed. "there's no free lunch"
Term
Second law of Thermodynamics
Definition
Every transformation of energy converts some energy into waste heat
Term
Gradient
Definition
a mearsureable difference across a distance of temperature, pressure, chemical concentration, or other variables.
Term
Dissipative Structures
Definition
Physical structures that arise spontaneously in the presence of sufficiently large gradients, they require a gradient to come into existence, they dissipate (reduce) the gradient that fed them
Term
Sectors
Definition
Primary producers --> Primary Consumers --> Secondary Consumers --> Tertiary Consumers --Final Use
Term
National Income and Product Accounts (NIPA)
Definition

basic data on economic performance including output, savings and investments, and foreign trade.

It is maintained by the BEA which is part of the Department of Commerce of the federal gov't

Term
Types of expenditure
Definition

C: Consumption

I: Investment

G: Gov't expenditure

Ex: Exports

Im: Imports

Term
Consumption
Definition
spending by the household and institutions sector
Term
Capital
Definition
items used (but not used up) to make other itmes
Term
Investment
Definition

the creation of capital

i.e  building a factory, manufacturing machine tools, building roads, canals and irrigation systems, reparing a building

Term
Net exports
Definition
the difference between value of exported goods and services and imported goods and services
Term
Finding GDP
Definition
Consumption + investment+ gov't expenditure + net exports
Term
Finding GDP compositon
Definition
Divide the component you're interested in by the total GDP
Term
Equation for saving
Definition

GDP = Consumption + gov't expenditure + savings

 

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