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Chapter 2- Scarcity and the World of Trade-Offs
Econ
33
Economics
Undergraduate 2
06/03/2012

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Term
Define Scarcity
Definition
We do not ever have enough of everything, including time, to satisfy our every desire
Term
What scarcity is not:
Definition
-not shortage
-Not poverty
Term
Production
Definition
Activity that results in the making of resources into products that can be used in consumption
Term
What are the resources used in production called?
Definition
Factors of production
Term
What are the 4 factors of production?
Definition
1. Land
2. Labor
3. Capital (Human and Physical)
4. Entrepreneurship
Term
Factors of production: Land
Definition
Resources that are available from nature
Term
Factor of production: Labor
Definition
Human resource by people who work
Term
Factor of production: Physical Capital
Definition
All manufactured resources, including buildings, equipment, machines and land improvement
Term
Factor of production: Human Capital
Definition
The accumulated training and education of workers
Term
Factor of production: Entrepreneurship
Definition
Raising capital organizing, managing making business policy decisions.
Term
Goods
Definition
All things from which individuals get satisfaction or happiness
Term
Economic goods
Definition
Goods that are scarce
Term
Services
Definition
Labor or help purchased
Term
Opportunity cost
Definition
The next best thing that must be sacrificed to get something you want
-why study when I can be watching the game? The game would be the opportunity cost
Term
Trade off
Definition
When you make a choice over another, the choice not chosen is the trade off
-study Econ>study spanish (spanish is the trade off)
Term
Production possibilities curve (PPC)
Definition
Curve showing all possibilities between two things
-studying Econ vs studying Spanish
Term
Technology
Definition
Applied knowledge towards certain goods and services
Term
Efficiency
Definition
Getting out the most of what we have
Term
Inefficient Point
Definition
A point below the PPC
Term
The Law of Increasing Relative Cost
Definition
the increase in the average cost of production that may arise beyond a certain point as a result of increasing the overall scale of production
-Also known as diminishing returns
Term
Does scarcity still exist no matter how much economic growth there is?
Definition
Yes, there will always be scarcity
Term
Consumption
Definition
Use of goods for personal use
Term
Why do we make capital goods?
Definition
They enable us to produce larger amounts of consumer goods or make them less costly
Term
Whenever we used productive resources to make capital goods, we are forgoing____ _______
Definition
current consumption
Term
Capital goods
Definition
Capital goods, then, are products which are not produced for immediate consumption; rather, they are objects that are used to produce other goods and services.
-Things like machinery, dump trucks, factories
Term
Trade off between consumption goods and capital goods
Definition
If we use more resources to make capital goods today then we can have more consumption goods in the future. The trade off is that making more capital goods today means giving up consumption goods today.
Term
Specialization
Definition
What an individual or a country specializes in specifics
-ex: a country may specialize in making coffee or technology
Term
Comparative advantage
Definition
Ability to perform an activity at a lower opportunity cost compared to others
Term
Absolute advantage
Definition
Ability to produce things better than anyone using the same resources
Term
Division of Labor
Definition
Segregation of resources into different tasks
Term
Why do economists consider one's 'wants' but not their 'needs'
Definition
To economists, the term 'need' is undefinable whereas humans have unlimited wants, something that can be satisfied at least at a minimum
Term
Why does scarcity lead people to evaluate opportunity costs?
Definition
Because of scarcity, we as a society have to make goods to satisfy. And because there is a limited amount of resources, we also have to choose what goods we have to make, forcing us to choose to make more of one type of good over another. There is an opportunity cost of using scarce resources toward making one good instead of another good.
Term
Absolute Advantage versus Comparative Advantage
Definition
Absolute can make more goods than someone else who uses the same amount of resources. Comparative can produce goods at a lower opportunity cost than someone else.
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