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AP microeconomics Flashcards

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6666163589economicsthe study of how society allocates scarce resources0
6666163590Macroeconomicsthe branch of economics that studies national and international economics1
6666163591microeconomicsthe branch of economics that studies how people and firms make decisions2
6666163594resourcesalso called "factors of production," these are commonly grouped into the four categories: labor, physical capital,land(natural resources), and entrepreneurial(企业家的) ability3
6666163595capitalthe resources that includes equipment, machinery, buildings, and tools4
6666163596scarcitythe imbalance between limited productive resources and unlimited human wants5
6666163597trade-offsthe reality of scare resources implies that individuals, firms,and governments are constantly faced with difficult choices that involve benefits an costs6
6666163598opportunity costthe value of the sacrifice made to pursue a course of action7
6666163599marginalthe next unit, or increment(增长), of an action8
6666163600marginal benefit(MB)the additional benefit received from the consumption of the next unit of a good or service9
6666163601marginal cost(MC)the additional cost of producing one more unit of output10
6666163602marginal analysismaking decisions based upon weighing the marginal benefits and costs of that action. The rational decision maker will choose an action if the marginal benefit is greater that or equal to the marginal cost(MB>=MC)11
6666163603production possibilitiesthe different quantity of goods that an economy can produce with a given amount of scare resources.12
6666163604law of increasing costsas more of a good is produced, the greater is its opportunity (or marginal ) cost13
6666163605absolute advantagethe ability to produce more of a good than all other producers14
6666163606comparative advantagethe ability to produce a good at a lower opportunity cost than all other producers.15
6666163607specializationproduction of goods or performance of tasks based upon comparative advantage16
6666163609productive efficiencyproduction of maximum output for a given level of technology and resources17
6666163610allocative efficiencyproduction of the combination of goods and service that provides the most net benefit to society; achieved when the marginal benefit equals the marginal cost(MB=MC) of the next unit.18
6666163611economic growththe increase in an economy's production possibilities over time19
6666163612economya system for coordinating(协调) society's productive activities20
6666163613Market Economy(Capitalism)an economic system in which resources are allocated through the decentralized(分散化的) decisions of firms and consumers21
6666163614production possibility frontier(curve)the graphical device used to show the production possibilities of two goods22
6666163616Law of demandall else equal, when the price of a good rises, the quantity demanded of that good falls23
6666163617Demand pricethe price of a given quantity at which consumers will demand that quantity24
6666163618ceterus paribusthe assumption that all other variables are held constant so we can predict how a chang in one variable affects a second. Also sometimes referred to as the ceteris paribus assumption.25
6666163621substitution effectthe change in quantity demanded resulting from a change in the price of one good relative to the price of other goods26
6666163622income effectdue to a higher price, the change in quantity demanded that results from a change in the consumer's purchasing power (or real income)27
6666163623demand schedulea table showing quantity demanded for a good at various prices28
6666163624demand curveshows the quantity of a good demanded at all prices29
6666163625determinants (shifters) of demandthe external factors that shift demand to the left or right30
6666163626normal goodsa good for which demand increases with an increase in consumer income31
6666163627inferior gooda good for which demand decreases with an increase in consumer income32
6666163628substitute goodstwo goods are consumer substitutes if they provide essentially the same utility to the consumer33
6666163629complementary goodstwo goods that provide more utility when consumed together than when consumed separately34
6666163630law of supplyall else equal, when the price of a good rises, the quantity supplied of that good rises35
6666163631supply schedulea table showing quantity supplied for a good at various prices36
6666163632supply curveshows the quantity of a good supplied at all prices37
6666163633determinants (shifters) of supplythe external factors that shift supply to the left or right38
6666163634market equilibriumthis exists at the only price where the quantity supplied equals the quantity demanded. or it is the only quantity where the price consumers are willing to pay is exactly the price producers are willing to accept39
6666163635shortagea situation in which, at the going market priec, the quantity demanded exceeds the quantity supplied.40
6666163636disequilibriumany price where the quantity demanded does not equal the quantity supplied41
6666163637surplusa situation in which, at the going market price, the quantity supplied exceeds the quantity demanded42
6666163638total welfarethe sum of consumer surplus and producer surplus43
6666163639consumer surplusthe difference between buyer's willingness to pay and the price actually paid44
6666163640producer surplusthe difference between the price received and the marginal cost of producing the good45
6666163641elasticitymeasures the sensitivity, or responsiveness, of a choice to a change in an external factor46
6666163642price elasticity of demand-measures the sensitivity of consumers' quantity demanded for good X when the price of good X changes47
6666163643price elastic demandEd > 1, meaning consumers are price sensitive48
6666163644price inelastic demandEd < 1 or the (%ΔQd) < (%ΔP). Consumers are not price sensitive49
6666163645unit elastic demandEd=1. The percentage change in price is equal to the percentage change in quantity demand50
6666163646perfectly elasticEd=infinite. In this special case, the demand curve is horizontal meaning consumers have an instantaneous & infinite response to a change in price51
6666163647perfectly inelasticEd=0, In this special case, the demand curve is vertical and there is absolutely no response to a change in price52
6666163648slope and elasticity-in general, the more vertical a good's demand curve, the more inelastic the demand for that good -the more horizontal a good's demand curve, the more elastic the demand for that good -despite this generalization, be careful, as elasticities and slopes are not equivalent measures.53
6666163649determinants of elasticity-demand for a good will generally be more elastic if : _the good has more readily available substitutes; _the sonsumers spends a high proportion of his or her income on that good; _the consumer has more time to adjust to a price change54
6666163650total revenuethe price of a good multiplied by the quantity of that good sold55
6666163651total revenue testtotal revenue rises with a price increase if demand is price inelastic and falls with a price increase if demand is price elastic56
6666163652elasticity and demand curvesat the midpoint of a linear demand curve, Ed =1 . above the midpoint demand is elastic , and below the midpoint demand is inelastic.57
6666163653income elasticitya measure of how sensitive the consumption of a good is to a change in consumer's income(Ei)58
6666163654Luxurya good for which the proportional increase in consumption is greater than the proportional increase in income Ei > 159
6666163655necessitya good for which the proportional increase in consumption is less than the proportional increase in income 0 < Ei < 160
6666163656values of income elasticity-if Ei>1, the good is normal and a luxury -if 061
6666163657cross-price elasticity of demanda measure of how sensitive the consumption of good X is to a change in the price of good Y62
6666163658values of cross- price elasticity of demand-if Ec>0, goods X and Y are substitutes -if Ec<0, goods X and Y are complementary63
6666163659price elasticity of supplymeasures the sensitivity of producer's quantity supplied for good X when the price of good X changes64
6666163660excise tax-a per-unit tax on a specific good or service. -if levied(征收) on a firm, this tax shifts the supply curve upward by the amount of the tax. -this tax also increases the marginal cost(MC), average variable cost(AVC), and average total cost(ATC) curves65
6666163661lump-sum tax-a tax levied on all firms or consumers(消费者) -if levied on a firm, this tax will increase average fixed cost(AFC) and average total cost(ATC) but not average variable cost(AVC) or marginal cost(MC)66
6666163663deadweight lossthe lost net benefit to society caused by a movement away from the competitive market equilibrium67
6666163664inefficienta situation in which there are missed opportunities; some people could be made better off without making other people wore off68
6666163665subsidy-a government transfer, either to consumers or producers, of the consumption or production of a good -A government payment to support an individual, business, or group in exchange for certain actions.69
6666163666price floora legal minimum price, below which the product cannot be sold70
6666163667price ceilinga legal maximum price, above which the product cannot be sold71
6666163668minimum wagea price floor in the labor market72
6666163669utilitythe happiness, benefit, satisfaction, or enjoyment gained from consumption of goods and services73
6666163670total utility(TU)total happiness received from consumption of a number of units of a good74
6666163671marginal utility(MU)-the change in an individual's total utility from the consumption of an additional unit of a good or service -MU= DIFFERENCE OF TU75
6666163672utilsa hypothetical unit of measurement often used to quantify utility; also referred to as "Happy Points."76
6666163673law of diminishing marginal utilityin a given time period, as consumption of an item increases, the marginal(additional) utility from that item falls77
6666163674constrained utility maximizationgiven prices and income, a consumer stops consuming a good when the price paid for the next unit is equal to the marginal utility received78
6666163675utility maximizing rulethe consumer choose amounts of goods X and Y, with his or her limited income, so that the marginal utility per dollar spent is equal for both goods.79
6666163678the firman organization that employs factors of production to produce a good or service that it hopes to profitably sell80
6666163679accounting profitthe difference between total revenue and total explicit(明显的) cost81
6666163680economic profitthe difference between total revenue and total production cost, including the implicit(含蓄的) costs82
6666163681explicit costdirect, purchased, out-of-pocket cost, paid to resource suppliers out side the firm; also referred to as "accounting costs"83
6666163682implicit costsindirect, nonpurchased, or opportunity costs of resources provided by the entrepreneur84
6666163683short runa period of time too short to change the size of the plant, but many other more variable resources can adjusted to meet demand (A period during which at least one of a firm's resources is fixed)85
6666163684long runa period or time long enough for the firm to alter all production inputs, including the plant size.86
6666163686fixed inputsproduction inputs that cannot be changed in the short run87
6666163687variable inputproduction inputs the firm can adjust in the short run to meet changes in demand for its output88
6666163691law of diminishing marginal returnsas successive units of a variable resources are added to a fixed resource, beyond some point the marginal product will decline.89
6666163692total fixed costs(TFCs)production costs that do not vary with the level of output90
6666163693total variable costs(TVCs)production costs that change with the level of output91
6666163694total cost(TC)the sum of total fixed and total variable costs at any level of output92
6666163695marginal cost(MC).the additional cost of producing one more unit of output MC= differences of TVC/differences of Q93
6666163696average fixed cost (AFC)total fixed cost divided by the level of output94
6666163697average variable cost(AVC)total variable cost divided by the level of output AVC=TVC/Q95
6666163698average total cost (ATC)total cost divided by the level of output ATC=TC/Q96
6666163699sunk costa cost that has already been incurred and is not recoverable97
6666163702economies of scalethe downward part of the long-run average total cost (LRATC) curve where LRATC falls as plant size increase98
6666163703constant returns to scalethe horizontal range of long-run average total cost (LRATC) where LRATC is constant over a variety of plant sizes99
6666163704diseconomies of scalethe upward of the long-run average total cost(LRATC) curve where LRATC rises as plant size increases100
6666163705perfect competitionthe most competitive market structure is characterized by many small price-taking firms producing a standardized production an industry in which there are no barriers to entry or exit101
6666163706profit-maximizing ruleall firms maximizing profit by producing where marginal return (MR) = marginal cost(MC)102
6666163707break-even pointthe output where average total cost (ATC) is minimized and economic profit is zero P=MR=MC=ATC103
6666163708shutdown point-the output where average variable cost(AVC) is minimized -if the price falls below this point, the firm chooses to shut down or produce zero units in short run. -in the case of shut down, economic losses are equal to the total fixed costs(TFCs)104
6666163709perfectly competitive long-run equilibrium-there is no more incentive(刺激) for firms to enter or exit105
6666163710normal profitthe opportunity of the entrepreneur;s talents; another way of saying the firm is earning zero economic profit106
6666163711constant cost industryentry (or exit) does not shift the cost curves of firms in the industry107
6666163714monopolya market structure in which one firm is the sole producer of a good with no close substitutes in a market with entry barriers108
6666163715barrier to entry-something that prevents other firms from entering an industry -typical barriers include economies of scale, control over scarce inputs, technological superiority, and barriers created by government.109
6666163716patenta temporary monopoly given by the government to an inventor for the use or sale of an invention110
6666163717market powerthe ability to set the price above the perfectly competitive level111
6666163718natural monopolythe case where economies of scale are so extensive that it is less costly for one firm to supply the entire range of demand than for multiple firms to share the market112
6666163719monopoly long-run equilibrium-Pm>MR=MC, output is not allocatively efficient Deadweight loos exists. -Pm>ACT, so this isn ot productively effcient -economic profit is greater than zero, so consumersurplus is trandferred to the firm as profit113
6666163720price discriminationthe sale of same product to different groups of consumers at different price114
6666163721imperfect competitiona market structure in which firms have market power to affect the prices115
6666163722monopolistic competitiona market structure characterized by a few small firms producing a differentiated product with easy entry into the market116
6666163723monopolistic competition long-run equilibrium-Pmc>MR>MC, so there is allocative inefficiency -Pmc=ATC, so economic profit equals zero117
6666163724product differentiationthe strategy of creating real or perceived differences in a firm's product in order to increase sales118
6666163725nonprice competitioncompetition occurs between firms in areas not related to price. these areas can include advertising, new product features, or research119
6666163726excess capacitythe difference between the long-run output in monopolistic competition and the output at minimum average total cost120
6666163727oligopolya very diverse market structure characterized by a small number of interdependent large firms, producing either a standardized or differentiated product in a market with a barrier to entry121
6666163728interdenpendence-the relationship among firms when their decision significantly affect one another's profit -a key characteristic of oligoolies122
6666163729four-firm concentration ratiothe sum of the market of the four largest firms in an industry123
6666163730market sharethe fraction of the total industry output accounted for by a given firm's output124
6666163731noncollusive oligopolymodels of industries in which firms are competitive rivals seeking to gain at the expense of the their rivals125
6666163733nash equilibriumin game theory, the equilibrium that results when all players choose the action that maximizes their payoffs, given the actions of other players126
6666163734prisoner's dilemmaa game where the two rivals achieve a less desirable outcome because they are unable to coordinate their strategies127
6666163735dominant strategya strategy that is always the best strategy to pursue, regardless of what a rival is doing128
6666163736collusive oligopolymodels where firms agree to work together to mutually improve their situations129
6666163739cartela group of firms that agree to maximize their joint profits rather than compete130
6666163740factor marketmarkets in which firms buy the resources they need to produce the goods and services131
6666163742marginal revenue product(MRP)the change in the firm's total revenue from the hiring of an additional unit of an input132
6666163743marginal resource cost(MRC)the change in the firm's total cost from the hiring of an additional unit of an input133
6666163744profit-maximizing resource employmentthe firm hires the profit-maximizing amount of a resource at the point where marginal revenue product(MRP)=margianl resource cost(MRC)134
6666163745demand of labor-shows the quantity of labor demanded at all wages -labor demanded for the firm hiring in a competitive labor market is the MRPL curve135
6666163746derived demanddemand for a resource arises from the demand for the goods produced by the resource136
6666163747determinants of labor demand-the external factors that influence labor demand -when these variables change, the entire demand curve shifts to the left or right137
6666163749monopsonista firm that operates in a factor market in which it has absolute market power, that is a wage-setter138
6666163758public goodsgoods that are both nonrival and excludabe139
6666163759free-rider probemthe lack of private funding for a public good due to the presence of free-riding individuals who will not contribute to provision of the good140
6666163760spillover benefitsadditional benefits to society, not captured by the market demand curve, form the production of a good141
6666163761marginal social benefit-the marginal benefit that accrues to consumers plus the marginal external benefit -with positive externalities the marginal social benefit curve lies above the market demand curve142
6666163762marginal social cost- the marginal cost of production plus the marginal external cost -with negative externalities, the marginal social cost curve lies above the market supply curve143
6666163763market failure- occurs when a market fails to be efficient -markets fail when externalities or public goods are present144
6666163764positive externalitythe existence of spillover benefits for third parties from the production of a good145
6666163765spillover costadditional costs to society, not captured by the market supply curve from the production for a good146
6666163766negative externalitythe existence of spillover costs for third parties from the production of a good147
6666163772progressive taxa tax where the proportion of income paid in taxes rises as income rises148
6666163774regressive taxa tax where the proportion of income paid in taxes decreases as income rises149
6666163775proportional taxa tax where the proportion of income paid in taxes is constant no matter the level of income150
6666163777circular flow of economic activitythis model shows how households and firms circulate resources, goods, and incomes through the economy.The basic model is expanded to include the government and foreign sector151

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