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AP Microeconomics Flashcards

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13800308961economicsthe study of how society allocates scarce resources0
13800308962Macroeconomicsthe branch of economics that studies national and international economics1
13800308963microeconomicsthe branch of economics that studies how people and firms make decisions2
13800308964resourcesalso 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
13800308965capitalthe resources that includes equipment, machinery, buildings, and tools4
13800308966scarcitythe imbalance between limited productive resources and unlimited human wants5
13800308967trade-offsthe reality of scare resources implies that individuals, firms,and governments are constantly faced with difficult choices that involve benefits an costs6
13800308968opportunity costthe value of the sacrifice made to pursue a course of action7
13800308969marginalthe next unit, or increment(增长), of an action8
13800308970marginal benefit(MB)the additional benefit received from the consumption of the next unit of a good or service9
13800308971marginal cost(MC)the additional cost of producing one more unit of output10
13800308972marginal 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
13800308973production possibilitiesthe different quantity of goods that an economy can produce with a given amount of scare resources.12
13800308974law of increasing costsas more of a good is produced, the greater is its opportunity (or marginal ) cost13
13800308975absolute advantagethe ability to produce more of a good than all other producers14
13800308976comparative advantagethe ability to produce a good at a lower opportunity cost than all other producers.15
13800308977specializationproduction of goods or performance of tasks based upon comparative advantage16
13800308978productive efficiencyproduction of maximum output for a given level of technology and resources17
13800308979allocative 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
13800308980economic growththe increase in an economy's production possibilities over time19
13800308981economya system for coordinating(协调) society's productive activities20
13800308982Market Economy(Capitalism)an economic system in which resources are allocated through the decentralized(分散化的) decisions of firms and consumers21
13800308983production possibility frontier(curve)the graphical device used to show the production possibilities of two goods22
13800308984Law of demandall else equal, when the price of a good rises, the quantity demanded of that good falls23
13800308985Demand pricethe price of a given quantity at which consumers will demand that quantity24
13800308986ceterus 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
13800308987substitution effectthe change in quantity demanded resulting from a change in the price of one good relative to the price of other goods26
13800308988income 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
13800308989demand schedulea table showing quantity demanded for a good at various prices28
13800308990demand curveshows the quantity of a good demanded at all prices29
13800308991determinants (shifters) of demandthe external factors that shift demand to the left or right30
13800308992normal goodsa good for which demand increases with an increase in consumer income31
13800308993inferior gooda good for which demand decreases with an increase in consumer income32
13800308994substitute goodstwo goods are consumer substitutes if they provide essentially the same utility to the consumer33
13800308995complementary goodstwo goods that provide more utility when consumed together than when consumed separately34
13800308996law of supplyall else equal, when the price of a good rises, the quantity supplied of that good rises35
13800308997supply schedulea table showing quantity supplied for a good at various prices36
13800308998supply curveshows the quantity of a good supplied at all prices37
13800308999determinants (shifters) of supplythe external factors that shift supply to the left or right38
13800309000market 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
13800309001shortagea situation in which, at the going market priec, the quantity demanded exceeds the quantity supplied.40
13800309002disequilibriumany price where the quantity demanded does not equal the quantity supplied41
13800309003surplusa situation in which, at the going market price, the quantity supplied exceeds the quantity demanded42
13800309004total welfarethe sum of consumer surplus and producer surplus43
13800309005consumer surplusthe difference between buyer's willingness to pay and the price actually paid44
13800309006producer surplusthe difference between the price received and the marginal cost of producing the good45
13800309007elasticitymeasures the sensitivity, or responsiveness, of a choice to a change in an external factor46
13800309008price elasticity of demand-measures the sensitivity of consumers' quantity demanded for good X when the price of good X changes47
13800309009price elastic demandEd > 1, meaning consumers are price sensitive48
13800309010price inelastic demandEd < 1 or the (%ΔQd) < (%ΔP). Consumers are not price sensitive49
13800309011unit elastic demandEd=1. The percentage change in price is equal to the percentage change in quantity demand50
13800309012perfectly elasticEd=infinite. In this special case, the demand curve is horizontal meaning consumers have an instantaneous & infinite response to a change in price51
13800309013perfectly inelasticEd=0, In this special case, the demand curve is vertical and there is absolutely no response to a change in price52
13800309014slope 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
13800309015determinants 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
13800309016total revenuethe price of a good multiplied by the quantity of that good sold55
13800309017total revenue testtotal revenue rises with a price increase if demand is price inelastic and falls with a price increase if demand is price elastic56
13800309018elasticity 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
13800309019income elasticitya measure of how sensitive the consumption of a good is to a change in consumer's income(Ei)58
13800309020Luxurya good for which the proportional increase in consumption is greater than the proportional increase in income Ei > 159
13800309021necessitya good for which the proportional increase in consumption is less than the proportional increase in income 0 < Ei < 160
13800309022values of income elasticity-if Ei>1, the good is normal and a luxury -if 061
13800309023cross-price elasticity of demanda measure of how sensitive the consumption of good X is to a change in the price of good Y62
13800309024values of cross- price elasticity of demand-if Ec>0, goods X and Y are substitutes -if Ec<0, goods X and Y are complementary63
13800309025price elasticity of supplymeasures the sensitivity of producer's quantity supplied for good X when the price of good X changes64
13800309026excise 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
13800309027lump-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
13800309028deadweight lossthe lost net benefit to society caused by a movement away from the competitive market equilibrium67
13800309029inefficienta situation in which there are missed opportunities; some people could be made better off without making other people wore off68
13800309030subsidy-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
13800309031price floora legal minimum price, below which the product cannot be sold70
13800309032price ceilinga legal maximum price, above which the product cannot be sold71
13800309033minimum wagea price floor in the labor market72
13800309034utilitythe happiness, benefit, satisfaction, or enjoyment gained from consumption of goods and services73
13800309035total utility(TU)total happiness received from consumption of a number of units of a good74
13800309036marginal 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
13800309037utilsa hypothetical unit of measurement often used to quantify utility; also referred to as "Happy Points."76
13800309038law of diminishing marginal utilityin a given time period, as consumption of an item increases, the marginal(additional) utility from that item falls77
13800309039constrained 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
13800309040utility 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
13800309041the firman organization that employs factors of production to produce a good or service that it hopes to profitably sell80
13800309042accounting profitthe difference between total revenue and total explicit(明显的) cost81
13800309043economic profitthe difference between total revenue and total production cost, including the implicit(含蓄的) costs82
13800309044explicit costdirect, purchased, out-of-pocket cost, paid to resource suppliers out side the firm; also referred to as "accounting costs"83
13800309045implicit costsindirect, nonpurchased, or opportunity costs of resources provided by the entrepreneur84
13800309046short 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
13800309047long runa period or time long enough for the firm to alter all production inputs, including the plant size.86
13800309048fixed inputsproduction inputs that cannot be changed in the short run87
13800309049variable inputproduction inputs the firm can adjust in the short run to meet changes in demand for its output88
13800309050law 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
13800309051total fixed costs(TFCs)production costs that do not vary with the level of output90
13800309052total variable costs(TVCs)production costs that change with the level of output91
13800309053total cost(TC)the sum of total fixed and total variable costs at any level of output92
13800309054marginal cost(MC).the additional cost of producing one more unit of output MC= differences of TVC/differences of Q93
13800309055average fixed cost (AFC)total fixed cost divided by the level of output94
13800309056average variable cost(AVC)total variable cost divided by the level of output AVC=TVC/Q95
13800309057average total cost (ATC)total cost divided by the level of output ATC=TC/Q96
13800309058sunk costa cost that has already been incurred and is not recoverable97
13800309059economies of scalethe downward part of the long-run average total cost (LRATC) curve where LRATC falls as plant size increase98
13800309060constant returns to scalethe horizontal range of long-run average total cost (LRATC) where LRATC is constant over a variety of plant sizes99
13800309061diseconomies of scalethe upward of the long-run average total cost(LRATC) curve where LRATC rises as plant size increases100
13800309062perfect 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
13800309063profit-maximizing ruleall firms maximizing profit by producing where marginal return (MR) = marginal cost(MC)102
13800309064break-even pointthe output where average total cost (ATC) is minimized and economic profit is zero P=MR=MC=ATC103
13800309065shutdown 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
13800309066perfectly competitive long-run equilibrium-there is no more incentive(刺激) for firms to enter or exit105
13800309067normal profitthe opportunity of the entrepreneur;s talents; another way of saying the firm is earning zero economic profit106
13800309068constant cost industryentry (or exit) does not shift the cost curves of firms in the industry107
13800309069monopolya market structure in which one firm is the sole producer of a good with no close substitutes in a market with entry barriers108
13800309070barrier 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
13800309071patenta temporary monopoly given by the government to an inventor for the use or sale of an invention110
13800309072market powerthe ability to set the price above the perfectly competitive level111
13800309073natural 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
13800309074monopoly 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
13800309075price discriminationthe sale of same product to different groups of consumers at different price114
13800309076imperfect competitiona market structure in which firms have market power to affect the prices115
13800309077monopolistic competitiona market structure characterized by a few small firms producing a differentiated product with easy entry into the market116
13800309078monopolistic competition long-run equilibrium-Pmc>MR>MC, so there is allocative inefficiency -Pmc=ATC, so economic profit equals zero117
13800309079product differentiationthe strategy of creating real or perceived differences in a firm's product in order to increase sales118
13800309080nonprice competitioncompetition occurs between firms in areas not related to price. these areas can include advertising, new product features, or research119
13800309081excess capacitythe difference between the long-run output in monopolistic competition and the output at minimum average total cost120
13800309082oligopolya 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
13800309083interdenpendence-the relationship among firms when their decision significantly affect one another's profit -a key characteristic of oligoolies122
13800309084four-firm concentration ratiothe sum of the market of the four largest firms in an industry123
13800309085market sharethe fraction of the total industry output accounted for by a given firm's output124
13800309086noncollusive oligopolymodels of industries in which firms are competitive rivals seeking to gain at the expense of the their rivals125
13800309087nash equilibriumin game theory, the equilibrium that results when all players choose the action that maximizes their payoffs, given the actions of other players126
13800309088prisoner's dilemmaa game where the two rivals achieve a less desirable outcome because they are unable to coordinate their strategies127
13800309089dominant strategya strategy that is always the best strategy to pursue, regardless of what a rival is doing128
13800309090collusive oligopolymodels where firms agree to work together to mutually improve their situations129
13800309091cartela group of firms that agree to maximize their joint profits rather than compete130
13800309092factor marketmarkets in which firms buy the resources they need to produce the goods and services131
13800309093marginal revenue product(MRP)the change in the firm's total revenue from the hiring of an additional unit of an input132
13800309094marginal resource cost(MRC)the change in the firm's total cost from the hiring of an additional unit of an input133
13800309095profit-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
13800309096demand 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
13800309097derived demanddemand for a resource arises from the demand for the goods produced by the resource136
13800309098determinants of labor demand-the external factors that influence labor demand -when these variables change, the entire demand curve shifts to the left or right137
13800309099monopsonista firm that operates in a factor market in which it has absolute market power, that is a wage-setter138
13800309100public goodsgoods that are both nonrival and excludabe139
13800309101free-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
13800309102spillover benefitsadditional benefits to society, not captured by the market demand curve, form the production of a good141
13800309103marginal 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
13800309104marginal 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
13800309105market failure- occurs when a market fails to be efficient -markets fail when externalities or public goods are present144
13800309106positive externalitythe existence of spillover benefits for third parties from the production of a good145
13800309107spillover costadditional costs to society, not captured by the market supply curve from the production for a good146
13800309108negative externalitythe existence of spillover costs for third parties from the production of a good147
13800309109progressive taxa tax where the proportion of income paid in taxes rises as income rises148
13800309110regressive taxa tax where the proportion of income paid in taxes decreases as income rises149
13800309111proportional taxa tax where the proportion of income paid in taxes is constant no matter the level of income150
13800309112circular 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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