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AP microeconomics Flashcards

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16502748649economicsthe study of how society allocates scarce resources0
16502748650Macroeconomicsthe branch of economics that studies national and international economics1
16502748651microeconomicsthe branch of economics that studies how people and firms make decisions2
16502748652resourcesalso 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
16502748653capitalthe resources that includes equipment, machinery, buildings, and tools4
16502748654scarcitythe imbalance between limited productive resources and unlimited human wants5
16502748655trade-offsthe reality of scare resources implies that individuals, firms,and governments are constantly faced with difficult choices that involve benefits an costs6
16502748656opportunity costthe value of the sacrifice made to pursue a course of action7
16502748657marginalthe next unit, or increment(增长), of an action8
16502748658marginal benefit(MB)the additional benefit received from the consumption of the next unit of a good or service9
16502748659marginal cost(MC)the additional cost of producing one more unit of output10
16502748660marginal 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
16502748661production possibilitiesthe different quantity of goods that an economy can produce with a given amount of scare resources.12
16502748662law of increasing costsas more of a good is produced, the greater is its opportunity (or marginal ) cost13
16502748663absolute advantagethe ability to produce more of a good than all other producers14
16502748664comparative advantagethe ability to produce a good at a lower opportunity cost than all other producers.15
16502748665specializationproduction of goods or performance of tasks based upon comparative advantage16
16502748666productive efficiencyproduction of maximum output for a given level of technology and resources17
16502748667allocative 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
16502748668economic growththe increase in an economy's production possibilities over time19
16502748669economya system for coordinating(协调) society's productive activities20
16502748670Market Economy(Capitalism)an economic system in which resources are allocated through the decentralized(分散化的) decisions of firms and consumers21
16502748671production possibility frontier(curve)the graphical device used to show the production possibilities of two goods22
16502748672Law of demandall else equal, when the price of a good rises, the quantity demanded of that good falls23
16502748673Demand pricethe price of a given quantity at which consumers will demand that quantity24
16502748674ceterus 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
16502748675substitution effectthe change in quantity demanded resulting from a change in the price of one good relative to the price of other goods26
16502748676income 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
16502748677demand schedulea table showing quantity demanded for a good at various prices28
16502748678demand curveshows the quantity of a good demanded at all prices29
16502748679determinants (shifters) of demandthe external factors that shift demand to the left or right30
16502748680normal goodsa good for which demand increases with an increase in consumer income31
16502748681inferior gooda good for which demand decreases with an increase in consumer income32
16502748682substitute goodstwo goods are consumer substitutes if they provide essentially the same utility to the consumer33
16502748683complementary goodstwo goods that provide more utility when consumed together than when consumed separately34
16502748684law of supplyall else equal, when the price of a good rises, the quantity supplied of that good rises35
16502748685supply schedulea table showing quantity supplied for a good at various prices36
16502748686supply curveshows the quantity of a good supplied at all prices37
16502748687determinants (shifters) of supplythe external factors that shift supply to the left or right38
16502748688market 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
16502748689shortagea situation in which, at the going market priec, the quantity demanded exceeds the quantity supplied.40
16502748690disequilibriumany price where the quantity demanded does not equal the quantity supplied41
16502748691surplusa situation in which, at the going market price, the quantity supplied exceeds the quantity demanded42
16502748692total welfarethe sum of consumer surplus and producer surplus43
16502748693consumer surplusthe difference between buyer's willingness to pay and the price actually paid44
16502748694producer surplusthe difference between the price received and the marginal cost of producing the good45
16502748695elasticitymeasures the sensitivity, or responsiveness, of a choice to a change in an external factor46
16502748696price elasticity of demand-measures the sensitivity of consumers' quantity demanded for good X when the price of good X changes47
16502748697price elastic demandEd > 1, meaning consumers are price sensitive48
16502748698price inelastic demandEd < 1 or the (%ΔQd) < (%ΔP). Consumers are not price sensitive49
16502748699unit elastic demandEd=1. The percentage change in price is equal to the percentage change in quantity demand50
16502748700perfectly elasticEd=infinite. In this special case, the demand curve is horizontal meaning consumers have an instantaneous & infinite response to a change in price51
16502748701perfectly inelasticEd=0, In this special case, the demand curve is vertical and there is absolutely no response to a change in price52
16502748702slope 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
16502748703determinants 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
16502748704total revenuethe price of a good multiplied by the quantity of that good sold55
16502748705total revenue testtotal revenue rises with a price increase if demand is price inelastic and falls with a price increase if demand is price elastic56
16502748706elasticity 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
16502748707income elasticitya measure of how sensitive the consumption of a good is to a change in consumer's income(Ei)58
16502748708Luxurya good for which the proportional increase in consumption is greater than the proportional increase in income Ei > 159
16502748709necessitya good for which the proportional increase in consumption is less than the proportional increase in income 0 < Ei < 160
16502748710values of income elasticity-if Ei>1, the good is normal and a luxury -if 061
16502748711cross-price elasticity of demanda measure of how sensitive the consumption of good X is to a change in the price of good Y62
16502748712values of cross- price elasticity of demand-if Ec>0, goods X and Y are substitutes -if Ec<0, goods X and Y are complementary63
16502748713price elasticity of supplymeasures the sensitivity of producer's quantity supplied for good X when the price of good X changes64
16502748714excise 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
16502748715lump-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
16502748716deadweight lossthe lost net benefit to society caused by a movement away from the competitive market equilibrium67
16502748717inefficienta situation in which there are missed opportunities; some people could be made better off without making other people wore off68
16502748718subsidy-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
16502748719price floora legal minimum price, below which the product cannot be sold70
16502748720price ceilinga legal maximum price, above which the product cannot be sold71
16502748721minimum wagea price floor in the labor market72
16502748722utilitythe happiness, benefit, satisfaction, or enjoyment gained from consumption of goods and services73
16502748723total utility(TU)total happiness received from consumption of a number of units of a good74
16502748724marginal 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
16502748725utilsa hypothetical unit of measurement often used to quantify utility; also referred to as "Happy Points."76
16502748726law of diminishing marginal utilityin a given time period, as consumption of an item increases, the marginal(additional) utility from that item falls77
16502748727constrained 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
16502748728utility 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
16502748729the firman organization that employs factors of production to produce a good or service that it hopes to profitably sell80
16502748730accounting profitthe difference between total revenue and total explicit(明显的) cost81
16502748731economic profitthe difference between total revenue and total production cost, including the implicit(含蓄的) costs82
16502748732explicit costdirect, purchased, out-of-pocket cost, paid to resource suppliers out side the firm; also referred to as "accounting costs"83
16502748733implicit costsindirect, nonpurchased, or opportunity costs of resources provided by the entrepreneur84
16502748734short 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
16502748735long runa period or time long enough for the firm to alter all production inputs, including the plant size.86
16502748736fixed inputsproduction inputs that cannot be changed in the short run87
16502748737variable inputproduction inputs the firm can adjust in the short run to meet changes in demand for its output88
16502748738law 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
16502748739total fixed costs(TFCs)production costs that do not vary with the level of output90
16502748740total variable costs(TVCs)production costs that change with the level of output91
16502748741total cost(TC)the sum of total fixed and total variable costs at any level of output92
16502748742marginal cost(MC).the additional cost of producing one more unit of output MC= differences of TVC/differences of Q93
16502748743average fixed cost (AFC)total fixed cost divided by the level of output94
16502748744average variable cost(AVC)total variable cost divided by the level of output AVC=TVC/Q95
16502748745average total cost (ATC)total cost divided by the level of output ATC=TC/Q96
16502748746sunk costa cost that has already been incurred and is not recoverable97
16502748747economies of scalethe downward part of the long-run average total cost (LRATC) curve where LRATC falls as plant size increase98
16502748748constant returns to scalethe horizontal range of long-run average total cost (LRATC) where LRATC is constant over a variety of plant sizes99
16502748749diseconomies of scalethe upward of the long-run average total cost(LRATC) curve where LRATC rises as plant size increases100
16502748750perfect 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
16502748751profit-maximizing ruleall firms maximizing profit by producing where marginal return (MR) = marginal cost(MC)102
16502748752break-even pointthe output where average total cost (ATC) is minimized and economic profit is zero P=MR=MC=ATC103
16502748753shutdown 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
16502748754perfectly competitive long-run equilibrium-there is no more incentive(刺激) for firms to enter or exit105
16502748755normal profitthe opportunity of the entrepreneur;s talents; another way of saying the firm is earning zero economic profit106
16502748756constant cost industryentry (or exit) does not shift the cost curves of firms in the industry107
16502748757monopolya market structure in which one firm is the sole producer of a good with no close substitutes in a market with entry barriers108
16502748758barrier 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
16502748759patenta temporary monopoly given by the government to an inventor for the use or sale of an invention110
16502748760market powerthe ability to set the price above the perfectly competitive level111
16502748761natural 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
16502748762monopoly 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
16502748763price discriminationthe sale of same product to different groups of consumers at different price114
16502748764imperfect competitiona market structure in which firms have market power to affect the prices115
16502748765monopolistic competitiona market structure characterized by a few small firms producing a differentiated product with easy entry into the market116
16502748766monopolistic competition long-run equilibrium-Pmc>MR>MC, so there is allocative inefficiency -Pmc=ATC, so economic profit equals zero117
16502748767product differentiationthe strategy of creating real or perceived differences in a firm's product in order to increase sales118
16502748768nonprice competitioncompetition occurs between firms in areas not related to price. these areas can include advertising, new product features, or research119
16502748769excess capacitythe difference between the long-run output in monopolistic competition and the output at minimum average total cost120
16502748770oligopolya 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
16502748771interdenpendence-the relationship among firms when their decision significantly affect one another's profit -a key characteristic of oligoolies122
16502748772four-firm concentration ratiothe sum of the market of the four largest firms in an industry123
16502748773market sharethe fraction of the total industry output accounted for by a given firm's output124
16502748774noncollusive oligopolymodels of industries in which firms are competitive rivals seeking to gain at the expense of the their rivals125
16502748775nash equilibriumin game theory, the equilibrium that results when all players choose the action that maximizes their payoffs, given the actions of other players126
16502748776prisoner's dilemmaa game where the two rivals achieve a less desirable outcome because they are unable to coordinate their strategies127
16502748777dominant strategya strategy that is always the best strategy to pursue, regardless of what a rival is doing128
16502748778collusive oligopolymodels where firms agree to work together to mutually improve their situations129
16502748779cartela group of firms that agree to maximize their joint profits rather than compete130
16502748780factor marketmarkets in which firms buy the resources they need to produce the goods and services131
16502748781marginal revenue product(MRP)the change in the firm's total revenue from the hiring of an additional unit of an input132
16502748782marginal resource cost(MRC)the change in the firm's total cost from the hiring of an additional unit of an input133
16502748783profit-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
16502748784demand 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
16502748785derived demanddemand for a resource arises from the demand for the goods produced by the resource136
16502748786determinants of labor demand-the external factors that influence labor demand -when these variables change, the entire demand curve shifts to the left or right137
16502748787monopsonista firm that operates in a factor market in which it has absolute market power, that is a wage-setter138
16502748788public goodsgoods that are both nonrival and excludabe139
16502748789free-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
16502748790spillover benefitsadditional benefits to society, not captured by the market demand curve, form the production of a good141
16502748791marginal 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
16502748792marginal 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
16502748793market failure- occurs when a market fails to be efficient -markets fail when externalities or public goods are present144
16502748794positive externalitythe existence of spillover benefits for third parties from the production of a good145
16502748795spillover costadditional costs to society, not captured by the market supply curve from the production for a good146
16502748796negative externalitythe existence of spillover costs for third parties from the production of a good147
16502748797progressive taxa tax where the proportion of income paid in taxes rises as income rises148
16502748798regressive taxa tax where the proportion of income paid in taxes decreases as income rises149
16502748799proportional taxa tax where the proportion of income paid in taxes is constant no matter the level of income150
16502748800circular 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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