test 1 Flashcards
(111 cards)
Scare resources
finite or limited resources
economic goods
scarce goods
free goods
goods that are not scarce as they are unlimited in supply and therefore have zero opportunity cost towards society e.g. sunlight
needs
what people require in order to survive
wants
are the desire for the consumption of goods and services
basic economic problem
the allocation of resources between competing uses because wants are infinite but resources are scarce
opportunity cost
the benefit of the next best alternative being given up
Factors of production
The inputs to production being :
- land
- labour
- capital
- enterprise
non-renewable resources
resources that once used will never be replenished and will run out one day.
renewable resources
resources that can be used and replaced/recreated. Won’t run out e.g. trees and water
labour
the workforce of an economy
Human capital
the value/quality of the labour
Capital (econ definition)
Man-made aids to production. There are two types of capital:
- working capital
- fixed capital
working/circulating capital
stocks of raw materials, semi-manufactured goods, and finished goods that are waiting to be sold. These stocks circulate or move through the production process until they are sold to a consumer
fixed capital
the stock of factories, offices, and machinery. This is used to transfer working capital into finished products
production possibility frontier
a curve that shows the maximum potential level of output of two goods or services with given factors of production. It illustrates the production level if all resources in the economy are used efficiently
Margin
a point of possible change on the PPF
consumer goods
goods and services that are used by people to satisfy their needs and wants
capital goods
goods that are used in the production of other goods, such as factories, offices, roads, machines, and equipment.
Productive efficiency
production takes place at the lowest cost. This occurs when a given set of resources produces the maximum number of goods. All points on the boundry (on the PPF) are productively efficient.
Allocatively efficient
when social welfare is maximized
Specialization
the production of a limited range of goods by an individual, firm or country in co-operation with others so that together a complete range of goods is produced
Globalization
is the tendency for the world economy to work as one unity, led by large international companies doing business all over the world
division of labour
the specialization of workers who perform different tasks, at different stages of production, to make a good or service in co-operation with other workers.