Chapter 1 - For Student
Chapter 1 - For Student
INTRODUCTION TO MICROECONOMICS
Content
Microeconomics
Basic questions in economics
Economic choice
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Chapter 1: Introduction
I. Microeconomics
1. The economy
Household
Firm
I. Microeconomics
1. The economy
Interacting regimes:
- planning economy (1)
- market economy (2)
- mixed economy (3)
1 3 2
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I. Microeconomics
2. Some definitions
I. Microeconomics
3. Microeconomics and macroeconomics
ECONOMICS
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II. Basic economic issues
3 questions
WHAT?
HOW?
FOR WHOM?
1. Choice’s principles
- Need to choose because of scarce resources. If
resource is already spent on A, it can not be spent on B
- Many ways to spend resources → easy to choose
2. Choice’s target
- Household: Optimize benefit
- Firm: Optimize profit
- Government: Optimize social welfare
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III. Economic choice
3. Choosing tool
- Opportunity cost (OC): The value of the best missed
chance when making a choice
- Marginal thinking
+ Marginal cost (MC): The change in total cost resulting
from a change from quantity
∆TC
MC = = TC '( Q )
∆Q
+ Marginal benefit (MB): The change in total benefit
resulting from a change from quantity
∆TB
MB = = TB '( Q )
∆Q