ECONOMICSUnit 1

Fundamental ConceptsSSEF1, SSEF2, SSEF3, SSEF4, SSEF5, SSEF6

Economics A social science studying the allocation of resources and goods.

SSEF1SSEF1:The student will explain why limited productive resources and unlimited wants result in scarcity, opportunity costs, and tradeoffs for individuals, businesses, and governments.

a. Define scarcity as a basic condition that exists when unlimited wants exceed limited productive resources.

b. Define and give examples of productive resources (factors of production) (e.g., land (natural), labor (human), capital (capital goods), entrepreneurship).

c. List a variety of strategies for allocating scarce resources.

d. Define opportunity cost as the next best alternative given up when individuals, businesses, and governments confront scarcity by making choices.

Vocab Scarcity: Limited economic resources with

unlimited wants. Land: Property, Natural resources. Capital: Goods used to produce a product. Allocate: Distribute resources to satisfy the

greatest number of needs. Opportunity Cost: Value of the next best

alternative given up. Trade Off: Occurs when one good is sacrificed

for another. Labor: Work being done. Entrepreneurship: Develops a new

combination of the other factors of production, creating something of value.

ScarcityWhy is scarcity the driving force of economics? Scarcity = a basic condition that exists when unlimited wants exceeds limited productive resources.

“Individuals have wants that are unlimited. But the total resources of society, including natural resources, human resources, capital goods and entrepreneurship, are limited, so scarcity exists. As a result, it isn't possible for everyone to have everything he or she wants. No society has ever had enough resources to produce the full amount and variety of goods and services its members wanted. In a world of scarcity, producing any one good or service means that other goods and services cannot be produced, and trade-offs are inevitable.”-CEE

SCARCITY

UNLIMITEDWANTS

LIMITED RESOURCES

SCARCITY

CHOICES

1. WHATTO

PRODUCE

2. HOWTO

PRODUCE

3. FOR WHOMTO PRODUCE

ScarcityHow does Scarcity impact economic decision making?

Why does Scarcity result in Opportunity Cost and Trade-Offs?

Resources and Scarcity: What’s Economics all about?

Alaskan Wilderness Activity.

3 Factors to make a good Scarce

1. Limited Quantity 2. Desirable 3. More than 1 use.

VE4 video Alaska

Four Factors of Production

Labor:-Any effort a person devotes to a task for which that person is paid.Ex. Teachers, waiters.

Entrepreneurs:-Leaders that combine all 3 factors to create a good or service.Ex. Bill Gates, Jay Z*risk takers.

4Factors

Four Factors of Production

1. LAND 2. CAPITAL 3. LABOR 4. ENTREPRENEURS

Your Turn: Four sections of your paper. List an example for your product Draw and color the example.

3 Key Questions of Economics

1. What to produce?2. How to produce it?3. For whom to produce it?

Opportunity Cost The value of the next best alternative that

could have been chosen but was not chosen. What you give up when you make a choice.

Something you give up to gain something else.

Trade-off- When one good is sacrificed for another.

Opportunity cost is what you must give up to obtain something else, the second-best alternative. However, what you must give up to obtain, say, a bicycle is not really money--it is whatever other good or service you would have spent the money on as your next-favorite choice.

SSEF2

SSEF2: The student will give examples of how rational decision making entails comparing the marginal benefits and the marginal costs of an action.

a. Illustrate by means of a production possibilities curve the trade offs between two options.

b. Explain that rational decisions occur when the marginal benefits of an action equal or exceed the marginal costs.

Vocab Marginal Benefits: The additional gain from

consuming or producing one ore unit of a good or service; can be measured in dollars or satisfaction.

Marginal Cost: The increase in a producer’s total cost when it increases its output by one unit.

*Cost-Benefit Analysis: An analysis of the cost effectiveness of different alternatives in order to see whether the benefits outweigh the cost.

Production Possibilities Curve: All possible combinations of two goods or services that can be produced within a given time; 2 assumptions: 1. Amount of resources and technology remains the same; 2. Maximizing efficiency.

Marginal Cost/Benefits Decisions are almost always made on the

basis of marginal cost and benefits. PACED model.

Decision making process: 1. Define the Problem/Define Rational

2. List the Alternatives.3. State the Criteria4. Evaluate the alternatives.5. Make the Decision.**MAKE SURE WHEN YOU ARE MAKING A DECESION THAT YOUR BENEFITS OUTWEIGHT YOUR COSTS!

PACED Model P: What is the PROBLEM? A: What are the ALTERNATIVES?

What options are available to you? C: What are the CRITERIA important to the

decision? What goals do you want accomplished? Characteristics? Which ones are important

E: EVALUATE each alternative. Take each one and give it a plus (+) or minus (-).

D: Make a DECISION! Which alternative meets your standards? What do you gain? What did you give up?

Now it’s YOUR turn.

Scarce Resource: 1. Free Homework Pass 2. Sucker 3. 5 Points towards your next quiz.

Use the PACED Model to make a final Decision.

Production Possibilities Curve

Trying to see where the best point to produce your good or service is at.

Guns: Capital Butter: Consumer 2 assumptions: 1. Amount of resources

and technology remains the same. 2. Maximizing efficiency.

GUNS

BUTTER

PPC A: Inefficient-you don’t

have enough resources. E: Unattainable

because you don’t have enough resources. This is your goal.

PPC shows Scarcity, Opportunity Cost, and Allocation of Goods.

Also shows economic growth.

Shifts to the Right=Increase

Shifts to the Left=Decrease

Production Possibilities Curve

If the Nation is currently producing at B, How could they get to D?

Invest in Technology. Invest in more capital.

Productive resources. Change in Trade

a

b

c

D

PPC What would cause: A to B: increase in

technology, human capital, more workers.

C to A: Decline in economy, Unemployment rises.

A: Not enough resources.

B. Most Efficient. Full Capacity.

C. too much. Low demand for product. Over capacity.

AB

C

Opportunity Cost with PPC What if they increased

production of Guns from 6 to 15, what is the opp cost of butter?

20 quarts of Butter were given up to produce the desired 15 guns.

D

Production Possibilities Curve

Now It’s Your Turn

Practice with PPC!

SSEF3

SSEF3: The student will explain how specialization and voluntary exchange between buyers and sellers increase the satisfaction of both parties.a. Give examples of how individuals and businesses specialize.b. Explain that both parties gain as a result of voluntary, non-fraudulent exchange.

Specialization

Assignment of tasks so that each worker performs fewer functions more frequently.

Not limited to a single factor of production.

Industrial or Regional specialization occurs.

Industrial-Assembly line- Car parts-doors, engines.

Regional- Farming, Produce. Idaho-Potatoes, Iowa-Corn, Texas- Oil, Cattle

Helps reduce time and cost of the product.

Voluntary Exchange The act of buyers and sellers freely and

willingly engaging in market transactions.

The transaction benefits both the buyer and seller, or it would not have taken place.

Non-fraudulent. Buyers Choices on Money: Deposit into

Bank, keep it, exchange it for goods or services.

Sellers Choices on Money: Exchange goods for cash, must feel money is more valuable than the good.

SSEF4SSEF4 The student will compare and contrast different economic systems and explain how they answer the three basic economic questions of what to produce, how to produce, and for whom to produce.a. Compare command, market, and mixed economic systems with regard to private ownership, profit motive, consumer sovereignty, competition, and government regulation.b. Evaluate how well each type of system answers the three economic questions and meets the broad social and economic goals of freedom, security, equity, growth, efficiency, and stability.

Vocab Market Economy Command Economy Mixed Market Economy Profit Motive Consumer Sovereignty Broad Goals of Economic Systems

Market Economy Market Economy- Economic system in which

supply, demand, and the price system help people make decisions and allocate resources; same as free enterprise economy. What, How, Whom questions.

WRITE: Producers and Consumers make all economic

decisions!

Market Economy Advantages1. Variety of goods and services.2. Able to adjust to change gradually.3. Individual freedom for everyone. 4.Consumer Sovereignty

Disadvantages:1. Lots of failures.2. Not everyone's needs are met.3. Rewards only productive resources; does not provide for people too young, too old, or too sick to work.4. Does not produce enough public goods such as defense, universal education, or health care.

Market Economy

Examples:1. Canada2. France

Command Economy

Economic system characterized by a central authority that makes most of the major economic decisions.

WRITE: The government makes all economic

decisions.

Command Economy

Advantages:1. Stable2. Efficient3. Basic needs of citizens are met.

Disadvantages

1. No growth2. Few options for consumers3. Does not care about the citizens of their nation.

SSEF5SSEF5 The student will describe the roles of government in a market economy.a. Explain why government provides public goods and services, redistributes income, protects property rights, and resolves market failures.b. Give examples of government regulation and deregulation and their effects on consumers and producers.

SSEF6SSEF6 The student will explain how productivity, economic growth, and future standards of living are influenced by investment in factories, machinery, new technology, and the health, education, and training of people.a. Define productivity as the relationship of inputs to outputs.b. Give illustrations of investment in equipment and technology and explain their relationship to economic growth.c. Give examples of how investment in education can lead to a higher standard of living.