This document outlines 10 key economic principles: the 3 fundamental economic questions; the principles of rational decision making, rising marginal opportunity cost, comparative advantage, and diminishing returns; the laws of demand and supply; the principles of market equilibrium, the invisible hand, and market failure. It discusses how rational agents make decisions based on weighing marginal costs and benefits, how opportunity costs rise with activity levels, and how free trade allows nations to specialize based on comparative advantages.
This document outlines 10 key economic principles: the 3 fundamental economic questions; the principles of rational decision making, rising marginal opportunity cost, comparative advantage, and diminishing returns; the laws of demand and supply; the principles of market equilibrium, the invisible hand, and market failure. It discusses how rational agents make decisions based on weighing marginal costs and benefits, how opportunity costs rise with activity levels, and how free trade allows nations to specialize based on comparative advantages.
This document outlines 10 key economic principles: the 3 fundamental economic questions; the principles of rational decision making, rising marginal opportunity cost, comparative advantage, and diminishing returns; the laws of demand and supply; the principles of market equilibrium, the invisible hand, and market failure. It discusses how rational agents make decisions based on weighing marginal costs and benefits, how opportunity costs rise with activity levels, and how free trade allows nations to specialize based on comparative advantages.
2. The principle of rational economic decision making Every activity should be ended up to the point where the marginal benefits no longer exceeds the marginal cost 3. The Principle of Rising Marginal Opportunity Cost As we expand the level of any particular activity, the marginal opportunity cost tends to increase 4. The principle of comparative advantage The closely related law or principle of comparative advantage holds that under free trade, an agent will produce more of and consume less of a good for which he has a comparative advantage. The theory of comparative advantage is an economic theory about the potential gains from trade for individuals, firms, or nations that arise from differences in their factor endowments or technological progress 5. The law of Diminishing Returns 6. The Law of Demand Other things constant, the quantity of a goods that people are ready and willing to buy varies inversely with price. 7. The Law of Supply Other things constant, the quantity of a goods that sellers are ready and willing to bring to market varies directly with price. 8. The Principle of Market Equilibrium
9. The Principle of the Invisible Hand
Under certain ideal condition, competitive markets will allocate resources in a way that maximizes the total value produced for society. 10. The Principle of Market Failure