Download central concepts of economics

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Central Concepts
Needs
of
Economics
and wants
Needs are things individuals must have in order to sustain life, such as food, clothes or
shelter (warmth) and water.
Wants are those things individuals would like to have but are not necessary in order
to survive, e.g., cell phones, TV, cars, overseas travel. Wants are unlimited as most things
wear out and have to be replaced or because of greed. As soon as one level of satisfaction
is achieved a new and higher level of satisfaction becomes the objective. Most individuals
would like to have more or better things than they possess at the moment. For example, a
fisherman may want a larger boat with the latest and best equipment available, something
better than he currently has.
Individuals have many needs and wants. Usually individuals use their limited means
(time, skills, knowledge, income and family or whanau) to first satisfy their needs then, if
they have means left over, to satisfy their wants.
Basis
of economics
The basis of economics is how individuals and society try to satisfy unlimited wants using
scarce resources. There would be no economic problem if scarcity was eliminated.
Scarcity refers to the condition of limited means relative to individual’s or society’s
unlimited wants. The limited means that individuals have include money (income or
wealth), skills or knowledge and time. Individuals and society can not have everything they
want so must choose the option they want the most.
A choice is a decision between alternatives that results from the condition of scarcity, for
example, Frank has to decide whether to go away for the weekend, or to go fishing with his
father-in-law or stay at home and paint the front fence.
When a choice (decision) is made between alternatives there will be an opportunity cost.
The opportunity cost refers to the next best alternative foregone of a decision, i.e., it is the
second ranked alternative missed out on. For example, if Frank decided to go fishing with
his father-in-law and considered the least desirable alternative as painting the front fence,
the opportunity cost is the weekend away. The opportunity cost is not the weekend away
and painting the front fence because opportunity cost is singular, and so cannot apply to
more than one item.
Producers
and consumers
A producer is any person or organisation that uses resources (natural, human or capital
goods) to create goods and services.
Consumers are individuals or households (a group of individuals) that consume (use) goods
and services produced by producers (firms or businesses).
Goods
and services
Goods are objects (or items) that have a physical presence. Goods can be subdivided into
free goods or economic goods.
Free goods are goods that are plentiful and have no cost, for example, wind and
sunshine.
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Central concepts of Economics
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Economic goods are scarce and therefore have a cost. Economic goods can be
subdivided into either consumer goods or capital (producer) goods.
Consumer goods are for consumption by individuals or households (a group of
individuals) for their own private satisfaction (use), for example, DVDs, designer clothes.
Capital (producer) goods are man-made goods used in the production of other goods
and services, for example, tools, machinery.
The distinction between consumer goods and capital goods is not in the type of good but
rather in the use to which the good is put; for example, a television used by a household is
a consumer good but a television used by a firm as a security measure to prevent theft is a
capital good.
An economy can produce either consumer goods or capital goods, a decision to produce
more consumer goods means fewer capital goods can be produced. The production
of consumer goods will contribute to a higher standard of living but a country’s future
productive capacity may fall.
Services are what someone does for you, such as the work a lawyer or panelbeater does
for you.
Key
terms and ideas
Limited means that consumers have
Income (money or wealth), time, skill and knowledge.
Needs
Things individuals must have in order to sustain life, e.g., food,
clothes or shelter and water.
Wants
Things individuals would like to have but are not necessary in
order to survive, e.g., cars, phones, designer clothes.
Scarcity
The economic term that describes the condition of limited
resources relative to wants.
Choice
The economic term that relates to a decision between
alternatives, example: a choice between going to a movie or
renting a video.
Opportunity cost
The next best alternative forgone when a decision is made. It is
the real cost of any decision and is the other good/service that
could have been produced with the same resources.
People can’t have everything they
want
Because they have limited means (not enough money).
The relationship between limited
means and the need to make
decisions
We cannot have everything so we must make choices and every
decision has an opportunity cost.
Choices ...
... are based on limited means (time, income, skill and
knowledge).
Every choice means ...
... there will be an opportunity cost.
Goods
Objects with a physical presence, tangible items, examples:
snowboard, fish.
Services
What someone does for you, example: giving ski lessons.
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Central concepts of Economics
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Questions
1
and tasks
a Complete the statements below.
(i) Free goods
are plentiful and have no cost
, e.g., sunshine, seawater.
(ii)Scarce goods that are not available in sufficient quantities to satisfy all wants are termed
economic
goods.
(iii)Economic goods are scarce
and command a price
(iv) Wants
are things individuals would like
(v) Needs
are things individuals must
(vi)The basic physical needs are water
(vii)Choices
, e.g., food, tools, clothes.
to have but are not essential for survival
.
have in order to sustain life.
, shelter
and food
.
(a decision between alternatives) made by an individual will be influenced by their
limited means/income
, tastes and preferences, and their values (core beliefs that they consider
most important).
bIndicate if the following statements are true or false.
(i)Wants can also be needs because the first thing individuals want are the things they desire that are
essential to survive, i.e., needs.
true
(ii)A want is something an individual desires but that does not mean it is necessarily a need.
true
(iii)An individual will always satisfy their needs before they satisfy their wants.
false
cExplain your answer to (b) (iii) above with an example.
Individuals are not always sensible and may use their means to satisfy a want before they satisfy their needs,
e.g., an individual may buy cigarettes or a raffle ticket despite the fact they need the money to buy food for
their family.
dFrancis lives at home with his parents and his younger sisters, Mary and Clare. His mother is a selfemployed panelbeater. His father works in the business office part-time and manages their home.
(i)Using the concept of limited means, explain why Francis’ father only works part-time when he could
work full-time in the family business.
Limited time, because he has other things to do, like managing the home, he can not afford to work full
time.
(ii) Describe another way in which Francis’ family may have limited means.
Not enough money, income, skills, transport, experience, qualifications.
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Central concepts of Economics
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5Jamie works at the local pizza shop after school. Her friends go swimming at the beach.
a (i)If Jamie decides to go swimming, what is the opportunity cost of going with her friends?
Idea (not) working or not earning an income.
(ii) Why is this the opportunity cost?
Idea it is the next best alternative foregone of her decision.
b With reference to the information in the extract, explain the concept of choice.
A choice is a decision between alternatives, for Jamie it is working and earning an income or swimming at
the beach.
c Jamie has limited means. Describe the concept of limited means.
Not enough money/time/skills or knowledge.
Jamie’s sister Jessie has saved up money to buy a car and has yet to make a decision on which car to buy. Her
20th birthday is coming up and she has asked her extended family not to buy her a present but contribute
towards the car.
d How have Jessie’s means increased because of her extended family?
More individuals allows for greater means, she can afford a more expensive car because her extended family
is contributing.
6 aExplain what is meant by the term values.
Core beliefs or key principles or those things we consider most important.
b List THREE factors that may determine the values that people hold.
Upbringing or family, culture or cultural beliefs, age or experience, gender, peer pressure, religion or religious
beliefs.
c List examples of values that people may hold.
Integrity, honesty, consideration of others, fair trading.
dExplain what is meant by fair trading. Include an example in your answer.
Doing what is right and just when dealing with others/not cheating or deceiving others/plus clear example.
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The choices we make
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23Zoe is a consumer of goat’s milk. She is willing to buy 12 litres of goat’s milk at $1.00 per litre. If the price
rose to $1.50 per litre, Zoe would buy 8 litres. Zoe would purchase 2 litres if the price was $3 per litre, but
would only buy 6 litres if the price fell to $2 per litre. At $0.50 per litre Zoe would buy 16 litres each month.
a Use the information to construct Zoe’s demand schedule for goat’s milk each month in the space below.
Zoe’s demand schedule
for goat’s milk each month
Price $ per litre
Quantity demanded (litres)
0.50
16
1.00
12
1.50
8
2.00
6
3.00
2
b Use the information above to draw Zoe’s demand curve for goat’s milk each month.
Price $
per litre
Zoe’s demand curve for goat’s milk each month
d‘ d
3
P2
P‘ 1
2
4
6
Q
d‘
Answer (f)
8
10 12
Q‘
d
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16 Quantity demanded (litres)
cShow on the graph how Zoe would react to a decrease in the price of goat’s milk from $2.00 per litre to
$1.00 per litre.
d Describe the effect of a change in the price of goat’s milk from $2.00 per litre to $1.00 per litre.
The quantity demanded will increase from 6 litres to 12 litres (i.e., a price decrease of $1.00 per litre results
in an increase in quantity demanded of 6 litres)
eIf the price decreases from $2.00 per litre to $1.00 per litre, explain the effect on consumer spending.
Consumer spending will remain the same, because the original value of spending is P x Q, $2 x 6 = $12 and
the value of new spending is P’ x Q’, $1 x 12 = $12
fZoe’s demand for goat’s milk each month falls by 50%. Show this decrease in demand on the graph you
have drawn.
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Changes in demand
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