The fundamental economic problem is the issue of scarcity but unlimited wants. Scarcity implies there is only a limited quantity of resources, e.g. finite fossil fuels. Because of scarcity, there is a constant opportunity cost – if you use resources to consume one good, you cannot consume another. Therefore, an underlying feature of economics is …
This is a review of economics and its relationships with other social sciences and subjects, such as philosophy, politics, maths, physics, anthropology, psychology and sociology. Also, to what extent does economics benefit from expanding into other subjects? What is economics? Economics a social science that studies the production, consumption and distribution of goods and services. …
Microeconomics is concerned with the economic decisions and actions of individuals and firms. Within the broad church of microeconomics, there are different theories that emphasise certain assumptions and expectations of economic behaviour. The most important theory is neo-classical theory, which places emphasis on free-markets and the assumption individuals are rational and seek to maximise utility. …
Evaluation is an important component of an advanced essay. It requires the ability to look at facts, arguments and analysis, with a degree of critical distance. Evaluation involves: Looking at what other factors may affect the outcome. Time lags involved. How it might depend on other issues, e.g. elasticity of demand Why the original statement …
Diminishing marginal utility of income and wealth suggests that as income increases, individuals gain a correspondingly smaller increase in satisfaction and happiness. In layman’s terms – “more money may not make you happy” Alfred Marshall popularised concepts of diminishing marginal utility in his Principles of Economics (1890) “The additional benefit a person derives from a …
