1. What is the ‘economic problem’? The fundamental economic problem is related to the issue of scarcity. Scarcity means that resources are limited and short in supply in the world (e.g. diamond). Because of limited resources and unlimited demands, society needs to decide how much to produce and distribute these relatively scarce resources. The basic economic problem can be define as what to produce, how much to produce and for whom to produce. Some countries are lucky to have great natural resources, whilst others do not. For example Africa and South America have little marketable resources. That means there are uneven distributions of resources. Sometimes suppliers have issues with shortage and surplus. A shortage is to do with …show more content…
The market mechanism is an alternative ( 選擇性的), for example, to having such decisions made by government. Often the incentives that consumers and producers have can be changed by government invention in the market. For example, a change in relative price brought about by the introduction of government subsidies and taxation. Indirect taxes can be used to raise the price of de-merit goods and products with negative externalities designed to increase the opportunity cost of consumption and thereby reduce consumer demand towards a socially optimal level. Subsidies to consumers will lower the price of merit goods. They are designed to encourage consumption (and output of products with positive externalities. A subsidy causes an increase in market supply and leads to a lower equilibrium price. Government intervention in the market sets out to attain two goals: social efficiency and equity. Social efficiency is achieved at the point where the marginal benefits to society for either production or consumption are equal to the marginal costs of either production or consumption. Also, due to the intervention, competition brings price down and drives up the quanlity of goods and services. However, there are also some disadvantages. The disadvantages vary dependant on what method is used to correct the failure. For example
The free marketplace represents a superlative model of capitalism, since it denotes the most proficient and profitable way of production. In a free market, economic actors are capable of conducting business devoid of political interferences, such as the burden of a minimum wage, or trade in tariffs. Without these limits, economic actors are abridged to a state of clean competition, driving costs downstairs and resulting in senior quality and lower price products.
A price ceiling is a government-levied maximum rate for a product or good. When a price ceiling inflicted by the government is more than retail equilibrium price, the price ceiling has no effect on the market or economy. This is because it does not obstruct supply, nor does it boost the demand. A different effect transpires if the government imposes a price ceiling below the market’s equilibrium rate. The suppliers will no longer be capable of charging the price that the market mandates, but they are required to meet the maximum price determined by the government’s price ceiling. When the demand rises beyond the capability to supply, shortages ensue. This leads to rationing of the product, causing some consumers to experience longer lines to obtain the product. In a worse case, there would be no products available for the consumer to buy.
The economy of Brazil is in the top ten largest economies along with the United States. It is the biggest in Latin America. Actually it is the seventh largest in the world. Brazil has used its newly found economic mechanism to syndicate its outcome in South America and show more of a role in the Global Businesses. The Obama Administration’s National Security Strategy recognizes Brazil as a developing center of effect, and greets the management of the country’s joint and global issues. The United States and Brazil associations mostly have been good in the recent years. But Brazil has other strengthening relations with neighboring countries and expanding ties with nontraditional partners in the South that’s developing.
However, if the school allows a competing student the right to sell ice cream on school property, it could change the price of ice cream. The price of ice cream is lowered due to technology. The invention of better ice cream machines or an idea to make better use of counter space can lower a firm’s cost and raise the quantity of ice cream it supplies. Prices could also be increased due to input prices. Less ice cream is supplied when workers need be paid more, therefore ice cream machines cost more, or even ingredients like
ANSWER KEY Chapter 1 Chapter 1–1 II.D. the accumulation of those economic products that are tangible, scarce, useful, and transferable 1. scarcity of resources, which results from society not III.A. the market having enough resources to produce all of the things people would like to have III.B. the markets in which productive resources are bought and sold 2. A need is a basic requirement for survival and III.C. in product markets IV.A. the amount of output produced by a given amount of inputs in a specific period of time
What are the main reasons why government should take only a limited role in a market economy?
The government does not necessarily need to intervene how the marker goes. Therefore, the competition is a significant factor of the free marker economy.Active but limited government is another main part of the free market economy. This means that the government undertakes a significant, active role in the market, but at the same time the government’s role is ver limited because all the investments and decisions in the economy are controlled by the market than by the government. An invisible hand will control the market. Limited government is a type of government in which there is a minimum intervention in personal properties. Overall, the government tries to keep the economy in a law and let it free by limiting itself. Hence, the limited government is an essential factor of the free market economy.Last, self-interest is a significant part of the free market economy. Self-interest refers to one’s desire to buy something. The market will be generally controlled by people’s interest; the companies will compete with one another to fit the best taste. This is because the people’s interest will be the main trend in the market and it will control what should be made in the market. Consequently, the market will be self-regulated according to the theory of a free market. Therefore, the self-interest is another significant factor of the free market economy.Therefore, the competition, the
The increase of tax rates, as well as creation of new taxes leads to rising prices on certain products and purchases.
there are a number of different buyers and sellers in the marketplace. This means that we have competition in the market, which allows price to change in response to changes in supply and demand. Furthermore, for almost every product there are substitutes, so if one product becomes too expensive, a buyer can choose a cheaper substitute instead. In a market with many buyers and sellers, both the consumer and the supplier have equal ability to influence price.
This assignment has a maximum total of 100 marks and is worth 10% of your total grade for this course. You should complete it after completing your course work for Units 1 through 5. Answer each question clearly and concisely.
These shifts in supply and demand would influence price, quantity, and market equilibrium because of the natural disasters, shift in prices or speculation the supply of coffee decreases, which would cause a significant product shortage for consumers. Due to a shortage, consumers would to pay higher prices in order to purchase coffee and all coffee producers would then demand a higher price in order to produce more products. Higher prices are beneficial to the producers of the product, but consumer would purchase fewer products. Lower product pricing would discourage coffee production, but would benefit consumers. Both supply and demand would balance consumption, which is demand and production, which is supply.
Often a market may be affected by a demand-side “shock” which takes away the pricing power of
All of the market is voluntary, no coercion. Milton Friedman explains, “Political freedom means the absence of coercion of a man by his fellow man.” There would be people trading with other people only when they themselves benefit from the situation. This way people have the choice on how much to trade, or to even trade at all. Everyone can benefit from a competitive market. Friedman explains, “By removing the organization of economic activity from the control of political authority, the market eliminates this source of coercive power. It enables economic strength to be a check to political power rather than a reinforcement.” Without this sense of being forced into situations, people are a lot happier. When people are voluntarily participating in the free market, then the government makes money consequently. The competitive free market takes some responsibilities from the government, so the government can run better. A more competitive free market allows for the government to function more smoothly.