AP Macroeconomics - Unit 1 - Vocabulary

the study of scarcity and choice

You make a trade-off when you give up something in order to get something else (what you are gaining is the trade-off)

anything that can be used to produce something else

all resources that come from nature, such as timber, wind, and petroleum

the effort of workers

manufactured goods used to make other goods and services

The efforts of entrepreneurs in organizing resources for production, taking risks to create new enterprises, and innovating to develop new products and production processes

when unlimited wants exceed limited resources

the value of the next best alternative (choice) that you have given up in order to get an item

Concerned with the overall ups and downs of the economy (large scale)

a person or group of people that share their income

any organization that produces goods or services for sale

The Production Possibilities Curve illustrates the necessary trade-offs in an economy that produces only two goods.

“Other things equal” means that all other relevant factors remain unchanged.

there are no missed opportunities – there is no way to make some people better off without making other people worse off

an increase in the maximum amount of goods and services an economy can produce

providing goods and services to others and receive goods and services in return

when each person focuses on the task that they are good at performing

having the lowest opportunity cost among the people or countries that can produce that good or service

being able to produce more of a good or service with the given amount of time and resources

the rate at which one good can be exchanged for another and have both parties benefit

the amount of a good or service consumers are willing and able to buy at some specific price. It is shown as a single point in a demand schedule or along a demand curve

a graphical representation of the demand schedule. It shows the relationship between quantity demanded and price

states that a higher price for a good or service, all other things being equal, leads to people to a smaller quantity demanded of that good or service

a shift of the demand curve, which changes the quantity demanded at any given price

a change in the quantity demanded of a good that is the result of a change in that good’s price

goods that are meant to be used in place of one another. A rise in the price of one of the goods leads to an increase in demand for the other good.

goods that are bought together to be used together. A rise in the price of one of the goods leads to a decrease in demand for the other good.

when a rise in consumer income increases the demand for the good and vice versa

when a rise in consumer income decreases the demand for the good and vice versa

he actual amount of a good or service people are willing to sell at some specific price

the relationship between the quantity supplied and the price

states that all other things being equal, the price and quantity supplied of a good are positively or directly related

a shift of the supply curve, which indicates a change in the quantity supplied at any given price

a change in the quantity supplied of a good arising from a change in the good’s price

a good or service that is used in the production of another good or service

treated as an input cost, these are fees producers must pay to the federal government

treated as an input cost, these are payments from the government to producers to assist in the production of certain goods or services that are deemed beneficial to society

goods that producers can use the same inputs to make either one good or the other

goods are treated as these if increased production of either good creates more of the other good

he point where QS = QD. This is the intersection point between the supply and demand curve

also known as excess supply and caused by a price floor, this exists at a price above equilibrium where QS > QD

also known as excess demand and caused by a price ceiling, this exists at a price below equilibrium where QD > QS