ECONOMICS STUDY GUIDE I. FUNDAMENTALS: economics wants needs natural, renewable & nonrenewable resources factors of production: land, labor, capital, human capital, entrepreneurship scarcity price ceilings price floors rationing rational decision making (define problem, list alternatives, state criteria, evaluate alternatives, make a rational decision) marginal cost & marginal benefits tradeoff opportunity cost PPC specialization division of labor profits productivity voluntary exchange innovation efficiency traditional economy bartering command economy profit motive equity market economy mixed economy public goods & services redistribution of income market failure private property rights deregulation inputs outputs capital investment capital goods interest & interest rate consumer goods standard of living II. MICROECONOMICS circular flow of economic activity microeconomics interdependence product market factor/resource market currency medium of exchange standard of value store of value law of supply law of demand supply demand law of supply & demand equilibrium market-clearing price supply curve demand curve shortage surplus elasticity consumer/producer elastic/inelastic substitute complement inflation deflation wage/price controls minimum wage price floor price ceiling pure competition monopolistic competition monopoly oligopoly sole proprietorship partnership liability limited life corporation stock shareholder dividends III. MACROECONOMICS economic indicators GDP per capita GDP CPI stagflation national debt national deficit deficit spending national surplus growth exports imports net exports trade deficit trade surplus cyclical unemployment structural unemployment frictional unemployment ECONOMICS STUDY GUIDE seasonal unemployment consumption income disposable income revenue income tax capital gains tax fiscal policy fiscal conservative fiscal liberal New Deal aggregate supply aggregate demand overproduction business cycle peak/trough/expansion/contraction recovery recession depression prosperity central bank Federal Reserve System monetary policy Board of Governors Chairman Federal Open Market Committee Federal Reserve Banks member banks reserve requirement "easy money" "tight money" discount rate discount window open market operations IV. INTERNATIONAL ECONOMICS international trade market advantage absolute advantage comparative advantage protectionism free trade trade barriers quotas tariffs embargo standards recalls subsidies national security retaliation benefits/costs of trade barriers WTO United Nations European Union ASEAN NAFTA OPEC balance of trade balance of payments favorable balance of trade unfavorable balance of trade exchange rate fixed/floating exchange rates currency appreciation currency depreciation devaluation purchasing power purchasing power parity V. PERSONAL FINANCE positive/negative incentives commercial bank interest charged vs earned collateral (security) credit unions savings & loan associations risk/return 401K IRA earnings potential progressive tax regressive tax sales tax proportional tax credit mortgage mortgage pymts credit cards debit cards principal simple interest compound interest debt credit score insurance: life/health & medical/disability/liability/property or homeowner's comprehensive liability