Key Concepts and Summary
Key Concepts and Summary
Economists analyze problems differently than do other disciplinary experts. The main tools economists use are economic theories or models. A theory is not an illustration of the answer to a problem. Rather, a theory is a tool for determining the answer.
Glossary
circular flow diagram
a diagram that views the economy as consisting of households and firms interacting in a goods and services market and a labor market
goods and services market
a market in which firms are sellers of what they produce and households are buyers
labor market
the market in which households sell their labor as workers to business firms or other employers
model
see theory
theory
a representation of an object or situation that is simplified while including enough of the key features to help us understand the object or situation
Self-Check Questions
Question 1:
Suppose we extend the circular flow model to add imports and exports. Copy the circular flow diagram onto a sheet of paper and then add a foreign country as a third agent. Draw a rough sketch of the flows of imports, exports, and the payments for each on your diagram.
Solution
Draw a box outside the original circular flow to represent the foreign country. Draw an arrow from the foreign country to firms, to represents imports. Draw an arrow in the reverse direction representing payments for imports. Draw an arrow from firms to the foreign country to represent exports. Draw an arrow in the reverse direction to represent payments for imports.
Question 2:
What is an example of a problem in the world today, not mentioned in the tutorial, that has an economic dimension?
Solution
There are many such problems. Consider the AIDS epidemic. Why are so few AIDS patients in Africa and Southeast Asia treated with the same drugs that are effective in the United States and Europe? It is because neither those patients nor the countries in which they live have the resources to purchase the same drugs.
Critical Thinking Questions
- Why is it unfair or meaningless to criticize a theory as “unrealistic?”
- Suppose, as an economist, you are asked to analyze an issue unlike anything you have ever done before. Also, suppose you do not have a specific model for analyzing that issue. What should you do? Hint: What would a carpenter do in a similar situation?
This lesson is part of:
Introduction to Economics