Discuss the central problems of an economy.
Every economy faces three central problems due to scarce availability of resources. This scarcity challenges the best possible usage of these available resources to fulfil the unlimited demands.
The three central problems of an economy are as follows:
1. What to produce and in what quantities?
The very first problem encountered by any economy is to decide what goods are to be produced and in what quantities or amount. There is a lot to be decided; whether to produce consumer goods or luxury goods; agricultural goods or investment goods; whether to cater the education and healthcare sector or to strengthen the country's military. An appropriate example was set by the Latin American nation Costa Rica; they dismantled their military in 1949 and invested the money, which earlier was spent on the maintenance of their army, on education and healthcare. Once it is decided, what to produce, the next decision is to estimate the amount or quantity of the production. So the economy constantly struggles to choose what to produce and in what quantities.
2. How to produce?
The second problem that arrives is how to harvest the given or available resources? That is, what technique is to be used for producing various goods and services? It depends majorly on the nation’s endowment of resources in deciding the optimum technique. It has to be decided whether efficient production is possible through labour - intensive or capital-intensive techniques. This decision rests on the present economic conditions and also that the selected technique shall not only reduce the cost of production but also add to the social and economic welfare. For example, if a country is facing wide unemployment possibly due to a huge population, then it is wise to opt for labour-intensive technique so that there is reduction in unemployment.
3. For whom to produce?
Finally, the purposeful distribution of final goods and services produced (national income) has to be done; that is, who gets what and how much? The economy needs to decide the best suitable mechanism for distribution of the final products among different segments of the society. The objective behind selecting such a mechanism is to reduce inequality of income, to reduce poverty and to add to the social welfare and standard of living of people.
Distinguish between a centrally planned economy and a market economy.
Distinguish between microeconomics and macroeconomics.
What do you mean by the production possibilities of an economy?
Discuss the subject matter of economics.
What is a production possibility frontier?
What do you understand by normative economic analysis?
What do you understand by positive economic analysis?
Explain the concept of a production function
What would be the shape of the demand curve so that the total revenue curve is?
(a) A positively sloped straight line passing through the origin?
(b) A horizontal line?
Explain market equilibrium.
What are the characteristics of a perfectly competitive market?
What do you mean by the budget set of a consumer?
What is the total product of input?
From the schedule provided below calculate the total revenue, demand curve and the price elasticity of demand:
Quantity |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
Marginal Revenue |
10 |
6 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
- |
When do we say that there is an excess demand for a commodity in the market?
How are the total revenue of a firm, market price, and the quantity sold by the firm related to each other?
What is budget line?
Why is the total revenue curve of a price-taking firm an upward-sloping straight line? Why does the curve pass through the origin?
Suppose a consumer wants to consume two goods which are available only in
integer units. The two goods are equally priced at Rs 10 and the consumer’s
income is Rs 40.
(i) Write down all the bundles that are available to the consumer.
(ii) Among the bundles that are available to the consumer, identify those which cost her exactly Rs 40.
Suppose your friend is indifferent to the bundles (5, 6) and (6, 6). Are the preferences of your friend monotonic?
What is the total product of input?
A monopoly firm has a total fixed cost of Rs 100 and has the following demand schedule:
Quantity |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
10 |
Marginal Revenue |
100 |
90 |
80 |
70 |
60 |
50 |
40 |
30 |
20 |
10 |
Find the short run equilibrium quantity, price and total profit. What would be the equilibrium in the long run? In case the total cost is Rs.1000, describe the equilibrium in the short run and in the long run.
What do you mean by the budget set of a consumer?
Briefly explain the concept of the cost function.
What would be the shape of the demand curve so that the total revenue curve is?
(a) A positively sloped straight line passing through the origin?
(b) A horizontal line?
What do you mean by an ‘inferior good’? Give some examples
Explain the concept of a production function