Capital : goods/materials that are used for the production of other items. Not consumed in their own right. Consumption : Using up goods/services. Consumer Goods: goods that are wanted because they provide satisfaction to their owner. Demerit Goods: goods that are perceived to have a negative impact/effect on society/individuals. Economic Rent: Economy : Total value of goods & services produced & exchanged within a country. Enterprise: risk taking & decision making in business Exchange: Factors of Production: land, labour, capital, enterprise. Fixed Capital: capital goods that do not need replacing in the short term (machinery, tools, buildings). Free Goods: goods that require no resources to make (wind, sunshine). Goods: items produced by the factors of production (usually for economic gain). Labour: the human effort (mental & physical) required to produce something. Land: the land we use/build on & resources that are contained in the land and water. Markets: Place where goods & services are exchanged ( may be visible or invisible). Merit Goods: goods that are perceived to provide positive externalities (beneficial to society) Needs: requirements for continued existence (food, clean water, shelter) Opportunity Cost: the cost of the next best alternative. Production Possibility Curve: a curve that represents possible output if the factors of production are used efficiently. Also known as the ‘ o pportunity cost curve’ as it can be used to show the opportunity cost of producing different products/quantities). Public Goods: good provided by the government (paid for through taxes) that everybody benefits from (street lighting). Resources: items that are needed/ useful for consumption or the production of other items. Scarcity: limited availability of resources (ones that will run out eventually), not enough to satisfy all the wants. Services: something that fulfils a need, often not a physical object (banking, teachers, policemen). Transfer Earnings: Wants: the desires that people have that are not necessary for their existence/ luxuries. Working Capital: capital products that are used up in the production process (raw materials). 2. The Allocation of Resources Complementary goods: goods that are purchased to support/go with another product (petrol & cars). Contraction in demand: movement along the demand curve to the left (higher price & lower quantity demanded). Contraction in supply: movement along the supply curve to the left (lower price & lower quantity supplied). Cross elasticity of demand: Demand: want/willingness to buy a product. Diminishing Marginal utility: consumption of additional units of a product provide less utility (satisfaction) each time. Effective Demand: the financial ability to actually purchase the product. Elasticity: the responsiveness of quantity supplied or demanded in relation to changes in price/income/other products. Equilibrium: the point at which the supply and demand curves cross/intersect Excess Demand: quantity demanded is greater than the quantity supplied at a given price. Excess Supply : quantity supplied is greater than quantity demanded at a given price. Extension in demand: a movement along the demand curve to the right (lower price & higher quantity demanded). Extension in supply: a movement along the supply curve to the right (higher price & higher quantity supplied). External costs: costs of production that have to be paid by someone other than the firm/individual (cleaning up pollution). External benefits: benefit of production to others outside the firm/individual (1st aid training for employees) Individual Demand: the amount a single person would be willing to buy at a range of prices. Inferior goods: goods that consumers demand less of as incomes increase due to them opting to buy higher quality alternatives. Marginal Utility: the additional satisfaction gained from the consumption of an extra unit of a product. Market Demand: total demand for a product Price elastic demand: a % change in price results in greater % change in quantity demanded. Price inelastic demand: a % change in price results in smaller % change in quantity demanded. Price elastic supply: a % change in price results in greater % change in quantity supplied. Price inelastic supply: a % change in price results in smaller % change in quantity supplied. Private costs: the costs that the company/individual has to pay for production (labour, raw materials). Private benefits: the benefits to the company/individual of production (profits). Social costs: private costs + external costs Social benefits: private benefits + external benefits Substitute goods: goods that can be used as a substitute/alternative for a product (butter & margarine). Supply: the number of goods/services firms are able & willing to supply at a range of prices. Unitary elasticity: % change in price results equal % change in quantity demanded or supplied. Utility: the satisfaction gained from consuming a product. 3. The Individual as producer, consumer and borrower Barter: system of trade through swapping items. Cash: notes, coins and debit cards. Central bank: the government’s bank, responsible for issuing money, setting interest rates. Checking account: Instant access account, see current account. Commercial bank : High St bank (HSBC etc) offering a range of accounts to individuals and businesses. Credit card : electronic payment card that allows users to make purchases with borrowed money that can be paid at a later date. Current account: instant access account used for routine/regular transactions. Debit card: electronic payment card linked to current/checking account that has the funds to make the transaction. D isposable income: the money available after paying taxes that you can choose how to use. Liquidity : the ability for and item/asset to be exchanged for cash with no loss of value. Money: commodity that is universally accepted for as payment for all goods and services. Money supply : the sum of the notes, coins and deposits in banks & financial institution. Piece rate : payment based on quantity produced (fruit picking etc) Salary : Annual payment total that is paid monthly. Specialisation: Working on specific stage/stages of production in the aim of increasing productivity & lowering costs. Stock exchange: organisation that facilitates the buying and selling of shares in Public & Private Limited Companies. Trades union: organisation of workers that negotiate wages, working conditions & hours. Collective bargaining. Wage : hourly rate for labour, often calculated weekly. Wealth: collection of assets (houses, land, shares in companies, money saved in bank accounts). 4. The private firm as producer and employer Average cost: total cost/output. Average fixed costs : downward sloping line (from left to right) as the fixed costs are shared among increased output. Average revenue : total revenue/number of product/services sold. Average variable costs: initially downward sloping as increasing returns to labour and economies of scale are achieved with increased output & then they rise with output. Breakeven Point: total revenue = total cost (no profit or loss made). Cartel: small group of large firms that work together to keep prices high & therefore keep all their profits high. Usually illegal. Cooperative : organisation owned by its workers and they share the rewards. Costs: the money paid to produce/provide the service/product. Diseconomies of scale: when an increase in the scale of production results in increased average costs (overtime pay etc). Diminishing returns to labour: additional workers eventually add decreasing levels of marginal output (eg. too many people share tools and get in each others way) Division of labour: the allocation of workers to specific tasks in the production line. Economies of scale: when increases in production (output) lead to reduced total average costs (discount for bulk buying etc). Factory: the site/building that produces the product, a firm may have more than one. Firm: The company/business that owns one or more factories. Fixed costs: costs that have to be paid regardless of level production (rent, loan repayments). Horizontal integration : merging of firms at the same stage of production. Increasing returns to labour : initially as additional workers are employed their marginal output increases. Industry: A group of firms producing similar or same goods (eg: soft drinks industry coca cola would be a firm in this industry). Marginal cost: the additional cost of producing an extra unit. Marginal Product/productivity : additional output gained from the employment of an additional worker. Marginal revenue: the additional revenue gained from selling an extra unit. Monopoly: Single firm controls the supply in a market (has no competitors). Multinational Company (MNC): Company that has outlets or production facilities in more than one country. Usually plcs. Normal Profit: profit level just high enough to keep firms in the industry. Oligopoly: Small number of large companies control the supply in a market. Partnership : 2 to 20 individuals jointly own a business and share the profits(solicitors). Primary Industry: Industries involved in extracting raw materials (agriculture, fishing, forestry, mining). Private Limited Company (Ltd): company owned by shareholders, but shares only sold privately, not on the stock exchange. Productivity: output per worker. Profit: revenue costs (the money you are left over with after costs are deducted). Public Limited Company (plc): company owned by shareholders & shares sold on the stock exchange to the public. Revenue: total money obtained from sales (before any deductions). Secondary Industry : Manufacturing or construction industries. Ones that make things (factories, carpenters, bakers, builders). Soletrader: Single owner of a business, usually small scale. Supernormal Profit: increased demand in an industry leads firms to make above normal profits. Tertiary Industry: Industries that provide a service (banking, solicitors, teachers, police forces, doctors). Total costs : fixed costs + variable costs. Total Revenue : price x output (the total amount of money gained from sales of a product). Transnational Company (TNC) : see multinational company. Variable costs : costs that are dependent on the level of production (raw materials, labour in some cases). Vertical Integration: merging of firms which are involved in the production of the same product but at different stages. 5. Role of government Aggregate Demand : Total Demand in the economy (expenditure + exports + investment + government spending) Aggregate Supply : Total Supply in the economy. Balanced Budget: Government income = government expenditure Budget: Government income & government expenditure for a 1 year period. Budget deficit: Government expenditure is greater than its income for that year. Budget surplus: Government income is greater than its expenditure for that year. Circular flow of income : Model showing the flow of money, factors of production & goods/services in the economy. Direct taxes: Taxation on income and wealth (income tax, corporation tax, inheritance tax, capital gains tax). Fiscal policy : Use of taxation and government spending to influence the economy. Indirect taxes : Taxation on spending (VAT, excise duties, import taxes) Interest Rates : Cost of borrowing or reward for saving money. Base rate set by the central bank. Commercial bank rates generally follow base rate changes but at a higher total rate. Monetary policy : Use of interest rates or the money supply to influence the economy. Money supply: Multiplier effect: Progressive taxes : Usually implemented through direct taxes & take a higher % of income as tax from higher earners. Regressive taxes : Usually associated with indirect taxes taking a higher % of income from lower earners. Taxation : form of income for the government through direct or indirect charges (taxes). 6. Economic Indicators Consumer Price Index (CPI) : very similar to the RPI increasingly the measure of choice for Governments. Cyclical unemployment : unemployment linked to the boom & bust cycles of the economy. Frictional unemployment : unemployment associated with people that are between jobs. Full employment : everybody who is willing and able to work is in employment. Gross Domestic Product (GDP) : Total value of goods and service produced in a country. GDP per Capita : GDP divided by the population. Useful for comparing countries & reflects changes in population size.. Gross National Product (GNP) : Total value of goods and services produced by a country, including foreign earnings but subtracting the earnings by foreign firms within the country. GNP per Capita : GNP divided by the population. Human Development Index : An indicie that takes into account socioeconomic indicators. Always a number between 0 & 1, the closer to one the higher the level of development. Net National Product (NNP) : GNP minus the value of capital depreciation. Real GDP : GDP with the effects of inflation removed. Retail Price Index : weighted index showing price changes as a % for a hypothetical basket of goods. Seasonal unemployment : unemployment that is linked to seasonal demand for labour (eg. fruit picking & tourist industry jobs). Structural unemployment: unemployment as a result of the labour force lacking the skills demanded by the current industries. Unemployment : members of the labour force that are willing and able to work and seeking employment. 7. Developed and developing economies Demography : The study of population. Dependency ratio: Human Development Index (HDI) : An index that attempts to measure quality of life by taking into account socioeconomic indicators. Always a number between 0 & 1, the closer to one the higher the level of development. Less Developed Country (LDC): More Developed Country (MDC): Old dependents: Optimum population: Overpopulation : when there are not enough resources to support the population without a decline in living standards. Primary industry : industries that extract raw materials (mining, fishing). Population pyramids : chart that shows the age & sex structure of a countries population Purchasing Power Parity (PPP): Secondary industry : industries that manufacture or construct (factories, carpenters, builders). Tertiary industry : Industries that provide a service (banking, teaching, fire service). Underpopulation : when there could be population increase without a reduction in living standards. Young dependents: 8. International Aspects Absolute advantag e: When a country can make more than another country of a certain product with the same amount of labour. Balance of payments : The sum of the current, financial & capital accounts which account for all trad & financial transactions for a country. Balancing item: Comparative advantage : The relative advantage of producing a certain product to trade even if the country has an absolute disadvantage in it. Current account : The account that records the visible & invisible trades of a country as well as government aid payments. Embargo : A ban on the import of a product/products from a certain country. Exchange rate : The value of one currency in relation to another currency. Exports : Goods sent to another country in exchange for money. Financial & capital accounts : the Governments accounts that record the movement of money in & out of the country (not for the sale of goods) & the sale of fixed assets. Fixed exchange rat e: when the value of a currency is pegged to (fixed to) another major currency such as the US dollar. Floating exchange rate: Free trade: Imports : Goods brought into the country in exchange for money. Infant industries: Internal trade : Trade within a country. International trade : Trade between two or more countries Protectionism : Methods of restricting imports and possibly increasing exports. Quotas : Limits on the number of imports of certain products. Reserve assets: Subsidies : Money given to industries by the Government to attract them or make them more competitive. Tariffs: Taxes placed on imports