AP Macro Vocab

absolute advantage

the ability to produce something more efficiently

capital

productive equipment or machinery

comparative advantage

the ability to produce something with a lower opportunity cost

economics

a social science that studies how resources are used and is often concerned with how resources can be used to their fullest potential

efficiency

using resources to their maximum potential

labor

all human activity that is productive

land

all natural resources

law of Increasing costs

law that states that when more of a product is initially being produced, the higher the opportunity cost will be to produce still more

macroeconomics

economic problems encountered by the nation as a whole

microeconomics

economic problems faced by individual units within the overall company

opportunity cost

the amount of one good that must be sacrificed to obtain an alternative good

positive economics

economic analysis that draws conclusions based on logical deduction or induction (value judgements are avoided)

production possibilities frontier

the combinations of two goods that can be produced if the economy uses all of its resources fully and efficiently

normative economies

economies involving value judgement

resource

anything that can be used to produce a good or service

allocative efficiency

term for resources being deployed to produce just the right amount of each product to satisfy society's wants

capitalism

an economic system where supply and demand determine prices

circular flow diagram

diagram that shows how households and firms are related by the exchange of resources and products

command economy

economy in which the central government dictates what will or will not be produced and who gets what

the law of demand

law that states that when the price of a product increases, the quantity demanded decreases, ceteris paribus

law of supply

law that states that when the price of a product increases, the quantity supplied increases, ceterus paribus

mixed economy

a blend of government commands and capitalism

consumption expenditures

all the goods and services sold to households

disposable personal income (DPI)

the income of households after taxes have been paid

government expenditures

goods and services sold to governments

gross domestic product (GDP)

dollar value of production within a nation's borders

gross national product (GNP)

dollar value of production by a country's citizens

intermediate sales

sales to firms that will incorporate the item into their final product

investment sales

sales to firms that will incorporate the item into their final product

investment expenditures

expenditures by businesses on plants and equipment plus the change in business inventories

national income (NI)

the income earned by households and profits earned by firms after subtracting depreciation and indirect business taxes

national income and product accounts (NIPA)

a comprehensive group of statistics that measures various aspects of the economy's performance

net exports

exports minus imports

personal income (PI)

income received by households

real GDP

GDP adjusted for the price changes

underground economy

all the illegal production of goods and services and legal production that does not pass through markets

GDP

C+I+G+X

GDP per capita

GDP/population

consumer price index (CPI)

measure of the average change over time in the prices paid by urban consumers for a market basket of consumer goods and services

cyclical unemployment

loss of jobs by individuals during a recession and the corresponding slowdown in production

fisher's hypothesis

Nominal Interest Rate\= Real Interest Rate + Expected Inflation

frictional unemployment

state of being out of work because the person is in between jobs

GDP deflator

measure of the level of prices in the economy

hidden unemployment

describing those who are able to work but who are not actively seeking employment because they are discouraged about their prospects for finding employment

inflation

a sustained rise in most prices in the economy

menu cost

the misallocation of resources because of inflation

nonaccelerating inflation rate of unemployment

the full employment rate of unemployment; when employment falls below this rate, inflation accelerates

seasonal unemployment

state of being out of work because of the time of year

structural unemployment

state of being out of work because the economy is structured, or set up, to a person's disadvantage

unemployment rate

the number of unemployed persons divided by the labor force

CPI

(Total Cost this Period/Total Cost Base Period) x 100

Inflation rate

\[(this period CPI-previous period CPI)/previous period CPI] x 100

GDP deflator

(GDP/Real GPD) x 100

Real GDP

(GDP/GDP deflator) x 100

Nominal Interest Rate

Real Interest Rate + Expected Inflation

Unemployment Rate

Number of unemployed/civilian labor force

aggregate demand

the demand for all goods and services by all households, business, governments, and foreigners

aggregate supply

the supply of all goods and services by all producers in the economy

break-even point

point where the consumption function crosses the 45 degree line and income equals spending so that saving is zero

business cycle

a wave of economic activity comprised of an expansion and a recession

classical economic theory

the predominant paradigm in economic analysis from about 1800 until 1930, based on Say's Law

consumption theory

the relationship between consumer spending and income

equilibrium price level

the price level that equates aggregate supply and aggregate demand, the average level of prices in the economy

equilibrium quantity

the amount of output that results in no shortage or surplus, the amount of goods and service bought and sold in the economy

expansion

a sustained improvement in economic activity

Keynesian theory

theory that opposes Classical theory by emphasizing the short run and focusing on economies that are operating below full capacity

marginal propensity to consume (MPC)

idea that given an extra dollar, how much is spent?

multiplier

an initial change in spending in the economy that will have a magnified, or multiplied, effect on income

recession

a sustained decline in economic activity

Say's Law

theory that supply creates its own demand

MPC

change in spending / change in income

Multiplier

1/(1-MPC)

total change in income

Initial Change in Spending x Multiplier

automatic stabilizers

government policies already in place that promote deficit spending during recessions and surplus budgets during expansions

crowding out

the increase in interest rates and subsequent decline in spending that occurs when the government borrows money to finance a deficit

deficit

situation that exists when government spending exceeds tax revenues

fiscal policy

changes in government spending and taxes to fight recessions or inflations

inflationary gap

what occurs when the equilibrium quantity of output is above potential output

Phillips tradeoff

the inverse relationship between inflation and unemployment

rational expectations

the idea that households and businesses will use all the information available to them when making economic decision

recessionary gap

what occurs when the equilibrium quantity of output is below potential output

stagflation

term used to describe the situation when the economy experiences inflation and a recession simultaneously

surplus

spending by the government that is less than tax revenues

change in real GDP

Initial Change in Spending x Multiplier

certificate of deposit

debt instrument that is similar to a savings account except the interest rate is slightly greater and the deposit cannot be drawn on without penalty

currency

coins and paper money

discount rate

the rate of interest the FED charges when it makes loans to depository institutions

excess reserves

the amount of any deposit that does not have to be held aside and may be used to make loans and buy investments

federal reserves

the central bank of the United The United States

fiat money

money that is not backed by any precious commodity

government securities

IOUs that the government issues when it borrows money

liquidity

the ability to turn an asset into cash rapidly and without loss

M1

currency, transaction accounts, and travelers' checks

M2

M1 plus savings accounts, certificates of deposit, and other liquid assets

money

anything that society generally accepts in payment for a good or service

money multiplier

1/reserve requirement, the multiple by which the money supply will change because of a change in bank reserves

open market operations

activities in which the FED buys and sells government securities in the secondary market

required reserves

the amount of any deposit that must be held aside and not used to make loans or buy investment

reserve requirement

the percentage of any deposit that must be held aside and not used to amke loans or buy investments

savings account

an account at a depository institution that earns interest while the funds are readily available but cannot be withdrawn with checks