Allocative efficiency
When the price of a good is equal to the price that consumers are happy to pay for it. This will happen when all resources are allocated efficiently.
Assymetric information
When buyers have more information than sellers (or the opposite) in a market
Average cost
The cost of production per unit of output
Average revenue
The revenue per unit sold
Barriers to entry/exit
Any potential difficulties that make it hard for a firm to enter/leave a market
Black market
Economic activity that occurs without taxation and government regulation (also called the informal market)
Circular flow of income
Flow of national output, income and expenditure between households and firms
national output = national income = national expenditure
Cross elasticity of demand (XED)
A measure of how the quantity demanded of one good/service responds to a change in the price of another good/service.
Demerit good
A good or service which has greater social costs when consumed than private costs. These tend to be overconsumed.
Deregulation
Removing rules imposed by government that can restrict the level of competition in a market
Derived demand
The demand for a good or factor of production due to its use in making another good or providing a service
Diseconomies of scale
A firm is experiencing this when the average cost of production is rising as output rises.
Economies of scale
A firm is experiencing this when the average cost of production is falling as output rises.
Externalities
The external costs or benefits to a third party that is not involved in the making, buying/selling and consumption of a specific good/service.
Fixed costs
Costs which do not vary with the level of output of a firm in the short run.
Free market
A market where there is no government intervention. Competition between different suppliers affects supply and demand, and as a result determines prices
Free rider problem
Once a public good is provided itâs impossible to stop someone from benefiting from it, even if they havenât paid towards it
Government failure
When government intervention into a market causes a misallocation of resources
Income elasticity of demand (YED)
A measure of how the demand for a good/service responds to a change in real income.
Labour immobility
When labour cannot easily move around to find jobs (geographical immobility) or easily switch between different occupations (occupational immobility)
Long run
A time period in which all the factors of production are variable, so a firm can expand its capacity
Market failure
Where the price mechanism fails to allocate resources efficiently
Merit good
A good/service which provides greater social benefits when consumed than private benefits. They tend to be underconsumed.
Monopoly
A pure monopoly is a market with only one supplier. Some markets are referred to as a monopoly is there is more than one supplier, but one supplier dominates the market.
Monopoly power
The ability of a firm to be a âprice makerâ and influence the price of a particular good in a market
Natural Monopoly
An industry where economies of scale are so great that the lowest long run average cost can only be achieved if the market is made up of a single provider.
Opportunity cost
The benefit that is given up in order to do something else - the cost of the choice made
Perfect information
When buyers and sellers have full knowledge of prices, costs, benefits and availability of products.
Price elasticity of demand (PED)
A measure of how the quantity demanded of a good/service responds to a change in its price
Price elasticity of supply (PES)
A measure of how the quantity supplied of a good/service responds to a change in its price.
Price maker
A firm that has some power to control the price it sells at
Price mechanism
When changes in the demand or supply of a good/service leads to changes in its price and the quantity bought/sold
Price taker
A firm that has no power to control the price it sells at - it has to accept the market price
Privatisation
When a firm or a whole industry changes from being run by the public sector to the private sector
Production possibility frontier (PPF)
A curve which shows the maximum possible outputs of two goods or services using a fixed amount of inputs
Productive efficiency
When products are produced at a level of output where the average cost is lowest
Productivity
The average output produced per unit of a factor of production
Profit
A firmâs total revenue minus its total costs
Progressive taxation
A tax system where an individualâs tax rises (as a % of their income) as their income rises
Proportional taxation
A tax system where everyone pays the same proportion of tax regardless of their income level
Public good
A good which people canât be stopped from consuming, even if they have not paid for it. The consumption of it doesnât prevent others from benefiting from it.
Quasi-public good
A good which appears to have the characteristics of a public good but doesnât exhibit them fully
Regressive taxation
A tax system where an individualâs tax falls (as a percentage of their income) as their income rises.
Revenue
Total value of sales within a time period
Short run
A time in which at least one of a firmâs factors of production is fixed
Specialisation
People/countries only doing the things they are best or most efficient at.
Subsidy
An amount of money paid by a government to the producer of a good/service to lower the cost of production. This should increase supply, which will lower the price and increase demand for the good/service