MICROECO_LESSONWEEK3_PRELIMS (3)

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Course Information

  • Course Title: SSM 102a

  • Subject: Microeconomics

  • Instructor: Jennifer S. Mayano

  • Position: SHS HUMSS Teacher / T-III


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Title

  • Economic Theories


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Definition of Economic Theory

  • An economic theory is a set of ideas and principles that explain how different economies function.

  • Economists utilize theories for various purposes based on their roles.


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Purpose of Economic Theory

  • Aims to develop methods to meet basic human needs for everyone.

  • Seeks to resolve conflicts of interest non-violently, promoting general welfare and peaceful conflict transformation in society.


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Focus of Economic Theory

  • Broad field explaining economy functions.

  • Analyzes how economic agents (individuals, businesses, governments) make decisions.


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Key Areas of Study

  • Primarily concerned with production, consumption, and distribution of goods and services.


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Economic Activities

  • Studies how economic activities are coordinated and their effects on individual and societal well-being.


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Foundational Theories in Economics

  • Outlines major economic theories that form the backbone of economic study.


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Classical Economics Theory (18th and 19th Century)

  • Key Contributors: Adam Smith, David Ricardo, John Stuart Mill.


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Overview of Classical Economics Theory

  • Dominant school of thought in the 18th and 19th centuries.

  • Advocates for free trade and competition with minimal government interference.


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Market Regulation

  • Classical economists believe free markets self-regulate through supply and demand.

  • Referenced: "Invisible Hand" theory by Adam Smith as a concept illustrating hidden economic forces.


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Invisible Hand Theory

  • A metaphor for unseen forces of self-interest in the free market.

  • Self-interested consumer behavior leads to positive economic outcomes.


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Assumptions of the Invisible Hand

  • Individuals act selfishly, aiming only for personal gain.

  • Collective selfishness leads to better societal outcomes than altruistic intentions.


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Core Principles of Invisible Hand Theory

Self-Interest Drives Economic Efficiency

  • Individuals and businesses act in their best interests, promoting competition, innovation, and efficient resource allocation.


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Market Prices as Signals

  • Prices determined by supply and demand guide production and consumption decisions.

  • Scarcity allocation occurs without central planning.


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Minimal Government Intervention

  • Markets naturally regulate themselves through voluntary exchanges.

  • Excessive government regulations can disrupt economic balance.


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Examples of Invisible Hand Theory

  • A baker’s drive for profit leads them to:

    • Bake high-quality bread to attract customers.

    • Price competitively to ensure sales.

    • Contribute to the local economy by hiring workers and paying suppliers.


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Criticisms and Limitations

  • Market failures can lead to outcomes like monopolies, pollution, and income inequality.


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Public Goods and Externalities

  • Some goods require government intervention (e.g., national defense, clean air) due to market inefficiency.


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Irrational Behavior

  • Behavioral economics indicates people do not always behave rationally, leading to inefficiencies.


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Neo-Classical Economics Theory (18th and 19th Century)

  • Key Contributors: Alfred Marshall, William Stanley Jevons.


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Overview of Neo-Classical Economics

  • Focus on supply and demand as primary drivers of production, pricing, and consumption.

  • Emerged around 1900 in response to classical economics.


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Price Determinants

  • Classical economists emphasize production costs, while neoclassical emphasizes consumer perception of value.


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Economic Surplus

  • Economic surplus is the difference between actual production costs and retail price.

  • Influences businesses and government market regulation decisions.


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Critiques of Neo-Classical Theory

  • Fails to consider factors like limited information and emotional decision-making.


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Keynesian Economics (1930s - Present)

  • Key Contributor: John Maynard Keynes.


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Overview of Keynesian Economics

  • Focuses on total spending in the economy and its effects on output, employment, and inflation.


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Spending Fluctuations

  • Suggests that rigid prices result in changes in output due to fluctuations in consumption, investment, or government spending.


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Importance of Government Interventions

  • Argues for government intervention to stabilize economies during recessions.

  • Aggregate demand is crucial for economic growth.


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Fiscal Policies

  • Government spending and taxation can regulate economic cycles, a core idea in Keynesian economics.


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Malthusian Economics

  • Key Contributor: Thomas Malthus.


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Overview of Malthusian Economics

  • Population growth is exponential, while the growth of food supply is linear, leading to resource depletion and possible population decline.


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Key Concepts

  • Population growth may exceed food supply growth, creating crises that reduce living standards.


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Malthusian Theory

  • Key Ideas:

    • Population Growth is Exponential: Grows geometrically.

    • Food Supply Grows Arithmetically: Agricultural production doesn't keep up.


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Malthusian Catastrophe

  • Occurs when population surpasses food production, leading to famine, disease, and war that reduce the population, restoring balance.


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Preventive vs. Positive Checks

  • Preventive Checks: Voluntary measures to control population (e.g., moral restraint, delayed marriage).

  • Positive Checks: Factors that increase death rate (e.g., famine, disease).


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Marxist Economics Theory

  • Key Contributor: Karl Marx.


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Overview of Marxist Economics Theory

  • Based on Karl Marx's critique of capitalism, particularly in works like "Das Kapital" and "The Communist Manifesto."


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Core Principles of Marxian Theory

  • Historical Materialism: Economic systems evolve in stages (e.g., feudalism to socialism).

  • Economic base influences politics, culture, and institutions.


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Labor Theory of Value (LTV)

  • Product value determined by labor amount involved in production.

  • Capitalists exploit workers by paying less than the value they produce.


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Alienation of Labor

  • Workers become disconnected from products, production processes, fellow workers, and their own potential under capitalism.


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Economic Crisis in Capitalism

  • Capitalism instabilities due to overproduction, automation replacing jobs, and increasing inequality.


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Transition to Socialism & Communism

  • Marx predicts capitalism will collapse, leading to a proletariat revolt and a transition to socialism and eventually communism.


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Laissez-Faire Theory

  • Translates to "allow to do," promoting autonomy in economic decision-making.


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Overview of Laissez-Faire Theory

  • Economic philosophy advocating minimal government intervention in markets.


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Core Principles of Laissez-Faire Economics

  • Free Market System: Prices and allocation determined by supply and demand without government restrictions.


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Minimal Government Intervention

  • Intervention limited to protecting property rights, enforcing contracts, and ensuring national defense, opposing tariffs and excessive regulations.


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Self-Regulating Economy

  • Economic growth driven by individual actions for personal interests, guided by "invisible hand" theory.


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Private Property and Competition

  • Property rights incentivize productivity; healthy competition fosters innovation and quality.


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Market Socialism Theory

  • Key Contributors: Karl Marx, Friedrich Engels.


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Overview of Market Socialism

  • Combines communal ownership of production with a market economy framework.


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Economic System Characteristics

  • Blends capitalism and socialism: community ownership alongside market-driven pricing.


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Decentralized Decision-Making

  • Allows for competition within a socialist framework, unlike classic socialism with centralized control.


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Key Features of Market Socialism

  • Public or Collective Ownership: Ownership held by government, employees, or cooperatives, not private individuals.


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Market Mechanisms

  • Prices, wages, and production levels determined by supply and demand rather than central planning.


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Profit Motive with Redistribution

  • Businesses aim for profits but often share earnings with employees or reinvest for social services.


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State Regulation

  • Government plays a role in reducing inequality and ensuring competition by regulating the economy.


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Workers Participation

  • Emphasis on employee self-management, involving workers in decision-making processes.


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Examples of Market Socialism in Practice

  • Yugoslavia (1950s-1980s): Worker self-management in state-owned enterprises.


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Examples of Market Socialism in Practice

  • China’s Socialist Market Economy: Mix of state-owned and private enterprises in a market-driven setup.


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Examples of Market Socialism in Practice

  • Nordic Models: Countries like Sweden and Norway blend market policies with strong social welfare and public ownership in key sectors.


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Monetarism

  • Macro theory focusing on economic stability through monetary supply control.


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Fundamental Tenet of Monetarism

  • Economic growth relies on the total money in circulation within the economy.


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Regulatory Role

  • Strong emphasis on government regulation of money supply for economic stability.


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Milton Friedman

  • Leading advocate for monetarism advocating for steady and predictable money supply increases for stability.


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Inflation Risks of Money Printing

  • Printing more money can lead to inflation, resulting in price increases of goods and services.


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Hyperinflation and Its Impact

  • Excessive money printing can lead to hyperinflation, rapidly decreasing currency value.


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Loss of Purchasing Power

  • Excess currency in circulation reduces currency value, affecting consumer purchasing power.


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Currency Devaluation

  • Risk of losing credibility internationally, raising import costs, and provocation of economic turmoil.


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Importance of Monetary Policy

  • Central banks monitor money supply to balance inflation and economic growth priorities (e.g., BSP).


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Tragedy of the Commons

  • Introduced by Garrett Hardin, it explains the over-exploitation of shared resources.


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Theory's Explanation

  • Individuals with unrestricted access deplete resources out of self-interest.


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Consequences

  • Overuse results in shared resource depletion, harming the long-term interests of all users.


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How It Works

  • Common resources (clean air, water) are overused as individuals seek maximum personal benefit.


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Resulting Depletion

  • Overexploitation leads to degradation of resources, ultimately harming all parties involved.


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Real-World Examples

  • Overfishing: Decreases fish populations affecting all fishermen.

  • Deforestation: Consequences include soil erosion and climate change.

  • Traffic Congestion: Excess vehicles slow transport for everyone.

  • Air Pollution: Caused by industries and vehicles, public health is at risk.


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Possible Solutions

  • Government Regulation: Laws to limit resource use (e.g., fishing quotas).

  • Privatization: Assigns ownership for sustainable resource management.

  • Community Management: Local groups regulate resource usage effectively.

  • Market-Based Solutions: Taxes or fees to discourage overuse (e.g., carbon tax).


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Human Growth Theory

  • New growth theory asserts human desire continually drives productivity and economic growth.


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Economic Growth Drivers

  • Driven by knowledge, innovation, and human capital, rather than physical resources.


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Knowledge as a Resource

  • Unlike physical resources, knowledge is non-depleting (e.g., software can be replicated).


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Innovation and Economic Progress

  • Growth occurs through investments in research and development.


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Importance of Human Capital

  • Education and skills enhance productivity and technological advancements.


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Role of Government and Institutions

  • Supportive policies for education and entrepreneurship drive long-term growth.


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Moral Hazard Theory

  • Describes contracts entered into in bad faith historically observed in various systems.


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Definition of Moral Hazard

  • Occurs when one party assumes excessive risks without bearing full consequences.


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Causes of Moral Hazard

  • Protection from risks leads to careless or reckless actions.


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Risk-Taking Without Consequences

  • Lack of full-cost suffering may lead to greater risks (e.g., reckless driving due to insurance).


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Information Asymmetry

  • Risk-takers often possess more information than the other parties involved.


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Prevalence in Multiple Sectors

  • Seen in banking (risky loans based on guarantees), insurance (excessive doctor visits), and employment (lax worker productivity).


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Conclusion on Economic Theory


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Conclusion on Economic Theory


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Conclusion on Economic Theory


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Conclusion on Economic Theory


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Conclusion on Economic Theory


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Acknowledgement

  • Thank You!

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