economics (2024)

There are several different branches of economics. The study of individual consumers and businesses is called microeconomics. The study of how a whole country’s economy works is called macroeconomics.

Microeconomics

Economists who study microeconomics look at how consumers spend their money. They try to explain why consumers buy one product rather than another. They also look at why companies choose to produce one good or service rather than another.

The amount consumers want to buy is called demand. The amount companies produce is called supply. Price strongly affects supply and demand. If a manufacturer charges a high price for a product, usually it will sell few products. If it reduces the price, usually it will sell more products. A manufacturer aims to find the price that will result in the highest total profit.

Macroeconomics

Economists who study macroeconomics look at the value of all the goods and services that a country produces. In this way, they measure a whole country’s wealth. They also study economic growth, or how a nation’s wealth becomes larger.

Governments are interested in macroeconomics, too. A government plays an important role in its country’s economy. When a government decides which goods and services should be produced and sold, the economy is said to be planned. Countries with socialist or Communist governments usually have planned economies. In these countries, the government owns the means of production—capital and land.

By contrast, when a government lets companies and consumers decide what will be produced, the economy is called a free market. Countries with capitalist governments have free-market economies. But even capitalist governments affect the economy. They do this by raising or lowering taxes and changing the amount banks can charge for loans. These actions cause people to have more or less money to spend on goods and services.

economics (2024)

FAQs

Economics? ›

Economics is the study of scarcity and its implications for the use of resources, production of goods and services, growth of production and welfare over time, and a great variety of other complex issues of vital concern to society.

What is a simple definition of economics? ›

Economics can be defined in a few different ways. It's the study of scarcity, the study of how people use resources and respond to incentives, or the study of decision-making. It often involves topics like wealth and finance, but it's not all about money.

What is the study of economics? ›

Economics is concerned with the creation, consumption, and transfer of wealth. The study of economics encompasses the major areas of microeconomics, which explores how people and firms produce and consume goods and services, and macroeconomics, which explores mass economic progress and inter-country trade.

Is economics very hard? ›

It is no secret that a master's degree in economics is one of the most difficult and competitive degrees to pursue. According to a recent study, only 27% of students who take the entrance exams for masters in economics are accepted into premier colleges. This low acceptance rate is due to a number of factors.

What is economics in basic terms? ›

Economics is the study of how things are made, moved around, and used. It looks at how people, businesses, governments, and countries choose to use their resources. Economics is the study of how people act, based on the idea that people act rationally and try to get the most value or benefit.

How to explain economy to a kid? ›

The economy is the way a certain place (often a country) makes things, offers services, and divides stuff up between people, usually using money.

How to explain economics to a kid? ›

Economics is the study of the economy, or the part of a society that creates wealth. Wealth is not just money. Wealth comes from the production of goods and services, which people buy with money.

What do economists do? ›

Economists typically do the following: Research economic issues related to education, the labor force, international trade, and other topics. Conduct surveys and collect data. Analyze data using mathematical models, statistical tools, and other software.

What is an example of economics? ›

A more well-known example of economics is supply and demand. Let's say raspberries are in season, so there's a higher supply. A seller will decrease the price of their raspberries to help sell them before they go bad.

What is the main focus of economics? ›

Economics is a social science that focuses on the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The study of economics is primarily concerned with analyzing the choices that individuals, businesses, governments, and nations make to allocate limited resources.

Is economics a lot of math? ›

Fact is, at the undergraduate level at many colleges and universities, economics is not a very math-intensive course of study. There are many diagrams in economics, but there is not a large amount of math. A proviso: The amount of math in the economics curriculum varies across colleges and universities.

Is economics a good career? ›

Yes – a career in economics offers a wide range of opportunities across sectors like finance, consulting, government, academia, and research. It's a field that develops your analytical and problem-solving skills, equipping you to significantly influence economic outcomes and contribute to societal welfare.

Is an economics degree worth it? ›

If you're an undergraduate student, economics is a good major, although STEM subjects like engineering do lead to better earnings. An economics degree offers a solid return on your educational investment – compared to both business-adjacent degrees and those in the humanities.

Is economics an art or science? ›

Economics is generally regarded as a social science, although some critics of the field argue that it falls short of the definition of a science for a number of reasons, including a lack of testable hypotheses, lack of consensus, and inherent political overtones.

What is G in economics? ›

G = total government expenditures, including salaries of government employees, road construction/repair, public schools, and military expenditure. I = sum of a country's investments spent on capital equipment, inventories, and housing. NX = net exports or a country's total exports less total imports.

Does economy mean money? ›

We can also define "economy" as how a nation produces goods and services and consumes them, therefore, the "economy" meaning refers to how well the consumption and production occur as well as the quality of the goods and services. An economy shows how a region makes and spends its money.

Is it easy to study economics? ›

A college-level economics class can be challenging because you need to grasp new concepts like supply and demand, scarcity, diminishing returns, and opportunity costs. It requires you learn new vocabulary and to use critical thinking skills. But those theories, concepts, and terms build upon one another.

What do you need to study for economics? ›

The core modules for specialisation in economics are economics and statistics, although mathematics is also an important component.

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