Unit 8: Introduction to Economics

Class Starter

• See Ms. Leslie for Political Cartoon Analysis

The Basics of Economics

I. What is Economics?

• The study of how we make decisions in a world where resources are limited

• We have many needs and wants, but we have to make decisions because of scarcity

II. Economic Decision Making

• Because of scarcity, every government, business, and individual has to answer 3 questions:

1. What to produce?2. How to produce?3. For whom to produce?

III. Economic Models

• To help us make economic decisions, we will use economic models– Ex. Charts, graphs

1. Which amendment gave those age 18 and older the right to vote?

2. Which clause of the Constitution allows the Supreme Court to declare a state law unconstitutional?

3. Explain recall.4. Which government official is not directly

elected by citizens?

• Old Benchmark Exam!

Class Starter

1. Which group (Federalist/Anti-Federalist) supported a strong central government?

2. What is a referendum?3. List 2 checks that the Senate has over the

President.4. How are votes in the Electoral College

allotted for each state?

Class Starter

1. What is the purpose of providing charter schools?

2. Which level of government determines how a piece of land can be used?

3. Which amendment requires that states provide all the rights listed in the Bill of Rights to all of their citizens?

4. What is recidivism?

Types of Cost

I. Economic Decision-Making

• Every decision made has some type of cost or consequence

II. Choices

• Trade-off: the alternative you face if you decide to do one thing rather than another

• Ex. You can go to the movies or study for your economics test

• Opportunity Cost: the cost of the next best alternative use of time and money when choosing to do one thing rather than another

• Go to the movies—do poorly on your test, fail the EOC• Study for the test—miss the fun with

your friends

III. Other Types of Cost

• Fixed costs: Expenses that are the same no matter how much or how little you produce• Ex. Mortgage payments, property taxes

• Variable costs: Expenses that change when the # of items produced changes• Ex. Salaries, materials, light bills

• Total Costs: fixed costs and variable costs added together• Fixed + Variable = Total

Class Starter

1. Who is responsible for paying the cost of incarcerating criminals?

2. Which set of laws simplified Roman Laws?3. List some examples of civic duties.4. Which amendment contains the Equal

Protection Clause?

Factors of Production

I. Producing Goods and Services

• We produce goods and services for people to buy– Goods: tangible products that we use to satisfy

our wants and needs– Services: work performed by a person for

someone else• Gross Domestic Product (GDP): the total $

value of all final goods and services produced in a country during a single year

II. Factors of Production

• Resources necessary to produce goods and services

• Land, labor, capital, entrepreneurship

• Land (natural resources): things we find in nature that make production possible

– Ex. Trees, animals, water, air

• Labor: human effort directed toward producing goods and services

– Ex. Doctors, lawyers, teachers, plumbers, cashiers

• Capital: previously manufactured goods used to make other goods and services

– Ex. Sewing machines, projectors, pens, hammers, $

• Entrepreneurship: the ability to start a new business

– Entrepreneur—someone who starts a business; person has to be innovative and willing to take risks to make the profit