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How People Make Economic Decisions

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How People Make Economic Decisions Paper
ECO/212
How People Make Economic Decisions The economic decision an individual, household, or even a firm makes has a major impact on the economy as a whole. These decisions affect the supply of a good or service, the demand of that good or service and ultimately the price of that good or service. This paper will focus on how individual decision making affects an economy, how understanding the marginal benefits from the marginal cost affects economic decisions, and the three major types of economic systems. The main principle of individual decision making is utility. Utility is the enjoyment or satisfaction people receive from consuming goods and services. Another important factor …show more content…

3-31). A key factor in economics such as scarcity, which is defined as a situation in which unlimited wants exceed the limited resources available to fulfill those wants, effects how much money an individual will spend or how many goods a country can produce. Since the majority of people have a limited income, their decision to buy what they want and need is limited due to budget constraints. Because resources are limited, a country must decide what goods it can produce to help progress the economy as a whole. The country has to determine the opportunity cost of that activity of producing that good or service. Opportunity cost is the “highest-valued alternative that must be given up to engage in an activity” (Hubbard & O’Brien, 2010, pp. 3-31). The three major economic systems are centrally planned economy, market economy and mixed economy. Centrally planned economy is an economy in which the government decides on how resources will be used. Market economy is an economy in which individuals, households, and firms participating and interacting in markets determine how economic resources are used. Mixed economy is “primarily a market economy because most economic decisions are a result of the interaction of buyers and seller in markets. However, the government plays a significant role in the allocation of resources” (Hubbard & O'Brien, 2010, pp. 3-31). By understanding that economics is a group of

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