|
RIVAL CONSUMPTION: Consumption of a good by one person imposes a cost on, or prevents consumption of the good by, another person. Some goods, like food, have extremely rival consumption. One person, and only one person, gets the benefit. Other goods, like national defense, have no consumption rivalry, everyone can benefit simultaneously without imposing a cost on others. This is one of the two key characteristics of a good (the other is excludability) that distinguishes between common-property goods, near-public goods, private goods, and public goods.
Visit the GLOSS*arama
|
|
|
|
Lesson 3: Scarcity | Unit 3: Opportunity Cost
|
Page: 9 of 17
|
With limited resources and unlimited wants and needs, a lot of opportunities are forgone, a lot of alternatives can't be pursued. This is the idea of opportunity cost. A definition: - Opportunity cost is the highest valued alternative foregone in the pursuit of an activity.
Three points related to this definition:- Foregone Alternative: Opportunity cost means NOT doing something else, not producing another good. Using resources to satisfy one want or need means they can't be used to satisfy another.
- Highest Valued: Opportunity cost is all about giving up the best alternative possible, the most satisfying. Any activity has many alternatives. Opportunity cost is not all of these alternatives, only the most preferred, the highest valued.
- Pursuit of an Activity: Using resources to produce goods that are consumed to satisfy wants and needs. The key economic activities foregone are production and consumption.
|
|
|
|
|
|
PRIVATE SECTOR The combination of households and businesses into a single group. It is termed the private sector to indicate that decisions are made by private individuals (either consumers or producers) in pursuit of their personal self-interests. The contrasting phrase is public sector, in which decisions are made by governments on behalf of the public.
Complete Entry | Visit the WEB*pedia |
|
|
It's estimated that the U.S. economy has about $20 million of counterfeit currency in circulation, less than 0.001 perecent of the total legal currency.
|
|
"We succeed in enterprises (that) demand the positive qualities we possess, but we excel in those (that) can also make use of our defects." -- Alexis de Tocqueville, Statesman
|
|
ITO International Trade Organization
|
|
Tell us what you think about AmosWEB. Like what you see? Have suggestions for improvements? Let us know. Click the User Feedback link.
User Feedback
|
|