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A PRIORI: A presumption made before an analysis is undertaken, often based on experiences, beliefs, or deductions from seemingly self-evident propositions about how the world works. This is a Latin for assumption or axiom. A similar sounding, but opposite term is a posteriori, which is derived from observation or facts. For example, in the study of economics of crime you might assume, a priori, that people are basically "good", because that just seems to be part of human nature, and conclude, a posteriori, that people are more likely to commit crimes when the threat of capture and conviction is lower.
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                           INELASTIC: The general relation between two variables in which relatively large changes in one variable (A) cause relatively small changes in another variable (B). In other words, large changes in variable A cause relatively small changes in variable B or the percentage change in variable B is smaller than the percentage change in variable A. This characterization of elasticity is most important for the price elasticity of demand and the price elasticity of supply. Inelastic is one of two general elasticity relations between two variables. The other is elastic. An inelastic relation between two variables is NOT a very responsive, or stretchable, relation. The inelastic relation is most often directed toward demand and supply in terms of the price elasticity of demand and the price elasticity of supply. In this context, demand or supply is said to be inelastic if the percentage change in quantity is smaller than the percentage change in price. This means that buyers or sellers are not responsive to price changes.However, other relations can also be thought of as inelastic. For example, demand might be inelastic relative to income. In this case, relative large changes in income are needed to trigger relatively small changes in demand. Demand and SupplyConsider the two sides of the market.- Demand: Inelastic demand exists if relatively large changes in price cause relatively small changes in quantity demanded. Inelastic demand means that changes in the quantity demanded are not very responsive to changes in the price. An inelastic demand has a coefficient of elasticity less than one (with the negative value ignored).
- Supply: Inelastic supply exists if relatively large changes in price cause relatively small changes in quantity supplied. Inelastic supply means that changes in the quantity supplied are not very responsive to changes in the price. An inelastic supply also has a coefficient of elasticity less than one.
Perfect and RelativeAn inelastic relation can fall into one of two categories--perfectly inelastic and relatively inelastic.- Perfectly Inelastic: Perfectly inelastic means that quantity demanded or supplied is unaffected by any change in price. In other words, the quantity is essentially fixed. It does not matter how much price changes, quantity does not budge. Perfectly inelastic demand occurs when buyers have no choice in the consumption of a good. In an analogous way, perfectly inelastic supply occurs when producers have no choice of the resources used in the production of a good.
- Relatively Inelastic: Relatively inelastic means that relatively large changes in price cause relatively small changes in quantity. In other words, quantity is not very responsive to price, but it does change. More specifically, the percentage change in quantity is less than the percentage change in price. Relatively inelastic demand occurs when buyers can choose only among a small number of imperfect substitutes-in-consumption. In an analogous way, relatively inelastic supply occurs when producers are able to switch resources among a small number of imperfect substitutes-in-production.
Recommended Citation:INELASTIC, AmosWEB Encyclonomic WEB*pedia, http://www.AmosWEB.com, AmosWEB LLC, 2000-2022. [Accessed: May 21, 2022].
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Today, you are likely to spend a great deal of time at a flea market looking to buy either a T-shirt commemorating Thor Heyerdahl's Pacific crossing aboard the Kon-Tiki or a wall poster commemorating the 2000 Olympics. Be on the lookout for a thesaurus filled with typos.
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John Maynard Keynes was born the same year Karl Marx died.
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"Many people think that if they were only in some other place, or had some other job, they would be happy. Well, that is doubtful. So get as much happiness out of what you are doing as you can and don't put off being happy until some future date. " -- Dale Carnegie
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APR
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