Introductory Economics

Book excerpt: Introductory Economics deals with the national economy as a whole—macroeconomics, in terms of inflation and unemployment. The book also discusses individual economic decision-makers—microeconomics, in view of the problems of scarcity and choice. Macroeconomics uses the market model of demand and supply as a tool to analyze the causes of, and present some cures for modern economic ailments. The text examines the economics of government fiscal policies with the framework of an aggregate demand and supply model. The book compares monetary policy and fiscal policy, explains the monetarist model of economic activity, and also investigates the roles of money, credit, interest rates. These economic activities have international consequences such as in trade, exchange rates, and on prevailing and future national economic policies. In microeconomics, the book focuses on the economics of exchange, the market mechanisms that increase the gains from trade, and the problems of choice facing consumers and producers in a competitive market. The text also tackles the problems found in resource markets (labor, natural resources, energy), in market failure, as well as analyzes the role of government. Economists, sociologists, students of economics or business, general readers interested in real-world economics, and policy makers involved in national economic development will find the book valuable.