“The best things in life are free. . . ” Free goods provide a special challenge for economic analysis Most goods in our economy are allocated in markets… …for these goods, prices are the signals that guide the decisions of buyers and sellers
Ten Principles of Economics Thinking Like an Economist Interdependence and the Gains from Trade The Market Forces of Supply and Demand Elasticity and Its Application Supply, Demand and Government Policies Consumers, Producers, and the Efficiency of Markets Application: The Costs of Taxation Application: International Trade Externalities Public Goods and Common Resources The Costs of Production Firms in Competitive Markets Monopoly Oligopoly Monopolistic Competition The Economics of Labor Markets