Microeconomics Made Simple

Book excerpt: Find all of the following topics, explained in plain-English: Introduction: What is Economics? Not a Perfect Model Microeconomics vs. Macroeconomics 1. Maximizing Utility Decreasing Marginal Utility Opportunity Costs 2. Evaluating Production Possibilities Production Possibilities Frontiers Absolute and Comparative Advantage 3. Demand Determinants of Demand Elasticity of Demand Change in Demand vs. Change in Quantity Demanded 4. Supply Determinants of Supply Elasticity of Supply Change in Supply vs. Change in Quantity Supplied 5. Market Equilibrium How Market Equilibrium is Reached The Effect of Changes in Supply and Demand 6. Government Intervention Price Ceilings and Price Floors Taxes and Subsidies 7. Costs of Production Marginal Cost of Production Fixed vs. Variable Costs Short Run vs. Long Run Sunk Costs Economic Costs vs. Accounting Costs 8. Perfect Competition Firms Are Price Takers Making Decisions at the Margin Consumer and Producer Surplus 9. Monopoly Market Power Deadweight Loss with a Monopoly Monopolies and Government 10. Oligopoly Collusion Cheating the Cartel Government Intervention in Oligopolies 11. Monopolistic Competition Competing via Product Differentiation Loss of Surplus with Monopolistic Competition Conclusion: The Insights and Limitations of Economics