What is a Price Bubble? The sustained rise in the price of an asset above its “normal market value” results in the formation of a price bubble. Price bubbles are sustained by expectations of future increases in the price of an asset. Historical Examples of a Price Bubble The market for tulips in the Netherlands…
What is the Paper Economy? The paper economy, or financial economy, refers to the part of the economy that is made up of non-real or financial variables. All transactions and activities in the paper economy take place on paper, i.e., there is no exchange of real goods and services. Consider the following example: Investor A…
What is the Law of Diminishing Marginal Utility? The Law of Diminishing Marginal Utility states that the additional utility gained from an increase in consumption decreases with each subsequent increase in the level of consumption. Marginal Utility is the change in total utility due to a one-unit change in the level of consumption. The Law…
What is Autarky? Autarky is the term used to describe a country or economy that operates independently. Autarky, in its most basic sense, means “self-sufficient,” though it’s almost always used in correlation with a political or economic system, meaning that the entity – whatever it is – can operate and exist free of outside influence,…
What is NAIRU? NAIRU is the acronym for Non-Accelerating Inflation Rate of Unemployment. It is the level of unemployment below which the rate of inflation is expected to rise. It means that, theoretically, the rate of inflation increases when the rate of unemployment goes below the NAIRU level. For example, if the actual unemployment rate…
What are Transaction Costs? Transaction costs are costs incurred that don’t accrue to any participant of the transaction. They are sunk costs resulting from economic trade in a market. In economics, the theory of transaction costs is based on the assumption that people are influenced by competitive self-interest. At the highest level, only markets exist,…
What is Dutch Disease? Dutch disease is a concept that describes an economic phenomenon where the rapid development of one sector of the economy (particularly natural resources) precipitates a decline in other sectors. It is also often characterized by a substantial appreciation of the domestic currency. Dutch disease is a paradoxical situation where good news…
What are Non-Rivalrous Goods? Non-rivalrous goods are public goods that are consumed by people but whose supply is not affected by people’s consumption. In other words, when an individual or a group of individuals use a particular good, the supply left for other people to use remains unchanged. Therefore, non-rivalrous goods can be consumed over…
What are Non-Excludable Goods? Non-excludable goods refer to public goods that cannot exclude a certain person or group of persons from using such goods. As a result, restricting access to the consumption of non-excludable goods is nearly impossible. For example, a public road allows practically everyone to use it regardless of the type of motor…
What are Public Goods? Public goods are goods that are commonly available to all people within a society or community and that possess two specific qualities: they are non-excludable and non-rivalrous. Everyone has access to use them, and their use does not deplete their availability for future use. Non-excludability – Individuals or groups of individuals…
