International trade.
Your son is graduating from high school and is about to enter the work force. He has developed a strong curiosity about our economic system and how it works. Because you have a good understanding of basic economics, he has asked you to explain several concepts that are essential to an understanding of how the economy works. Your son has asked you to explain the following concepts and ideas:
Absolute and comparative advantage: Explain how these concepts describe the benefits and costs of international trade.
“Invisible hand”: What is it and how does it affect the decision-making process in our economic system?
Circular flow diagram: Include the government sector in your explanation, a description of the roles that each participant plays in the economy, and how the different sectors interact in the markets.
The Production Possibilities model: Provide an example and include a summary of what the model is illustrating and the economic implications for the economy.
Microeconomics and macroeconomics: Explain the differences between the two and why economics is divided into these two subdivisions.
Sample Answer
Absolute and Comparative Advantage
Absolute advantage is the ability to produce a good or service at a lower cost than another producer. Comparative advantage is the ability to produce a good or service at a lower opportunity cost than another producer.
The benefits of international trade come from specialization and comparative advantage. When countries specialize in producing the goods and services that they have a comparative advantage in, they can produce more of those goods and services with the same amount of resources. This leads to lower prices for consumers and higher profits for producers.
The costs of international trade come from the loss of jobs in industries that are no longer competitive. However, the benefits of trade typically outweigh the costs.
Invisible Hand
The invisible hand is a metaphor for the unintended consequences of individual actions in a market economy. Adam Smith, the Scottish economist who first described the invisible hand, argued that individuals who are motivated by self-interest will often produce the goods and services that society needs.