曼昆经济学2像经济学家一样思考(英文版).ppt

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * …Continued from previous slide. * * * * THINKING LIKE AN ECONOMIST * The PPF: A Summary The PPF shows all combinations of two goods that an economy can possibly produce, given its resources and technology. （给定技术、资源，最大化生产两种产品的全部可能组合） The PPF illustrates the concepts of tradeoff （权衡取舍）and opportunity cost（机会成本）, efficiency （效率）and inefficiency （非效率）, unemployment（失业）, and economic growth（经济增长）. A bow-shaped PPF illustrates the concept of increasing opportunity cost. （递增的机会成本） THINKING LIKE AN ECONOMIST * Microeconomics and Macroeconomics微观经济学 和 宏观经济学 Microeconomics is the study of how households and firms make decisions and how they interact in markets. （微观经济学研究家庭和企业如何做决策，以及他们在市场中如何相互作用） Macroeconomics is the study of economy-wide phenomena, including inflation, unemployment, and economic growth. （宏观经济学研究经济总体现象，包括通胀、失业、经济增长问题等等） These two branches of economics are closely intertwined （紧密联系）, yet distinct （有区别） – they address different questions. The Economist as Policy Advisor作为政策顾问的经济学家 As scientists, economists make positive statements（实证表述）, which attempt to describe the world as it is. 实证表述指的是解释经济现象，这是经济学家作为科学家的一种角色 As policy advisors, economists make normative statements, 规范表述which attempt to prescribe how the world should be. 规范表述试图描述世界应该是什么样的观点。 Positive statements can be confirmed or refuted, normative statements cannot. （实证表述可以被证实或否定，规范表述则不能） Govt employs many economists for policy advice. E.g., the U.S. President has a Council of Economic Advisors, which the author of this textbook chaired from 2003 to 2005. * A C T I V E L E A R N I N G 3 Identifying positive vs. normative * Which of these statements are “positive” (实证) and which are “normative” （规范）? How can you tell the difference? a. Prices rise when the government increases the quantity of money. （政府增加货币数量，价格会上涨） b. The government should print less money. （政府应该少发货币） c. A tax cut （减税）is needed to stimulate the eco