Economics

Economics is a social science concerned with the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. It's comprised of broader macroeconomics and consumer-centric microeconomics.

Frequently Asked Questions
  • Why is economics important?

    As a field of study, economics allows us to better understand economic systems and the human decision making behind them. Due to the existence of resource scarcity, economics is important because it deals with the study of how societies use/distribute scarce resources and how these processes can be accomplished more efficiently. For some economists, the ultimate goal of economic science is to improve the quality of life for people in their everyday lives, as better economic conditions means greater access to necessities like food, housing, and safe drinking water.

  • Who is the father of economics?

    The 18th-century Scottish philosopher and economist Adam Smith is widely considered to be the father of contemporary economics. Smith’s book, An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations, is often cited as both his most notable contribution to the field of economics and one of the most influential books ever written. Some of his most famous ideas include the concept of gross domestic product (GDP) and the “invisible hand” behind the free market economy.

  • What are macroeconomics and microeconomics?

    Macroeconomics and microeconomics are the two primary branches of economics. Macroeconomics focuses on the big picture side of economics, specifically the decisions made by countries and governments that affect an economy as a whole. Microeconomics, meanwhile, is the study of smaller scale decisions made by people and businesses that affect individual markets. Despite their differences, both branches are interdependent of each other and share many overlapping issues.

  • What are the four basic concepts of economics?

    There are four economics concepts that are key to understanding economic decision making: scarcity, supply and demand, incentives, and costs and benefits. Scarcity refers to the fact that valued resources are limited in quantity. Supply and demand, meanwhile, is the relationship between the price of a good or service and the consumer interest in purchasing it, which, for example, can incentivize producers to increase the supply of goods when demand rises and consumers to limit their consumption of certain goods when supplies are scarce. Lastly, cost and benefit is the dynamic between how much a good or service costs to produce/purchase versus the benefit acquired from doing so.

Key Terms

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‘Silver Tsunami’: Challenges & Opportunities of an Aging Population
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Food Insecurity: What It Is and How It Impacts the Economy
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Food Insecurity and Its Impact on the Economy
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Generative AI and Its Economic Impact: What You Need to Know
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Historical U.S. Unemployment Rate by Year
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Dotcom Bubble Definition
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U.S. Inflation Rate by Year: 1929 to 2024
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Bullwhip Effect: Meaning, Example, Impact
John Locke
Who Was John Locke?
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Economic Sociology Definition
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Demand Destruction: Meaning, Overview and FAQs
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Efficiency Wages Definition, Theory, Why They Are Paid
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Performativity: What It Is, How It Works, Evidence
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The Great Gatsby Curve: What it Means, How it Works, Implications
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Are We Headed For A Hyperinflation?
Positive Economics History, Theory, Pros and Cons, Example
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The 7 Best Economics Books of 2024
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Generation Z (Gen Z): Definition, Birth Years, and Demographics
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What Is Money? Definition, History, Types, and Creation
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Cost-Push Inflation vs. Demand-Pull Inflation: What's the Difference?
Trade Deficit: Advantages and Disadvantages
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What Does the Law of Diminishing Marginal Utility Explain?
Understanding the Difference Between Moral Hazard and Adverse Selection
Cropped photo of a balance sheet containing numbers with some circled by a pen being held by someone
Current Account Balance Definition: Formula, Components, and Uses
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What Is the Balance of Payments (BOP)?
What Is the Quantity Theory of Money: Definition and Formula
Adverse Selection: When sellers have information that buyers do not have, or vice versa, about some aspect of product quality.
Adverse Selection: Definition, How It Works, and The Lemons Problem
Business Cycle
Business Cycle: What It Is, How to Measure It, the 4 Phases
Capital Definition
Capital: Definition, How It's Used, Structure, and Types in Business
CPI
Consumer Price Index (CPI): What It Is and How It's Used
Summer Night at Capitol Hill - A dusk view of west-side of the U.S. Capitol Building, as a small crowd gathering around a summer concert at front, Washington, D.C., USA.
What Are Deficits? Definition, Types, Risks, and Benefits
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What Is an Economist? Definition, Role, Duties, and Influence
Export: Goods and services that are produced in one country and sold to buyers in another.
What Are Exports? Definition, Benefits, and Examples
Free Market Definition & Impact on the Economy
Gross Domestic Product (GDP) Definition
Gross Domestic Product (GDP) Formula and How to Use It
Keynesian Economics
Keynesian Economics Theory: Definition and How It's Used
The Law of Supply
The Law of Supply Explained, With the Curve, Types, and Examples
Law of Supply and Demand Definition
Law of Supply and Demand in Economics: How It Works
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What Is Market Power (Pricing Power)? Definition and Examples
Market
Market: What It Means in Economics, Types, and Common Features
Medium of Exchange: Definition, How It Works, and Example
Milton Friedman
Who Was Milton Friedman and What Is Monetarism?
Mixed Economic System Definition
Mixed Economic System: Characteristics, Examples, Pros & Cons
Monopolistic Market
Monopolistic Competition: Definition, How it Works, Pros and Cons
Multiplier: What It Means in Finance and Economics
Natural Unemployment Rate: The minimum unemployment rate resulting from real or voluntary economic forces.
What Is the Natural Unemployment Rate?
Net Exports: The value of a nation's total exports minus the value of its total imports.
Net Exports: Definition, Examples, Formula, and Calculation
Physical Capital: Overview, Types and Examples
Price-Taker: Definition, Perfect Competition, and Examples
Quota
What Is a Quota?
Real Gross Domestic Product
Real Gross Domestic Product (Real GDP): How to Calculate It, vs. Nominal
Standard of Living
Standard of Living Definition, How to Measure, Example
Adam Smith
Adam Smith: Who He Was, Early Life, Accomplishments and Legacy
Normative Economics: A perspective on economics that reflects normative, or ideologically prescriptive judgments toward economic development, investment projects, statements, and scenarios.
Normative Economics: Definition, Characteristics, and Examples
Economies of Scale or Economics of Scale
Microeconomics vs. Macroeconomics: What’s the Difference?
Bureaucracy
What Is a Bureaucracy and How It Works, With Examples
Part of the production line at Ford's Highland Park factory, Detroit, Michigan, USA, c1914.
Creative Destruction: Out With the Old, in With the New
A screenshot of DoctorOnDemand.com.
Derived Demand: Definition, How It's Calculated, and Uses
Dumping
Dumping: Price Discrimination in Trade, Attitudes and Examples
Businesswoman Analyzing Investment Charts With Laptop
Externality: What It Means in Economics, With Positive and Negative Examples
Page Sources
Investopedia requires writers to use primary sources to support their work. These include white papers, government data, original reporting, and interviews with industry experts. We also reference original research from other reputable publishers where appropriate. You can learn more about the standards we follow in producing accurate, unbiased content in our editorial policy.
  1. Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco. "Why Do We Need Economists and the Study of Economics?" https://www.frbsf.org/education/publications/doctor-econ/2000/july/economics-economists/

  2. Adam Smith Institute. "About Adam Smith." https://www.adamsmith.org/about-adam-smith

  3. OECD. "Gross Domestic Product (GDP)." https://data.oecd.org/gdp/gross-domestic-product-gdp.htm

  4. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. "Consumer Price Index." https://www.bls.gov/cpi/