Though many people are oblivious to it, we use goods and services that are produced around the world everyday of our lives. We receive these goods because those producing them benefit from the trade. In fact, both parties are benefactors in the trade. How can this be? It has to due with absolute and comparative advantages.
Absolute advantage is used when comparing the productivity of one person to another. The person who uses fewer resources to produce a good has an absolute advantage over the other. This person uses fewer inputs to produce some good and therefore is more efficient in producing this good.
There is yet another way in which we can compare the ability of two people who produce a good. Opportunity cost is what must be given up in order to gain something else. When describing the opportunity cost in
It seems logical after reading this chapter to know why and how two individuals can benefit from a trade, but how is it different when it starts involving everyone and not just two individuals? How is a nation supposed to be able to make sure that goods are received by those who need them, and that products are being made by those who should be making them? How can a country monitor all this trading by people of its economy?
a trade between two people the term comparative advantage is used. The person who has the smaller opportunity cost or who needs less goods to produce this item has the comparative advantage in the trade. This is how we can explain a trade where both parties benefit. As long as two people have different opportunity costs no one person can have a comparative advantage for both goods. If your comparative advan
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