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economics, social science that seeks to analyze and describe the production, distribution, and consumption of wealth.
economic growth, the process by which a nation’s wealth increases over time. Although the term is often used in discussions of short-term economic performance, in the context of economic theory it generally refers to an increase in wealth over an extended period.
macroeconomics, study of the behaviour of a national or regional economy as a whole. It is concerned with understanding economy-wide events such as the total amount of goods and services produced, the level of unemployment, and the general behaviour of prices.
Economic system, any of the ways in which humankind has arranged for its material provisioning. Three basic types of economic system have arisen: that based on the principle of tradition, that based on central planning and command, and that based on the market.
Consumption, in economics, the use of goods and services by households. Neoclassical (mainstream) economists generally consider consumption to be the final purpose of economic activity, and thus the level of consumption per person is viewed as a central measure of an economy’s productive success.
economic system, Set of principles and techniques by which a society decides and organizes the ownership and allocation of economic resources. At one extreme, usually called a free-enterprise system, all resources are privately owned.
Over the years, economists have considered four theories to define and explain inflation: The quantity theory of money (preferred by Milton Friedman and the “Chicago School”), the demand-pull (“Keynesian”) theory, the cost-push theory, and the structural theory.
Depression, in economics, a major downturn in the business cycle characterized by sharp and sustained declines in economic activity; high rates of unemployment, poverty, and homelessness; massive declines in stock markets, and great reductions in international trade and capital movements.
capitalism, or free-market economy or free-enterprise system, Economic system in which most of the means of production are privately owned, and production is guided and income distributed largely through the operation of markets. Capitalism has been dominant in the Western world since the end of mercantilism.
But these unique assets carry unique risks, so the wise investor will proceed with caution. Commodities are the raw materials that feed and power the global economy—crude oil, soybeans, gold, and more. Commodities are also an actively traded class of investments that many investors have in their portfolios.