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  1. The objective of this question is to help you understand how the critical
    ecosystem services are impacted by economic activity and some things we
    can do to solve those problems.
    To a great extent, Economics is about connecting the dots
    (finding relationships between seemingly unrelated things).
    For now, Earth is the only place we can live. Our ability
    to live on this planet is supported by the many
    Ecosystems active on the planet. Our behavior disrupts
    those Ecosystems and all the Ecosystem Services.
    Those disrupted Ecosystem Services in turn have
    impacts on the people and economies of the global
    north and global south. It is very important that you
    develop a good understanding of the interaction of our
    behavior and the environmental and economic
    consequences of that behavior. This question is part of
    the topic called Intro to some key concepts of
    Economics.
    • Pick 5 Ecosystem Services from the list in slide 13 of the
    topic called Intro to some key concepts of Economics.
    • For each of your 5 ecosystem services, please explain
    how each is supposed to work. This is key to
    answering the entire question, so please focus on this.
    Google can help with this!
    • For each of your 5 ecosystem services, please
    thoroughly explain at least one human behavior that
    has disrupted of the operation of the service. Please
    be thorough.
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    • For each of your 5 Ecosystem Services, explain how
    the disruptions to the Ecosystem Service impact the
    two different parts of the world (the global north nations
    and global south nations). More specifically, explain
    how the lives of the people and the national
    economies are impacted.
    • For each of your 5 ecosystem services, thoroughly
    explain 3 things that we should start doing right now to
    repair or at least stop the damage to the 5 Ecosystem
    Services you selected. Be sure you explain how each
    of your recommendations would actually lead to
    solution of the problem. Remember, you need 3
    recommendations for each of your ecosystem
    services.
  2. The objective of this question is to help you:
    • understand the real issues of scarcity of resources and the choices we must make.
    • Understand the issues of rational behavior as it applies to a real life problem.
    • Understand utility concepts as they are applied to the Keystone Pipeline Project.
    • Understand some of the basics of the theory of consumer behavior.
    • Understand the concepts of marginal analysis as applied to the Keystone Pipeline
    project.
    Planet Earth is our only home for the time being. As global
    populations grow and our resources dwindle, we should
    worry more about the issues of SCARCITY AND CHOICE. All
    parts of this question are part of the topic called Intro to
    some key concepts of Economics.
    i. There are 17 Rare Earth Elements. Pick any 5 of
    them, and for EACH of the 5, explain in detail why
    they are so critical to us. Use Google to look the
    up.
    Include in your answer:
    a. what it used for,
    b. why are those resources so critical?
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    c. Where in the world the resource is
    located.
    d. And approximately how much is left.
    e. For EACH of the 5, please explain 3
    things we need to start doing today
    to avoid running out of that
    resource. It is very important that
    you provide thorough and complete
    explanations here.
    • The theory of rational behavior says that we humans
    act in our own self-interest. Given our actual behavior
    and the decisions we have made and are continuing
    to make relative to the planet, please:
    i. What does over-pumping of aquifers really
    mean? Use Google to gather info.
    ii. Is continued over-pumping of aquifers around the
    world in our best interest? If yes, explain why. If
    no, explain why not. Please provide thorough
    explanations.
    iii. Explain how the continued over-pumping of
    aquifers in America, China, and India, could
    impact our ability to survive on the planet. This
    will require that you find out what things these 3
    nations have in common that are related to
    aquifers. Connect the dots and explain how our
    ability to survive on the planet could be
    impacted by continued over pumping of
    aquifers. Please provide plenty of detail here.
    Google can help!
    iv. Explain in detail 3 things we can do to stop the
    over-pumping problem. In your explanation,
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    please talk about how your suggestion would
    actually lead to solution of the problem. Hint:
    Focus on the top uses of water in the world.
    • Utility Concepts:
    • Explain the 3 concepts: Utility, Marginal Utility, and
    Diminishing Marginal Utility. this material is provided in
    the slides and audio lecture.
    i. Provide explanation of 2 examples of EACH of
    those 3 concepts as they might be applied to the
    Keystone XL Pipeline project.
    • The Theory of Consumer Behavior: this material is
    provided in the slides and audio lecture.
    i. Explain EACH of the key assumptions of the
    Theory of Consumer Behavior and what the
    theory tells us. Read the slide and listen to the
    audio lecture.
    ii. Does the theory of consumer behavior reflect
    reality? If yes, then why. If no, the why not.
    • Marginal analysis is a decision-making tool. This
    material is provided in the slides and audio lecture.
    i. Please define Marginal Cost
    ii. Please define Marginal Benefit,
    iii. Explain the following 3 cases in terms of what you
    should do regarding the activity involved. Should
    we do more of the activity, less of the activity, or
    keep doing the same? Explain why in each case.
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  3. MB>MC
  4. MC>MB
  5. MC=MB
    iv. Explain 3 examples of MC related to the Keystone
    XL Pipeline question.
    v. Explain 3 examples of MB related to the Keystone
    XL Pipeline question.
  6. The objective of this question is to help you understand and apply the various concepts
    related to the Production Possibility Model.
    The Production Possibilities Model is one of the first Economic
    Models students learn about. Please refer to the material
    covered in the topic called The Economizing Problem.
    • Please explain what the model teaches us.
    • Please explain each of the 4 assumptions of the
    model.
    • Please explain Productive Efficiency and how it relates
    to the ppc.
    • Please explain Allocative Efficiency and provide a
    thorough explanation of the 2-step process for finding
    the point of allocative efficiency on the PPC.
    • On the topic of Economic growth: need to see some
    detail here.
    i. What does it mean?
    ii. How can it be graphically represented?
    iii. What are the prerequisites to Economic growth?
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    iv. GDP growth rates for the past 60 years show a
    steady downward trend. Explain why you should
    care about that.
    v. Why is Economic growth good for you and your
    country?
    vi. Why is Economic growth bad for you and your
    country?
    vii. Please provide thorough explanation of 3 factors
    that would tend to limit economic growth. Be
    sure you explain how those factors would
    actually cause economic growth to be limited.
    • The Presentville – Futureville case:
  7. Explain what motivated each group to
    make the decisions they made.
  8. Explain the impact of those decisions on the
    future of each group.
  9. Which group is most like America, and why?
  10. What does this story teach you?
    • Law of increasing opportunity cost:
  11. Explain it.
  12. What does it teach us?
  13. How could it be explained graphically?
    • Explain how you could use the Production Possibility
    Model to represent the US Economy during the Corona
    Virus pandemic.
  14. The objective of this question is to help you begin to understand the basic elements of the
    economy and how they interact.
    The Circular Flow Model with Government is another
    important model for students to understand. Please use the
    material covered in the topic called The Economizing
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    Problem. For info on the Government sector use the material
    covered in the topic called The US Economy – Private and
    Public Sectors.
    • Please explain what the model shows us.
    • List and explain at least 3 of the characteristics of each
    component – be very thorough and provide plenty of
    detail!
    • Thoroughly explain how each component of the
    model interacts with the other components – be very
    thorough – this requires lots of detail! Explain how all of
    the sectors and markets interact with each other. You
    can do this as part of your answer to part ( b) if you like but
    understand that this will require significant detail!
  15. The objective of this question is to help you learn how to ask hard questions of an economic
    system to determine what’s good and what’s bad about it.
    Every country has its own unique type of Economic System.
    Ours is called Capitalism. Please consult the material
    covered in the topic called The Market System. Google
    may also be of help here.
    • Please list and explain 5 “good” things Capitalism has
    produced for us over the years. Make sure you provide
    thorough explanations of why you believe these are
    “good” things.
    This is harder than it looks! Think carefully and be
    objective. Nothing is 100% good or bad, so you
    will need to be very thorough in your
    explanations. Don’t talk about pros and cons.
    Focus only on good things that capitalism has
    produced.
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    • Please list and explain 5 “bad” things Capitalism has
    produced for us over the years. Make sure you provide
    thorough explanations of why you believe these are
    “bad”.
    • Capitalist Economic Systems typically require a steady
    flow of resources and expanding markets. Please
    explain in detail what would happen to our capitalist
    system when these two conditions are absent and
    explain why those we would expect to see those
    results.
  16. The objective of this question is to help you develop a good understanding of how our
    capitalist system answers the 4 fundamental questions.
    The discussion of the Market System we talked about the
    characteristics of the Market system and 4 Fundamental
    Questions that every economic system must answer. Please
    use the material covered in the topic called The Market
    System
    • List and thoroughly and completely explain those 4
    fundamental questions and how they are answered.
    All the necessary information is provided in the slides and the
    audio lectures. Be sure you provide thorough and complete
    explanations throughout.
    i. What will be produced? (include explanation of
    all the concepts presented under this topic)
    .
    ii. How will the goods and services be produced?
  17. Why must firms try to employ the most
    economically efficient production
    techniques?
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  18. For each of the following issues, please
    explain in detail, why they are important to
    a firm and how a firm might address each
    one (need to see the detail here):
    a. Optimal plant location
    b. Resource Prices
    c. Resource Productivity
    d. Transportation Costs
    • Who will get the goods and services?
    • How will the system accommodate change? Be
    thorough! read the slides and listen to the lecture, then
    start writing.
    • Characteristics of the Market system.
    i. Select any 5 of the characteristics of the Market
    system that we covered, and explain each of
    them. Be thorough!
    ii. Explain how each characteristic you selected
    impacts the 1% versus the 99%.
  19. The objective of this question is to help you develop a good understanding of demand,
    supply, and market clearing equilibrium.
    Demand, Supply, Market Equilibrium. Please use the
    material covered in the topic called Supply and Demand.
    • Demand:
    i. Please Thoroughly and completely define
    demand.
    ii. Please state the law of demand.
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    iii. List and thoroughly explain the 3 factors that
    support the law of demand. Be sure you explain
    how each actually supports the law of demand.
  20. Don’t just copy from the slides, explain what
    they actually mean and how they support
    the law of demand.
    iv. List and explain the determinants of demand and
    how each can cause an increase in demand and
    a decrease in demand.
  21. List and explain each of the 5 determinants
    and how they impact demand.
    v. Thoroughly and completely explain the
    differences between a change in demand and a
    change in quantity demanded along with the
    causes of those changes, and how each change
    is graphically represented.
    • Supply .
    i. Define supply.
    ii. State the law of supply.
    iii. List and explain the determinants of supply and
    how each can cause an increase in supply and
    a decrease in supply.
    iv. Thoroughly and completely explain the
    differences between a change in supply and a
    change in quantity supplied, the causes of
    those changes, and how each is graphically
    represented.
    • Market equilibrium.
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    i. Please thoroughly and completely explain what
    market clearing equilibrium means.
  22. Don’t just copy stuff, explain what this really
    means. Please be thorough.
    ii. Thoroughly and in detail, explain what happens
    when a price is above the equilibrium price, and
    why those things happen!!! Detail!
    iii. Thoroughly and in detail, explain what happens
    when a price is below the equilibrium price, and
    why those things happen!!! Detail!
    iv. Thoroughly and completely explain the two
    government intervention cases, price floors and
    price ceilings and give examples of each.
  23. The objective of this question is to help you understand the concepts of private goods, public
    goods, free rider problem, and quasi-public goods.
    Public goods vs. Private goods. Please use the material
    covered in the topic called The US Economy – Private and
    Public Sectors
    • Private goods:
    i. Please explain private goods.
    ii. Please explain their characteristics.
    iii. Please give 2 examples of private goods,
    including why those examples best fit your
    definition.
    iv. Please explain how private goods impact income
    inequality.
    • Public goods:
    i. Please explain public goods.
    ii. Please explain their characteristics.
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    iii. Please give 2 examples of public goods,
    including why those examples best fit your
    definition.
    iv. Please explain how public goods impact income
    inequality.
    • Free rider problem:
    i. Please thoroughly and completely explain the
    free rider problem.
    ii. Please give two examples of the free rider
    problem, and explain why they are good
    examples.
    • quasi-public goods:
    i. Please thoroughly and completely explain the
    presence of quasi-public goods.
    ii. Please provide 3 examples of quasi-public goods
    and explain why they are good examples.
    iii. Explain how quasi-public goods are used by the
    1% versus the 99%.
  24. The objective of this question is to help you understand some of the details of market failure,
    spillover costs, and spillover benefits.
    Market Failure. please use the material covered in the topic
    called The US Economy – Private and Public Sectors
    • State the definition of a market failure,
    • List and explain the 4 causes of market failure included
    in the slides, including how they actually lead to over
    or under allocation of resources (market failure). Don’t
    miss this part! Must be very specific.
    • State the definition of spillovers costs
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    • Give two examples of a spillover cost situation and
    explain why your examples are correct.
    • Explain in detail, the economic effects of spillover
    costs.
    • Explain why a firm would want to offload some
    of its production costs to a 3rd party.
    • Explain how output decisions are affected.
    • Explain how resource allocation is affected by
    the output decisions.
    • Explain how the new resource allocations leads
    to market failure, defined as the over or under
    allocation of resources.
    • Explain in detail, how spillover costs are corrected and
    how those two approaches would actually work to
    solve the problem. Be very detailed.
    • State the definition of spillover benefits.
    • Give two examples of a spillover benefit situation and
    explain why your examples are correct. Be specific.
    • Explain in detail, the economic effects of spillover
    benefits.
    • Explain how the 3rd party responds to receiving
    unexpected benefits.
    • Explain how the behavior of the 3rd party impacts
    the producers’ perception of demand.
    • Explain how the producers’ perception of
    demand leads to changes in the output decisions
    of the firm.
    • Explain how those output decisions lead to
    solution of the market failure problem.
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    • Thoroughly and completely explain how spillover
    benefits are corrected and the economic implications
    of the corrections.
    Explain the two approaches used to solve the spillover
    benefit problem and how they work to solve the
    problem.
  25. The objective of this question is to you develop a good understanding of the concepts of
    depreciation and appreciation of a currency.
    International Trade Please use the material covered in the
    topic called The US in the Global Economy.
    • Please thoroughly and completely explain how the US
    dollar might depreciate relative to another currency,
    and how that would impact U.S. GDP.
    • Please thoroughly and completely explain how the US
    dollar might appreciate relative to another currency,
    and how that would impact U.S. GDP.
  26. The objection of this question is to help you understand in some detail some of the various
    trade barriers.
    Throughout the ages countries have implemented
    impediments to trade. Please use the material covered in
    the topic called The US in the Global Economy as well as
    Google
    • What is a tariff?
    • Why would America impose tariffs against another
    nation?
    • Why would the U.S. impose steep tariffs on Chinese
    solar panels prior to 2016?
    i. Explain how this would work to accomplish the
    U.S. objective.
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    • Given the current trade war with China and other
    nations, please explain
    i. Which industries are being hurt by higher tariffs
    against foreign nations and how are they being
    hurt?
    ii. Which industries are being helped by higher tariffs
    against foreign nations and how are they being
    helped?
    iii. Explain how and why the American customers of
    those industries are being impacted. Please
    provide thorough explanations.
    • What is an import quota?
    • Why would America implement import quotas?
    • Identify 3 cases where the U.S. has imposed import
    quotas on another country and explain why each were
    implemented. Be thorough.
    i. Google can help you.
    • What are non-tariff barriers?
    • List and explain 3 examples of non-tariff barriers
    imposed by the U.S., why they were implemented, and
    their impact on the U.S. and other countries.
    i. Google can help you.
    • If America suddenly eliminated all trade barriers,
    explain what would happen to employment, national
    income, and GDP in America, and why those things
    would happen. What role would the concept of
    comparative advantage play in these events? Please
    provide lots of detail.
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