《微观经济学第三章》由会员分享，可在线阅读，更多相关《微观经济学第三章（18页珍藏版）》请在金锄头文库上搜索。
1、I N T E R D E P E N D E N C E A N D T H E G A I N S F R O M T R A D EMajor: Rural regional development LearningConsider how everyone can benefit when people trade with one anotherLearn the meaning of absolute advantage and comparative advantage See how comparative advantage explains the gains from t
2、rade Apply the theory of comparative advantage to everyday life and national policy4123In this chapter you willContentsIntroductionA PARABLE FOR THE MODERN ECONOMYTHE PRINCIPLE OF COMPARATIVE ADVANTAGEAPPLICATIONS OF COMPARATIVE ADVANTAGEPart four:Part two:Part three :Part one:CONCLUSIONPart five：Pa
3、rt one Introductionv Consider your typical day v Every day you rely on many people from around the world, most of whom you do not know, to provide you with the goods and services that you enjoy. Such interdependence is possible because people trade with one another. Those people who provide you with
4、 goods and services are not acting out of generosity or concern for your welfare. Nor is some government agency directing them to make what you want and to give it to you. Instead, people provide you and other consumers with the goods and services they produce because they get something in return. v
5、 In subsequent chapters we will examine how our economy coordinates the activities of millions of people with varying tastes and abilities. As a starting point for this analysis, here we consider the reasons for economic interdependence. One of the Ten Principles of Economics highlighted in Chapter
6、1 is that trade can make everyone better off. This principle explains why people trade with their neighbors and why nations trade with other nations. In this chapter we examine this principle more closely. What exactly do people gain when they trade with one another? Why do people choose to become i
7、nterdependent?Part two A PARABLE FOR THE MODERN ECONOMY . A ParableTo understand why people choose to depend on others for goods and services and how this choice improves their lives, lets look at a simple economy. Imagine that there are two goods in the worldmeat and potatoes. And there are two peo
8、ple in the world a cattle rancher and a potato farmereach of whom would like to eat both meat and potatoes.The gains from trade are most obvious if the rancher can produce only meat and the farmer can produce only potatoes. In one scenario, the rancher and the farmer could choose to have nothing to
9、do with each other. But after several months of eating beef roasted, boiled, broiled, and grilled, the rancher might decide that self-sufficiency is not all its cracked up to be. The farmer, who has been eating potatoes mashed, fried, baked, and scalloped, would likely agree. It is easy to see that
10、trade would allow them to enjoy greater variety: Each could then have a hamburger with French fries.Part two A PARABLE FOR THE MODERN ECONOMYAlthough this scene illustrates most simply how everyone can benefit from trade, the gains would be similar if the rancher and the farmer were each capable of
11、producing the other good, but only at great cost. Suppose, for example, that the potato farmer is able to raise cattle and produce meat, but that he is not very good at it. Similarly, suppose that the cattle rancher is able to grow potatoes, but that her land is not very well suited for it. In this
12、case, it is easy to see that the farmer and the rancher can each benefit by specializing in what he or she does best and then trading with the other.The gains from trade are less obvious, however, when one person is better at producing every good. For example, suppose that the rancher is better at r
13、aising cattle and better at growing potatoes than the farmer. In this case, should the rancher or farmer choose to remain self- sufficient? Or is there still reason for them to trade with each other? To answer this question, we need to look more closely at the factors that affect such a decision. PR
14、ODUCTION POSSIBILITIES Table 3-1 THE PRODUCTION OPPORTUNITIES OF THE FARMER AND THE RANCHERFigure 3-1. SPECIALIZATION AND TRADEv After several years of eating combination B, the rancher gets an idea and goes to talk to the farmer: v RANCHER: Farmer, my friend, have I got a deal for you! I know how t
15、o improve life for both of us. I think you should stop producing meat altogether and devote all your time to growing potatoes. According to my calculations, if you work 40 hours a week growing potatoes, youll produce 4 pounds of potatoes. If you give me 1 of those 4 pounds, Ill give you 3 pounds of
16、meat in return. In the end, youll get to eat 3 pounds of potatoes and 3 pounds of meat every week, instead of the 2 pounds of potatoes and 1 pound of meat you now get. If you go along with my plan, youll have more of both foods. To illustrate her point, the rancher shows the farmer panel (a) of Figure 3-2. v FARMER: (sounding skeptical) That seems like a good deal for me. But I dont unde
