PRODUCTION POSSIBILTY CURVE-:Ineconomics, aproductionpossibility frontier(PPF), sometimes called aproductionpossibility curve,production-possibility boundaryorproduct transformation curve, is a graph that shows the various combinations of amounts of twocommoditiesthat could be produced using the same fixed total amount of each of thefactors of production. Graphically bounding theproduction setfor fixed input quantities, the PPF curve shows the maximum possible production level of one commodity for any given production level of the other, given the existing state of technology. By doing so, it definesproductive efficiencyin the context of that production set: a point on the frontier indicates efficient use of the available inputs, while a point beneath the curve indicates inefficiency. A period of time is specified as well as the productiontechnologiesand amounts of inputs available. The commodities compared can either begoodsorservices.PPFs are normally drawn as bulging upwards ("concave") from the origin but can also be represented as bulging downward or linear (straight), depending on a number of factors. A PPF can be used to illustrate a number of economic concepts, such asscarcityof resources (i.e., thefundamental economic problem all societies face),opportunity cost(or marginal rate of transformation), productive efficiency,allocative efficiency, andeconomies of scale.

In addition, an outward shift of the PPF results from growth of the availability of inputs such as physical capital or labor, or technological progressin our knowledge of how to transform inputs into outputs. Such a shift allowseconomic growthof an economy already operating at its full productivity (on the PPF), which means that more ofbothoutputs can be produced during the specified period of time without sacrificing the output of either good.

Conversely, the PPF will shift inward if the labor force shrinks, the supply of raw materials is depleted, or a natural disaster decreases the stock of physical capital. However, most economic contractions reflect not that less can be produced, but that the economy has started operating below the frontiertypically both labor and physical capital are underemployed. The combination represented by the point on the PPF where an economy operates shows the priorities or choices of the economy, such as the choice of producing morecapital goodsand fewerconsumer goodsor vice versa.Inmicroeconomics, the PPF shows the options open to an individual,household, or firm in a two-good world. By definition, each point on the curve is productively efficient, but, given the nature ofmarket demand, some points will be moreprofitablethan others. Equilibrium for a firm will be the combination of outputs on the PPF that is most profitable.[17]From amacroeconomicperspective, the PPF illustrates the production possibilities available to a nation oreconomyduring a given period of time for broad categories of output. However, an economy may achieveproductive efficiencywithout necessarily beingallocatively efficient. Market failure (such as imperfect competition or externalities) and some institutions of social decision-making (such as government and tradition) may lead to the wrong combination of goods being produced (hence the wrong mix of resources being allocated between producing the two goods) compared to what consumers would prefer, given what is feasible on the PPF.[18]

10 PRINCIPLES OF ECONOMICSEconomics is the study of human behavior of how people interact to get what they want and whether what they want is possible for them to get. Its a science in the sense that there are uniform laws guiding the field of economics invisible forces at work that guide the market. But its not a science in many ways, because it involves peoples decisions, which are anything but scientifically predictable.When approaching economics, its incredibly important to understand that the first step is to know what to look for natural laws guiding human behavior, societys production, individual trade, and wealth building itself. In other words,the study of economics is simply the study of economic principles and their application. Thats about it.This, of course, just begs the question: what are the principles of economics? Below are list of 10 basic economic principles, inspired by great economists like HenryHazlitt, Adam Smith, and Greg Mankiew.The 10 Fundamental Principles of Economics:1. People respond to incentives.2. People face tradeoffs.3. Rational people think within the margin.4. Free trade is perceived mutual benefit.5. The invisible hand allows for indirect trade.6. Coercion magnifies market inefficiency.7. Capital magnifies market efficiency.8. Supply and demand magnify resource efficiency.9. Theres no such thing as a free lunch.10. Desires are infinite; resources are finite.Ill go into detail with a short summary of how these economic principles work in economics. Of course, a longer explanation is necessary but is too much for a single article. Ill continue to write longer explanations of each principle in the following weeks. If youd like to read them, make sure to subscribe to our newsletter at the right or at the bottom of any page on this website.The 10 Undeniable Principles of Economics Explained: People respond to incentives.This is anunavoidableconcept found in human behavior. Its just how people function. We respond to incentives. Incentives arent necessarily selfish in the traditional sense, but they all appeal to our values whether conscious or subconscious. Examples would be accepting a job to make money, donating to charity to help the poor, going to church to learn about God anything where we essentially do what we want. People respond to incentives. People face tradeoffs.Its impossible to get everything you want at the exact same time. Its impossible for me to sleep all day and work all day. Its impossible for me to grill a steak at home while also dine at Olive Garden. This means people face tradeoffs. We have to trade one thing for another thing theres no other option. This is why people often barter with others. People are willing to trade 7 years of college work for the ability to become a lawyer, lots of money for a house, and pretty much every other choice in life. People face tradeoffs. Rational people think within the margin.Thinking within the margins means trying to get the best result. In other words, if you have the option of choosing a good car or a perfect car, the rational choice is the perfect car. All things being equal, the better option is better. Thinking within the margins is essentially believing in net benefits focusing on the best thing possible. Rational people think within the margins. Free trade is perceived mutual benefit.When people trade in a free market, its because they are both responding to peaceful incentives. For example, an employee trades time for money because they want money. An employer trades money for labor because they want the labor. Both sides are acting in a way that they think benefits them as much as peacefully possible. This is true for all trades. People buy stuff because theyre reacting to incentives. This is a critical concept,especiallywhen we mix it with the above principle of rational people thinking within the margin. People act in a way they think benefits them. The invisible hand allows for indirect trade.The invisible hand is the market force that does what no individual could do on his own. For example, no single country on earth has all of the resources and industry necessary for the creation of a single pencil. It takes a dozen companies and several countries working together through trade to make that pencil. Not all of those who contribute to the creation of the pencil will ever meet or even know of each other thats why its referred to as the miracle of the invisible hand. The market does more on its own than any individual can possibly do on his own because the invisible hand allows for indirect trade. Coercion magnifies market inefficiency.The invisible hand operates through the free market. That is, through people acting in a way that benefits them. The people mining lead, for example, arent doing it because theyre thinking about your ability to use a pencil. They dont even know where the lead theyre mining is going. Theyre acting on the basis of the free market, and the free markets invisible hand is taking care of the rest. Using coercion that is, manipulating the incentives people respond to focuses on less production and more exploitation. What this means is that instead of everyone focusing on how to peacefully produce and trade for as much as possible, it changes the rules so that its possible to just take or force others to give you what you want. This makes about as much sense as a farmer eating his milk cow. The more coercion in a market, the less efficient it is. For examples of this in action, just look at any socialized nation in the history of mankind. Coercion magnifies market inefficiency. Capital magnifies market efficiency.Capital is the magic behind the invisible hand. It allows people who have never met to barter. Capitalism is essentially juiced up barter economy. A pig farmer is trading pigs for stuff at Wal-Mart hes just using currency for the sake of making the bartering more efficient. The existence of capital means that you can produce one thing, earn money, and trade that money for something else entirely without the person youre trading with needing to accept what youre producing. Capital is aningeniousmethod of allowing anyone to trade with anyone, as long as both are productive people who produce more than they consume. Capital magnifies market efficiency. Supply and demand magnify resource efficiency.Market forces work so that if theres a demand for something as well as a potential supply of it, the market will try to unleash the supply to meet the demand. This will eventually lead to market equilibrium where the demands are quenched as much as possible by the market. This is honestly just an end conclusion of the very first principle of economics people respond to incentives. Making money filling market demands is an incentive that nearly everyone reacts to during their lives. Theres no such thing as a free lunch.This is a simple concept. Nothing is free. All wealth must be earned. You cant use black magic economics to create something out of nothing. Every bit of wealth has to be earned. Welfare gets the money from someone. Government spending takes money from somewhere. Even if one person benefits withoutpayingfor it, someone else has to pay for it. Theres no such thing as a free lunch. Desires are infinite. Resources are finite.We dont live in a magical world where stuff is created from nothing. Everything that is produced is based on a complicated, long train of trade offs. The question isnt whether we can judge each trade off individually the question is how we determine to make those tradeoffs. People who support socialized medicine often completely miss this basic concept, andbelievethat capitalists just want the poor to die or stay sick. This is absurd. There are only so many doctors and nurses thequestionis how to take what we have and disburse it in a manner that doesnt causerationingand inefficiency. Thats why socialized medicine always creates health slavery and rationing. Its not free, because nothing is free.Studying these principles of economics will give you a road-map for understanding economic events.Youll see why most government economic plans fail, why capitalism always works, why socialism always fails, why peace always produces, and why war always destroys.