1. SS9 ECONOMICS 101 – The Short Version

2. Student Notes…Pay Attention!
This family has an
ECONOMIC PROBLEM!
WHY?
I need new pom-poms!
I want a new snowboard!
Don’t these kids know that money doesn’t grow on trees?!
Meet the Normal
Family:

3. Because WANTS are UNLIMITED and RESOURCES are LIMITED!

4. 3 Types of Resources NATURAL RESOURCES: soil, fish, minerals, etc.
HUMAN RESOURCES: people and their skills and knowledge
CAPITAL RESOURCES: money or anything that can be used as collateral to get money (property, rare metals, etc.)

5. RESOURCES are known as FACTORS OF PRODUCTION (FOP) in ECONOMICS (meaning you need all three in order to produce goods and services) NATURAL RESOURCES = LAND HUMAN RESOURCES = LABOUR CAPITAL RESOURCES = CAPITAL LAND + LABOUR + CAPITAL = FOP

6. A LIMITED SUPPLY of any RESOURCE (or FOP) is called SCARCITY
A LIMITED SUPPLY of any RESOURCE (or FOP) is called SCARCITY. EVERY society deals with SCARCITY. The way a society deals with scarcity defines its ECONOMIC SYSTEM.

7. Other Words for Scarcity?
Shortage
Deficit
Shortfall
Decreased Amount
Rare
Few
Limited

8. The 3 Basic Economic Questions (3BEQs) (how a society attempts to deal with scarcity)
What is needed or wanted?
How will it be produced?
Who will get it?
How these questions are answered determines a country’s economic system. Sometimes the government makes the decisions, sometimes it doesn’t. For example:

9. The Economic Continuum
Left
Center
Right
Communist
Centrally Planned
Totalitarian
Planned
Socialist
Mixed
Modified Market
Capitalist
Market
Free Enterprise
Laissez Faire

10. Left (Planned) gov’t answers 3BEQs gov’t owns and manages FOP
gov’t plans what will be produced 
gov’t decides how to use resources
individuals have little influence on gov’t decisions
consumers have no say in economy

11. Centre (Mixed)
combines private ownership and gov’t control to answer 3BEQs
private businesses own and manages some FOP
gov’t owns and manages some FOP (CROWN CORPORATIONS)
gov’t control of economy varies depending on who is in power
consumers have some say in economy

12. Right (Market) private business and consumers answer 3BEQ
private businesses own and manage FOP
consumers determine what is needed or wanted
producers meet consumer demand
business succeeds if they produce what consumers want
no gov’t involvement in business

13. ECONOMIC SYSTEMS can SHIFT LEFT or SHIFT RIGHT depending on social and political factors affecting the economy, such as VALUES, STANDARD OF LIVING and QUALITY OF LIFE.

14. What do Economic Systems Value?
The PUBLIC GOOD is about what’s BEST for society as a WHOLE. Governments differ on how to achieve it.
COOPERATION: set aside individual interests to meet the needs of the group; recognizes needs and circumstances; values EQUITY  
INDIVIDUALISM: what’s best for individuals will add up to what’s best for society; values creativity and INDEPENDENCE.

15. Shanghai China Mexico Russia Britain North Korea
There are extremes at either end of the continuum. Can you think of some examples of other countries we can place on the continuum?
Shanghai China Mexico Russia Britain North Korea

16. LET’S COMPARE: CANADA’S ECONOMY “Peace, order, and good government”
reflects idea of cooperation
gov’t makes economic decisions on behalf of citizens
MIXED because citizens, business and gov’t make economic decisions
Gov’t operates Crown Corporations when it is in the public interest to do so because:
it’s too expensive for private business to operate, or,
the population is too small for the business to be profitable for an individual or company

17. LET’S COMPARE: cont. USA’S ECONOMY
“life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness”
spirit of individualism based on history of independence
values individual economic decision-making; gov’t does not like to intervene
market forces determine economy
works through forces of competition and the idea of supply and demand
federal gov’t only controls necessary services (some social supports, postal service, some healthcare

18. CANADA’S ECONOMY “Peace, order, and good government”
SHIFT LEFT
universal healthcare
Canada Pension Plan for seniors
establish Crown Corporations Air Canada, CBC, Via Rail, Canada Post, AGT

19. CANADA’S ECONOMY “Peace, order, and good government”
SHIFT RIGHT
cuts in gov’t spending
privatize crown corporations (Air Canada, Via Rail, AGT=Telus)
NAFTA increases influence of market in economy

20. USA’S ECONOMY “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness”
SHIFT LEFT
Old Age Security for seniors
Farm support (subsidies)
Public works projects (roads, dams, bridges…)
USPS

21. USA’S ECONOMY “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness”
SHIFT RIGHT
reduced gov’t spending
reduced regulations/rules on trade

22. What could be considered NEEDS? WANTS?
What are some of the things people living in either country might value in terms of STANDARD OF LIVING and QUALITY OF LIFE? Let’s make a comparison:
What could be considered NEEDS? WANTS?

23. Coming up next:
What is the relationship between SCARCITY and SUPPLY and DEMAND?
What role does COMPETITION play in an economic system? What is the relationship between SCARCITY and COMPETITION?