Introducing Microeconomic Analysis: Issues, Questions, and Competing Views

by Mario Seccareccia (Editor), Hassan Bougrine (Editor)

Content:
1. Basic economic problems --
Is economics a science? Is it useful? --
Is there such a thing as a free market? --
2. Consumers and firms --
Is Home Economicus an appropriate representation of real-world consumers? --
Is the consumer sovereign? What is the power of advertising? --
How do firms price their products? --
What do firms try to maximize, if anything? --
3. Governments and markets --
How can markets fail? Should they be regulated? --
Is the private sector better than the public sector in providing goods and services to the public? --
Does foreign ownership of corporations matter? --
Addressing environmental problems: is there a market solution? --
4. Incomes and inequality --
How does the market determine the distribution of incomes among economic agents? --
Is there labour market discrimination? Are employment equity policies effective? --
Would a guaranteed annual income eliminate poverty? --
Do equalization payments solve the problems of regional inequality?

404 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 2010

About the author

Professor of economics at the University of Ottawa