Macroeconomics

‭In‬ ‭the‬ ‭previous‬ ‭PPC‬ ‭for‬ ‭example,‬ ‭a‬ ‭technological‬ ‭advancement‬ ‭that‬ ‭allowed‬ ‭producers‬ ‭to‬ ‭assemble‬ ‭yacht‬‭engines‬‭more‬‭quickly‬‭leads‬‭to‬‭an‬‭increase‬‭in‬‭the‬‭production‬‭of‬‭yachts.‬‭Airplane‬‭production‬‭is‬‭not‬ ‭affected; therefore, the PPC pivots but does not shift entirely.‬ ‭There‬ ‭are‬ ‭situations‬ ‭where‬ ‭the‬ ‭PPC‬ ‭shifts‬ ‭in‬ ‭its‬ ‭entirety,‬ ‭either‬‭to‬‭the‬‭right‬‭or‬‭to‬‭the‬‭left‬‭of‬‭its‬‭original‬ ‭position.‬ ‭This‬ ‭indicates‬ ‭that‬‭the‬‭economy’s‬ ‭productive‬‭capacity‬‭and‬‭economic‬‭growth‬ ‭have‬‭changed.‬ ‭Productive‬ ‭capacity‬ ‭refers‬ ‭to‬ ‭the‬ ‭maximum‬ ‭output‬ ‭that‬ ‭can‬ ‭be‬ ‭produced‬ ‭when‬ ‭resources‬ ‭are‬ ‭fully‬ ‭utilized, and economic growth signifes an increase in the total output of an economy.‬

‭F. Comparative Advantage, Specialization, and Exchange‬

‭In‬ ‭his‬ ‭1776‬ ‭book‬ ‭The‬ ‭Wealth‬ ‭of‬ ‭Nations‬ ‭,‬ ‭Adam‬ ‭Smith‬ ‭introduced‬ ‭the‬ ‭concept‬ ‭of‬ ‭specialization‬ ‭that‬ ‭describes‬‭how‬‭individuals‬‭specialize‬‭in‬‭tasks‬‭they‬‭master.‬ ‭Specialization‬‭applies‬‭not‬‭only‬‭to‬‭individuals,‬‭but‬‭can‬‭also‬ ‭be‬ ‭achieved‬ ‭by‬ ‭frms‬‭or‬‭by‬‭a‬‭whole‬‭economy‬‭that‬‭trades‬ ‭and‬ ‭exchanges‬ ‭goods‬ ‭and‬ ‭services‬ ‭with‬‭other‬‭countries.‬ ‭Have‬ ‭you‬ ‭ever‬ ‭wondered‬ ‭why‬ ‭your‬ ‭country‬ ‭exports‬ ‭certain‬ ‭goods‬‭and‬‭not‬‭others?‬‭For‬‭example,‬‭why‬‭is‬‭Spain‬ ‭the‬ ‭top‬ ‭exporter‬ ‭of‬ ‭olive‬ ‭oil‬ ‭while‬ ‭Brazil‬ ‭is‬ ‭the‬ ‭top‬ ‭exporter‬ ‭of‬ ‭coffee‬ ‭beans?‬‭Comparative‬‭advantage‬‭is‬‭one‬ ‭of the main concepts used to answer these questions.‬

‭Comparative‬ ‭advantage‬ ‭introduces‬ ‭the‬ ‭idea‬ ‭that‬ ‭even‬ ‭if‬ ‭one‬‭country‬‭is‬‭better‬‭at‬‭producing‬‭everything,‬‭there's‬‭still‬ ‭an‬ ‭advantage‬ ‭in‬ ‭specializing‬ ‭in‬‭what‬‭it’s‬‭relatively‬‭better‬

‭at.‬ ‭By‬ ‭focusing‬ ‭on‬ ‭strengths‬ ‭and‬‭trading‬‭with‬‭others‬‭who‬‭have‬‭different‬‭comparative‬‭advantages,‬‭both‬ ‭parties‬ ‭can‬ ‭beneft‬ ‭from‬ ‭increased‬ ‭effciency‬ ‭and‬ ‭a‬ ‭wider‬ ‭variety‬ ‭of‬ ‭goods‬ ‭and‬ ‭services.‬ ‭In‬ ‭essence,‬ ‭comparative‬ ‭advantage‬ ‭prompts‬ ‭us‬ ‭to‬ ‭consider‬ ‭the‬ ‭opportunity‬ ‭costs‬ ‭involved‬ ‭in‬ ‭different‬‭production‬

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