Introductory Economics

This subject introduces students to the theory of microeconomics. It will consider the operation of a market economy and the problem of how best to allocate society's scarce resources. The course considers the way in which various decision making units in the economy (individuals and firms) make their consumption and production decisions and how these decisions are coordinated. It considers the laws of supply and demand, and introduces the theory of the firm, and its components, production and cost theories and models of market structure. The various causes of market failure are assessed, and consideration is given to public policies designed to correct this market failure. This subject will use the agriculture sector as a case study focusing on the place of agriculture within the Australian economy, and exploring the impact of supply and demand, government policy and international trade on the sector.