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Learn about Economics and the Economy
Economics is the "study of how human beings allocate scarce resources to produce various commodities and how those commodities are distributed for consumption among the people in society (see distribution). The essence of economics lies in the fact that resources are scarce, or at least limited, and that not all human needs and desires can be met. How to distribute these resources in the most efficient and equitable way is a principal concern of economists."
"economics." The Columbia Encyclopedia. New York: Columbia University Press, 2008. Credo Reference. Web. 02 February 2012.
What is Economics?
Learn more by watching the videos here.
Make an economic decision when you weigh the Costs and Benefits.
Is a 3 minute video from Duke University or a 12 minute video from Crash Course worth your time?
Background information about Economics and the Economy
- Credo Reference - All Subjects Search This link opens in a new windowContains dictionaries, bilingual dictionaries, thesauri, encyclopedias, quotations and atlases, plus a wide range of subject-specific titles in business, accounting, finance, management, and economics.
- Britannica Academic This link opens in a new windowBasic introduction to over 75,000 different topics, including encyclopedia articles, maps, news, definitions, and statistics. Includes a dictionary/thesaurus, media (photographs & selected audio/video files), famous quotations, country profiles, selected websites, and news articles.
- American History Online This link opens in a new windowSpans more than 500 years of political, military, social, and cultural history to cover the American experience. Search for historical information about the American economy.
- Modern World History Online This link opens in a new windowCovers the people, places, and events in the broad expanse of history—from the mid-15th century to the present. Find historical information about the economy of different world regions simply by searching for the word "economy".
Use these online books to find background information on topics in Economics.
Background information provides basic facts, history, descriptions and concepts about your topic.
Use only the information that you find useful in starting your research. You can often find search terms in background essays that will help you search and find articles for your paper or presentation.