本书主要从供给与需求、企业行为与产业组织、长期经济增长与短期经济波动以及宏观经济政策等角度深入浅出地讲述了经济学的基本原理。以最浅显易懂的方式阐释了经济学最基本的思想, 强调经济学原理的应用和政策分析。书中还提供了大量案例, 以说明经济学原理在现实经济生活中的应用。
"Economics is a study of mankind in the ordinary business of life." So wrote Alfred Marshall, the great 19th-century economist, in his textbook, Principles of Economics. Although we have learned much about the economy since Marshall's time, this definition of economics is as true today as it was in 1890, when the first edition of his text was published.
Why should you, as a student at the beginning of the 21st century, embark on the study of economics? There are three reasons.
The first reason to study economics is that it will help you understand the world in which you live. There are many questions about the economy that might spark your curiosity. Why are apartments so hard to find in New York City? Why do airlines charge less for a round-trip ticket if the traveler stays over a Saturday night? Why is Johnny Depp paid so much to star in movies? Why are living standards so meager in many African countries? Why do some countries have high rates of inflation while others have stable prices? Why are jobs easy to find in some years and hard to find in others? These are just a few of the questions that a course in economics will help you answer.
The second reason to study economics is that it will make you a more astute participant in the economy. As you go about your life, you make many economic decisions. While you are a student, you decide how many years to stay in school. Once you take a job, you decide how much of your income to spend, how much to save, and how to invest your savings. Someday you may find yourself running a small business or a large corporation, and you will decide what prices to charge for your products. The insights developed in the coming chapters will give you a new perspective on how best to make these decisions. Studying economics will not by itself make you rich, but it will give you some tools that may help in that endeavor.
The third reason to study economics is that it will give you a better understanding of both the potential and the limits of economic policy. Economic questions are always on the minds of policymakers in mayors' offices, governors' mansions, and the White House. What are the burdens associated with alternative forms of taxation? What are the effects of free trade with other countries? What is the best way to protect the environment? How does a government budget deficit affect the economy? As a voter, you help choose the policies that guide the allocation of society's resources. An understanding of economics will help you carry out that responsibility. And who knows: Perhaps someday you will end up as one of those policymakers yourself. Thus, the principles of economics can be applied in many of life's situations. Whether the future finds you reading the newspaper, running a business, or sitting in the Oval Office, you will be glad that you studied economics.
N.格雷戈里·曼昆(N.Gregory Mankiw),哈佛大学经济学教授。作为学生,他曾在普林斯顿大学和麻省理工学院学习经济学;作为教师,他讲授过宏观经济学、微观经济学、统计学和经济学原理。多年前他还在长滩岛当过一个夏季的帆船教练。
曼昆教授是一位高产的学者和学术与政治争论的积极参与者。他的著作发表于《美国经济评论》(American Economic Review)、《政治经济学杂志》(Journal of Political Economy)和《经济学季刊》(Quarterly Journal of Economics)等学术杂志及《纽约时报》(The New York Times)、《华尔街日报》(The Wall Street Journal)等热门报纸。曼昆教授还是美国国家经济研究局(NBER)的研究人员,国会预算办公室和波士顿、纽约联邦储备银行的顾问,美国教育考试服务中心(ETS)经济学先修课程考试研发委员会成员。2003-2005年,他曾担任美国总统经济顾问委员会主席。
第一篇 导言
第1章 经济学十大原理
第2章 像经济学家一样思考
第3章 相互依存性与贸易的好处
第二篇 供给与需求I:市场如何运行
第4章 供给与需求的市场力量
第5章 弹性及其应用
第6章 供给、需求与政府政策
第三篇 供给与需求II:市场和福利
第7章 消费者、生产者与市场效率
第8章 应用:赋税的代价
第9章 应用:国际贸易
第四篇 公共部门经济学
第10章 外部性
第11章 公共物品和公有资源
第五篇 企业行为与产业组织
第13章 生产成本
第14章 竞争市场上的企业
第15章 垄断
第16章 垄断竞争
第17章 寡头
第六篇 劳动市场经济学
第18章 生产要素市场
第19章 收入与歧视
第八篇 宏观经济学的数据
第23章 一国收入的衡量
第24章 生活费用的衡量
第九篇 长期中的实际经济
第25章 生产与增长
第26章 储蓄、投资和金融体系
第十篇 长期中的货币与物价
第29章 货币制度
第30章 货币增长与通货膨胀
第十二篇 短期经济波动
第33章 总需求与总供给
第34章 货币和财政政策对总需求的影响
术语表