IB 10 Individuals & Societies - Economics

Introduction to Economics

Economics centers on how individuals and societies allocate their limited resources to meet infinite needs. The core challenges are scarcity, leading to the notion of opportunity cost, which emphasizes that every decision has a trade-off. Economies must address three pivotal questions: what to produce, how to produce, and for whom to produce. These inquiries are approached through various economic systems—market, planned, and mixed—while factors of production are critical to creating goods and services. Additionally, governments actively participate in managing economies and addressing issues created by globalization.