1.The objective of this question is to help you understand how the critical ecosystem services are impacted bye conomic activity and some things we can do to solve those problems. To a great extent, Economics is about connecting the dots (finding relationshipsbetween seemingly unrelated things).   For now,Earth is the only place we can live. Our ability to live on this planet is supported by the many Ecosystems active on the planet. Our behavior disrupts thoseEcosystemsand allthe Ecosystem Services. Those disrupted Ecosystem Services in turn have impacts on the people and economies of the global north and global south.  It is very important that you develop a good understanding of the interaction of our behavior and the environmental and economic consequences of that behavior. This question is part of the topic called Intro to some key concepts of Economics.  Pick 5 Ecosystem Services from the list in slide13of the topic called Intro to some key concepts of Economics. •For each of your 5 ecosystem services, please explain how each is supposed to work. This is key to answering the entire question, so please focus on this. Google can help with this! •For each of your 5 ecosystem services, please thoroughly explain at least one human behavior that has disrupted of the operation of the service. Please be thorough.   •For each of your 5 Ecosystem Services, explain how the disruptions to the Ecosystem Service impact the two different parts of the world (the global north nations and global south nations).More specifically, explain how the lives of the people and the national economies are impacted. •For each of your 5 ecosystem services, thoroughly explain 3things that we should start doing right now to repair or at leaststop the damage to the 5 Ecosystem Services you selected.  Be sure you explain how each of your recommendations would actually lead to solution of the problem. Remember, you need 3 recommendations for each of your ecosystem services.   2.The objective of this question is to help you:  •understand the real issues of scarcity of resources and the choices we must make. •Understand the issues of rational behavior as it applies to a real life problem •Understand utility concepts as they are applied to the Keystone Pipeline Project. •Understand some of the basics of the theory of consumer behavior. •Understand the concepts of marginal analysis as applied to the Keystone Pipeline project.   Planet Earth is our only home for the time being. As global populations grow and our resources dwindle, we should worry more about the issues of SCARCITYAND CHOICE.  All parts of this question are part of the topic called Intro to some key concepts of Economics.   i.There are 17 Rare Earth Elements. Pick any 5of them, and for EACH of the 5, explain in detail why they are so critical to us.Use Google to look the up. Include in your answer: a.what it used for, b.why are those resources so critical?  c.Whereinthe world the resource .

1. 1.The objective of this question is to help you understand how
the critical ecosystem services are impacted bye conomic
activity and some things we can do to solve those problems.
To a great extent, Economics is about connecting the dots
(finding relationshipsbetween seemingly unrelated things).
For now,Earth is the only place we can live. Our ability to live
on this planet is supported by the many Ecosystems active on
the planet. Our behavior disrupts thoseEcosystemsand allthe
Ecosystem Services. Those disrupted Ecosystem Services in
turn have impacts on the people and economies of the global
north and global south. It is very important that you develop a
good understanding of the interaction of our behavior and the
environmental and economic consequences of that behavior.
This question is part of the topic called Intro to some key
concepts of Economics.
Pick 5 Ecosystem Services from the list in slide13of the topic
called Intro to some key concepts of Economics.
•For each of your 5 ecosystem services, please explain how each
is supposed to work. This is key to answering the entire
question, so please focus on this. Google can help with this!
•For each of your 5 ecosystem services, please thoroughly
explain at least one human behavior that has disrupted of the
operation of the service. Please be thorough.
•For each of your 5 Ecosystem Services, explain how the
disruptions to the Ecosystem Service impact the two different
parts of the world (the global north nations and global south

2. nations).More specifically, explain how the lives of the people
and the national economies are impacted.
•For each of your 5 ecosystem services, thoroughly explain
3things that we should start doing right now to repair or at
leaststop the damage to the 5 Ecosystem Services you selected.
Be sure you explain how each of your recommendations would
actually lead to solution of the problem. Remember, you need 3
recommendations for each of your ecosystem services.
2.The objective of this question is to help you:
•understand the real issues of scarcity of resources and the
choices we must make.
•Understand the issues of rational behavior as it applies to a
real life problem
•Understand utility concepts as they are applied to the Keystone
Pipeline Project.
•Understand some of the basics of the theory of consumer
behavior.
•Understand the concepts of marginal analysis as applied to the
Keystone Pipeline project.
Planet Earth is our only home for the time being. As global
populations grow and our resources dwindle, we should worry
more about the issues of SCARCITYAND CHOICE. All parts
of this question are part of the topic called Intro to some key
concepts of Economics.
i.There are 17 Rare Earth Elements. Pick any 5of them, and for
EACH of the 5, explain in detail why they are so critical to
us.Use Google to look the up.

3. Include in your answer:
a.what it used for,
b.why are those resources so critical?
c.Whereinthe world the resource islocated.
d.And approximately how much is left.
e.For EACHof the 5, please explain3thingswe need tostart
doingtodayto avoid running out of that resource. It is very
important that you provide thorough and complete explanations
here.
•The theory of rational behaviorsays that we humans act in
ourown self-interest. Given our actual behavior and the
decisions we have made and are continuing to make relative to
theplanet, please:
i.What doesover-pumping of aquifersreallymean?Use Googleto
gather info.
ii.Is continued over-pumping of aquifers around the world in
our best interest? If yes, explain why. If no, explain why
not.Please provide thorough explanations.
iii.Explain how the continued over-pumpingof aquifersin
America, China, and India, could impact our ability to survive
on the planet.This will require that you find out what things
these 3 nations have in common thatarerelated to
aquifers.Connect thedots and explain how our abilityto survive
on the planet could be impactedby continued over pumping of

4. aquifers. Pleaseprovide plenty of detail here.Google can help!
iv.Explain in detail3 thingswe can do to stop the over-pumping
problem.In your explanation, please talk about how your
suggestion would actually lead to solution of the problem.
Hint:Focuson the top usesof water in the world.
•Utility Concepts:
•Explain the 3concepts: Utility, Marginal Utility, and
Diminishing Marginal Utility.this material is provided in the
slides and audio lecture.
i.Provide explanation of 2examples ofEACHof those 3concepts
as they might be applied to the Keystone XL Pipelineproject.
•The Theory of Consumer Behavior: this material is provided in
the slides and audio lecture.
i.Explain EACH of the key assumptions of the Theory of
Consumer Behavior and what the theory tells us. Read the slide
and listen to the audio lecture.
ii. Does the theory of consumer behavior reflect reality? If yes,
then why. If no, the why not.
Marginal analysis is a decision-making tool. This material is
provided in the slides and audio lecture.
i. Please define Marginal Cost
ii. Please define Marginal Benefit,
iii. Explain thefollowing3 cases in terms of what you should do
regarding the activity involved. Should we do more of the

5. activity, less of the activity, or keep doing the same? Explain
why in each case.
1.MB>MC
2.MC>MB
3.MC=MB
iv.Explain 3 examples of MCrelated to theKeystone XL Pipeline
question.
v.Explain 3 examples ofMBrelated to theKeystone XL Pipeline
question.
3.The objective of this question is to help you understandand
applythe various concepts related to the Production Possibility
Model.
The Production Possibilities Modelis one of the first Economic
Models students learnabout. Please refer to the material
covered in the topic called The Economizing Problem.
•Please explain what the modelteaches us.
•Please explaineachof the 4 assumptions of the model.
•Please explain Productive Efficiency and how it relates to the
ppc.
•Please explain Allocative Efficiencyand provide a thorough
explanation of the 2-step process forfinding the
pointofallocative efficiency on the PPC.
•On the topic of Economic growth: need to see some detail here.

6. i.What does it mean?
ii.How can it be graphically represented?
iii.What are the prerequisites to Economic growth?
iv.GDP growthrates for the past 60 years show a
steadydownward trend. Explain why you should care about that.
v.Why is Economic growthgood foryou and your country?
vi.Why isEconomic growth bad for you and your country?
vii.Please provide thorough explanation of 3factors that would
tend to limit economic growth. Be sure you explain how
thosefactors would actually cause economic growthto be
limited.
•The Presentville –Futureville case:
1.Explain what motivatedeach groupto make the decisions they
made.
2.Explain the impact of those decisions on the future of each
group.
3.Which group is most like America, and why?
4.What does this storyteach you?
•Law of increasing opportunity cost:
1.Explain it.
2.What does it teach us?

7. 3.How could it be explained graphically?
•Explain how you could use the Production Possibility Model to
represent the US Economy during the Corona Virus pandemic.
4.The objective of this question is to help you begin to
understand the basic elements of the economy and how they
interact.
The Circular Flow Model with Government is another
important model for students to understand. Please use the
material covered in the topic called The Economizing Problem.
For info on the Government sector use the material covered in
the topic called The US Economy –Private and Public Sectors.
•Please explain what the model shows us.
•List and explain at least 3 of the characteristics of each
component–be very thorough and provide plenty of detail!
•Thoroughly explain how each component of the model interacts
with the other components–be very thorough –this requires lots
of detail! Explain how all of the sectors and markets interact
with each other. You can do this as part of your answer to part
(b)if you like but understand that this will require significant
detail!
5.The objective of this question is to help you learn how to ask
hard questions of an economic system to determine what’s good
and what’s bad about it.
Every country has its own unique type of Economic System.
Ours is called Capitalism. Please consult the material covered
in the topic called The Market System. Google may also be of
help here.

8. •Please lis tand explain5 “good” things Capitalism has
produced for us over the years.Make sure you provide thorough
explanations of why you believe these are“good”things.
This is harder than it looks! Think carefully and be
objective. Nothing is 100% good or bad, so you will need to be
very thorough in you're explanations. Don’t talk about pros and
cons. Focus only on good things that capitalism has produced.
•Please list and explain5 “bad” things Capitalism has produced
for us over the years. Make sure you provide thorough
explanations of why you believe these are “bad”.
•Capitalist Economic Systems typically require a steady flow of
resources and expanding markets. Please explain in detail what
would happen to our capitalist system when these two
conditions are absent and explain why those we would expect to
see those results.
6.The objective of this question is to help you develop a good
understanding of how our capitalist system answers the 4
fundamental questions.
The discussion of the Market System we talked about the
characteristics of the Market system and 4 Fundamental
Questions that every economic system must answer. Please use
the material covered in the topic called The Market System
•List and thoroughly and completely explain those 4
fundamental questions and how they are answered. All the
necessary information is provided in the slides and the audio
lectures. Be sure you provide thorough and complete
explanations throughout.
i. What will be produced?(include explanation of all the

9. concepts presented under this topic).
ii. How will the goods and services be produced?1.Why must
firms try to employ the most economically efficient production
techniques?
2.For each of the following issues, please explain in detail, why
they are important to a firm and how a firm might address each
one(need to see the detail here):
a. Optimal plant location
b. Resource Prices
c. Resource Productivity
d. Transportation Costs
•Who will get the goods and services?
•How will the system accommodate change? Be thorough! read
the slides and listen to the lecture, then start writing.
•Characteristics of the Market system.
i. Select any 5 of the characteristics of the Market system that
we covered, and explain each of them. Be thorough!
ii.Explain how each characteristicyou selected impacts the 1%
versus the 99%.
7.The objective of this question is to help you develop a good
understanding of demand, supply, and market clearing
equilibrium.
Demand,Supply,Market Equilibrium.Please use the material

10. covered in the topic called Supply and Demand.
•Demand:
i.Please Thoroughly and completely define demand.
ii.Please state the law of demand.
iii.List and thoroughly explain the 3 factors that support the
law of demand.Be sure you explain how each actually supports
the law of demand.
1.Don’t just copy from the slides, explain what they actually
meanand how they support the law of demand.
iv.List and explain thedeterminants of demand andhow each
can cause an increasein demandand a decrease indemand.
1.List and explain each of the 5 determinants and how they
impact demand.
v.Thoroughly and completelyexplain the differences between a
change in demand anda change in quantity demandedalong with
the causes of those changes, and how each change isgraphically
represented.
•Supply .
i.Define supply.
ii.State the law of supply.
iii.List and explain the determinants of supplyandhow eachcan
cause an increase in supply anda decrease in supply.
iv.Thoroughly and completely explainthe differences between

11. achange in supply and a change in quantity supplied,the causes
of those changes, and how each is graphically represented.
•Market equilibrium.
i.Please thoroughly and completely explain what market
clearing equilibriummeans.
1.Don’t just copy stuff, explainwhat this really means. Pleasebe
thorough.
ii.Thoroughlyand in detail, explain what happens whena price is
abovetheequilibrium price, and whythose things
happen!!!Detail!
iii.Thoroughly and in detail, explain what happens when a price
isbelow the equilibrium price, and why those things happen!!!
Detail!
iv.Thoroughly and completely explainthe two government
intervention cases,price floors and price ceilingsand
giveexamplesof each.
8.The objective of this question is to help you understand
theconcepts of private goods, public goods, free rider problem,
and quasi-public goods.
Public goods vs. Private goods. Please use the material
covered in the topic called The US Economy –Private and
PublicSectors
•Private goods:
i.Please explain private goods.
ii.Please explain their characteristics.

12. iii.Please give2 examples of private goods, including why those
examples best fit your definition.
iv.Please explain how private goods impact income inequality.
•Public goods:
i.Please explain publicgoods.
ii.Please explaintheir characteristics.
iii.Please give 2 examples of publicgoods, including why those
examples best fit your definition.
iv.Please explain how public goods impact income inequality.
•Free rider problem:
i.Please thoroughly and completelyexplainthe free rider
problem.
ii.Pleasegive twoexamplesof the free rider problem, and explain
why they are good examples.
•quasi-publicgoods:
i.Please thoroughly and completely explainthe presence of
quasi-publicgoods.
ii.Please provide 3 examples of quasi-public goods and explain
why they are good examples.
iii.Explain how quasi-public goods are used by the 1% versus
the 99%.

13. 9.The objective of this question is to help you understand some
of the details of market failure, spillover costs, and spillover
benefits.
Market Failure. please use thematerial covered in the topic
called TheUS Economy –Private and Public Sectors
•State the definition of amarket failure,
•List and explain the 4 causesof market failureincluded in the
slides, includinghow they actuallylead to over or under
allocation of resources (market failure).Don’tmiss this
part!Must be very specific.
•State the definition of spillovers costs
•Give twoexamples of a spillover costsituationand explain why
your examplesare correct.
•Explain in detail, theeconomic effects of spillover costs.
Explain why a firm would want to offload some of its
production costs to a3rdparty.
•Explain how output decisions are affected.
•Explain how resource allocationis affected by the output
decisions.
•Explain how the newresource allocationsleadsto market failure,
definedas the over or under allocation of resources.
•Explain in detail, how spillover costs are corrected and how
those two approaches would actually work to solve the problem.
Be very detailed.

14. •State the definition ofspillover benefits.
•Give two examplesof a spillover benefit situation and explain
why your examples arecorrect.Be specific.
•Explain in detail, theeconomic effects of spillover benefits.
•Explain how the 3rdparty responds to receivingunexpected
benefits.
•Explain how the behavior of the 3rdparty impacts the
producers’perception of demand.
•Explain how the producers’perception of demand leads to
changes inthe output decisions of the firm.
•Explain how those output decisions lead to solution of the
market failure problem.
10.The objective of this question is to you develop a good
understanding of the concepts of depreciation and appreciation
of acurrency.
International TradePlease use the material coveredin the topic
called The US in the Global Economy.
•Please thoroughly and completely explainhow theUS dollar
might depreciate relative to anothercurrency, and how that
would impact U.S.GDP.
•Please thoroughlyand completely explainhow the US dollar
might appreciate relative to another currency, and how that
would impact U.S. GDP.
11.The objection of this question is to help you understand in
some detail some of the various trade barriers.

15. Throughout the ages countries have implemented impediments
to trade.Please use the material coveredin the topic called The
US in the Global Economyas well as Google
•What is a tariff?
•Why would America impose tariffs against another nation?
•Why would the U.S. impose steep tariffs on Chinesesolar
panelsprior to 2016?
i.Explain how thiswould workto accomplish theU.S.objective.
•Given the current trade war with China and other
nations,please explain
i.Which industries are being hurt by higher tariffs
againstforeign nationsand how are theybeing hurt?
ii.Which industries are being helped by higher tariffs against
foreignnationsand how are they being helped?
iii.Explain how and why the American customers of those
industries are being impacted. Please provide thorough
explanations.
•Whatis an import quota?
•Why would America implement import quotas?
•Identify 3 cases wheretheU.S. has imposed import quotas on
another country and explainwhy each were implemented. Be
thorough.
i.Google can help you.

16. •If Americasuddenlyeliminated all trade barriers, explainwhat
would happen toemployment, national income, andGDPin
America, and why those things would happen.What role
wouldthe concept of comparative advantage play in these
events? Please provide lots of detail.