![]() ![]() Education Production Possibilities Frontier. This situation is illustrated by the production possibilities frontier in Figure 1. Suppose a society desires two products, healthcare and education. As you read this section, focus on the similarities.īecause society has limited resources (e.g., labor, land, capital, raw materials) at any point in time, there is a limit to the quantities of goods and services it can produce. There are more similarities than differences between individual choice and social choice. This section of the chapter will explain the constraints faced by society, using a model called the production possibilities frontier (PPF). Just as individuals cannot have everything they want and must instead make choices, society as a whole cannot have everything it might want, either. Contrast productive efficiency and allocative efficiency.Explain the relationship between a production possibilities frontier and the law of diminishing returns.Contrast a budget constraint and a production possibilities frontier.Interpret production possibilities frontier graphs.And because scarcity forces an economy to forgo one choice for another, the slope of the PPF will always be negative if production of product A increases then production of product B will have to decrease accordingly.By the end of this section, you will be able to: In reality, economies constantly struggle to reach an optimal production capacity. A shrinking economy could be a result of a decrease in supplies or a deficiency in technology.Īn economy can be producing on the PPF curve only in theory. ![]() Alternatively, when the PPF shifts inwards it indicates that the economy is shrinking as a result of a decline in its most efficient allocation of resources and optimal production capability. When the PPF shifts outwards, we know there is growth in an economy. A new curve, on which Y would appear, would represent the new efficient allocation of resources. Output would increase, and the PPF would be pushed outwards. However, if there was a change in technology while the level of land, labor and capital remained the same, the time required to pick cotton and grapes would be reduced. ![]() ![]() Point Y, as we mentioned above, represents an output level that is currently unreachable by this economy. Point X means that the country's resources are not being used efficiently or, more specifically, that the country is not producing enough cotton or wine given the potential of its resources. If more wine is in demand, the cost of increasing its output is proportional to the cost of decreasing cotton production. Keep in mind that A, B, and C all represent the most efficient allocation of resources for the economy the nation must decide how to achieve the PPF and which combination to use. However, if the economy moves from point B to C, wine output will be significantly reduced while the increase in cotton will be quite small. As the chart shows, by moving production from point A to B, the economy must decrease wine production by a small amount in comparison to the increase in cotton output. If the economy starts producing more cotton (represented by points B and C), it would have to divert resources from making wine and, consequently, it will produce less wine than it is producing at point A. Īs we can see, in order for this economy to produce more wine, it must give up some of the resources it uses to produce cotton (point A). Point X represents an inefficient use of resources, while point Y represents the goals that the economy cannot attain with its present levels of resources. According to the PPF, points A, B and C - all appearing on the curve - represent the most efficient use of resources by the economy. Imagine an economy that can produce only wine and cotton. ![]()
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