114-0400/04 – Microeconomics A (Mikro A)

Gurantor departmentDepartment of EconomicsCredits6
Subject guarantordoc. Ing. Martin Hodula, Ph.D.Subject version guarantorprof. Dr. Ing. Jan Libich
Study levelundergraduate or graduateRequirementCompulsory
Year1Semesterwinter
Study languageCzech
Year of introduction2012/2013Year of cancellation2020/2021
Intended for the facultiesEKFIntended for study typesBachelor
Instruction secured by
LoginNameTuitorTeacher giving lectures
JAN27 Ing. Hana Janáčková, Ph.D.
JAN77 Ing. Ivana Jánošíková, Ph.D.
LOK02 Ing. Aleš Lokaj, Ph.D.
PAL32 Ing. Irena Paličková, Ph.D.
Extent of instruction for forms of study
Form of studyWay of compl.Extent
Part-time Examination 14+0

Subject aims expressed by acquired skills and competences

The aim of the course: students are able to: - describe the basic economic cathegories, - think in independent and creative way about economic problems, - explain the behaviour of consumers, households and firms - understand, how the product markets and the labour and capital market work. - analyze causes and consequences of market failures and to conceive the microeconomic role of the government.

Teaching methods

Lectures

Summary

The aim of the subject is to make the basis for students’ independent creative economic thinking. The main emphasis is laid on the behaviour of consumers, households, firms and government. Attention is also paid to the labour market and capital market. The course Microeconomics A is followed by the intermediate course Microeconomics B in the 4th year, and in the case of doctoral studies by the advanced course Microeconomics C. 1. Introduction to economics. 2. Market and market mechanism. 3. Theory of utility. 4. Market demand and its elasticity. 5. Firm – its aims and production activity. 6. Costs, revenues and profits of the firm. 7. Perfectly competitive firm. 8. Monopoly. 9. Firm in oligopoly and in monopolistically competitive industry. 10. Labour market. 11. Capital market. 12. Distribution of income and wealth. 13. Externalities and public goods. 14. Public choice theory.

Compulsory literature:

SAMUELSON, Paul Anthony and William D. NORDHAUS. Economics. 19th ed. New York, McGraw-Hill, 2009. ISBN 978-0073511290.

Recommended literature:

HEYNE, Paul, Peter J. BOETTKE a David L. PRYCHITKO. The Economic Way of Thinking. 13th edition. Pearson, 2013. ISBN 978-0132991292. KRUGMAN, Paul and Robin WELLS. Microeconomics. 3rd edition. Worth Publishers, 2012. ISBN 978-1-4292-8342-7. MANKIW, N. Gregory. Principles of Microeconomics. 7th edition. South-Western College Pub, 2014. ISBN 978-1285165905.

Way of continuous check of knowledge in the course of semester

E-learning

Other requirements

It is compulsory to pass a written exam.

Prerequisities

Subject has no prerequisities.

Co-requisities

Subject has no co-requisities.

Subject syllabus:

1. Introduction to economics. • The conception of economics as the science, its aim and methods. • The origin and the genesis of economics. • Positive and normative economics. • The place of economics in the system of economic disciplines. • Main streams of contemporary economic thought. 2. Economic backgrounds and connections of the production. • Needs and resources. The production and consumption. • Production factors and their scarcity. Production factors’ valuing. • The concept of rationality in economics. Opportunity costs. • The physical and institutional production possibility frontier – static and dynamic point of view. 3. Money. • Division of labour and specialization. • The necessity of the exchange. Barter and the formation of money. • The money definition and their forms. • Money functions. 4. Market and market mechanism. • Basic market elements – supply, demand and price. • The logic and mechanics of the market mechanism. • Factors determining the demand and demand quantity. The law of diminishing demand and its interpretation. • Factors determining the supply and supply quantity. • The process of determining the equilibrium market price. • Market failure. • The role of the government in the market economy. 5. The theory of utility. • Cardinalistic and ordinalistic approach to the utility. • The law of the diminishing marginal utility. • The consumer surplus and the „value paradox“. • The indifference analysis. • Assumptions of the rational consumer‘s behaviour – consumer‘s equilibrium. 6. The demand and its elasticity. • Individual, market and aggregate demand. • The price elasticity of demand. • The difference between the slope of the demand curve and the price elasticity of the demand. • The cross elasticity of the demand. • The income elasticity of the demand – the goods‘ typology from the income elasticity viewpoint. 7. The firm – its aims and production activity. • Firm‘s aims. • The choice of technology – combination and substitution of the production factors. • The output and production functions. • The isoquant analysis. • The producer‘s equilibrium. • The law of diminishing marginal productivity. 8. Costs, revenues and profits of the firm. • The economic and accounting approach to the costs. • The costs‘ typology and their graphic expression. • Explicit and implicit costs. • Firm revenues. • The firm profit – normal and economic profit. 9. The firm behaviour in perfect competition conditions. • The market structures‘ typology. • The perfect competition characteristic. The firm as a price-taker. • The production extent decision. The perfect competition firm‘s supply curve shaping. • The firm with economic profit and economic loss. • The break-even point and the shutdown point of the firm. • The sense of perfect competition firm‘s model. 10. The behaviour of the monopoly. • The characteristics of the monopoly. • The difference between determining of the marginal revenue and the price. • The production extent and the decision of the monopoly price. • The monopoly profit. Interpretation of the „dead-weigth-loss“. • Antitrust law. • The natural monopoly and its regulation. 11. The firm behaviour in oligopoly and in monopolistic competition conditions. • The types of oligopoly and the price coordination. • Essential elements of the games theory and their application in oligopoly conditions. • Monopolistic competition and its principles. • The competition by product differentiation – real and seeming differentiation. The role of the advertisement. • The equilibrium of the monopolistic competitive firm in the short run and in the long run. 12. Labour market. • The rationale time alocation and the individual labour supply curve formation. • The market supply of labour. • Determination of the individual labour demand. The market labour demand. • The wage as an equilibrium price of the labour. • The economic rent and the transfer earnings. • Wage differences. Human capital. Discrimination on the labour market. • The role of the government on the labour market. The guarranted minimum salary – its function and consequences. 13. Capital market. • Different forms of capital. • Investments. • The demand for capital. • The supply of capital, savings. • International capital flows. • Investment decisions, present values, an internal rate of returns. • The portfolio, risks and returns. 14. The distribution of income and wealth. • The sources of inequality. • How to measure inequality among income classes. • The role of government in redistribution processes. • Efficiency vs. equality. 15. Externalities and public goods. • Market inefficiency with externalities, graphical analysis of inefficiency. • Policies to correct externalities, government programs and private approaches. • Public vs. private goods, free-rider problem. • Optimal quantity of public goods determination. 16. Public choice theory - Subjects on the political market and their aims. - Mechanism and results of public choice. - Typical situations and problems solved in the public choice. - Government failure.

Conditions for subject completion

Part-time form (validity from: 2012/2013 Winter semester, validity until: 2020/2021 Summer semester)
Task nameType of taskMax. number of points
(act. for subtasks)
Min. number of pointsMax. počet pokusů
Examination Examination 100  51 3
Mandatory attendence participation: not specified

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Conditions for subject completion and attendance at the exercises within ISP:

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Occurrence in study plans

Academic yearProgrammeBranch/spec.Spec.ZaměřeníFormStudy language Tut. centreYearWSType of duty
2019/2020 (B6202) Economic Policy and Administration K Czech Šumperk 1 Compulsory study plan
2019/2020 (B6202) Economic Policy and Administration K Czech Valašské Meziříčí 1 Compulsory study plan
2019/2020 (B6202) Economic Policy and Administration K Czech Ostrava 1 Compulsory study plan
2018/2019 (B6208) Economics and Management K Czech Ostrava 1 Compulsory study plan
2018/2019 (B6202) Economic Policy and Administration K Czech Šumperk 1 Compulsory study plan
2018/2019 (B6202) Economic Policy and Administration K Czech Ostrava 1 Compulsory study plan
2018/2019 (B6202) Economic Policy and Administration K Czech Valašské Meziříčí 1 Compulsory study plan
2017/2018 (B6202) Economic Policy and Administration K Czech Valašské Meziříčí 1 Compulsory study plan
2017/2018 (B6202) Economic Policy and Administration K Czech Šumperk 1 Compulsory study plan
2017/2018 (B6202) Economic Policy and Administration K Czech Ostrava 1 Compulsory study plan
2017/2018 (B6208) Economics and Management K Czech Ostrava 1 Compulsory study plan
2016/2017 (B6202) Economic Policy and Administration K Czech Ostrava 1 Compulsory study plan
2016/2017 (B6202) Economic Policy and Administration K Czech Valašské Meziříčí 1 Compulsory study plan
2016/2017 (B6202) Economic Policy and Administration K Czech Šumperk 1 Compulsory study plan
2016/2017 (B6208) Economics and Management K Czech Ostrava 1 Compulsory study plan
2015/2016 (B6202) Economic Policy and Administration K Czech Ostrava 1 Compulsory study plan
2015/2016 (B6208) Economics and Management K Czech Ostrava 1 Compulsory study plan
2015/2016 (B6202) Economic Policy and Administration K Czech Šumperk 1 Compulsory study plan
2015/2016 (B6202) Economic Policy and Administration K Czech Valašské Meziříčí 1 Compulsory study plan
2014/2015 (B6202) Economic Policy and Administration K Czech Ostrava 1 Compulsory study plan
2014/2015 (B6202) Economic Policy and Administration K Czech Šumperk 1 Compulsory study plan
2014/2015 (B6208) Economics and Management K Czech Ostrava 1 Compulsory study plan
2013/2014 (B6202) Economic Policy and Administration K Czech Šumperk 1 Compulsory study plan
2013/2014 (B6202) Economic Policy and Administration K Czech Ostrava 1 Compulsory study plan
2013/2014 (B6208) Economics and Management K Czech Ostrava 1 Compulsory study plan
2012/2013 (B6202) Economic Policy and Administration K Czech Ostrava 1 Compulsory study plan
2012/2013 (B6202) Economic Policy and Administration K Czech Šumperk 1 Compulsory study plan
2012/2013 (B6208) Economics and Management K Czech Ostrava 1 Compulsory study plan

Occurrence in special blocks

Block nameAcademic yearForm of studyStudy language YearWSType of blockBlock owner
Subject block without study plan - EKF - K - cs 2019/2020 Part-time Czech Optional EKF - Faculty of Economics stu. block

Assessment of instruction



2018/2019 Winter
2017/2018 Winter
2016/2017 Winter
2015/2016 Winter
2014/2015 Summer
2014/2015 Winter
2013/2014 Winter
2012/2013 Summer