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Lilit Matevosyan

Introduction to Microeconomics in the Real World is a complete course of Microeconomics theory and practice. While beginners should have no difficulties, intermediate and advanced students will also satisfy their curiosity. Since the very first classes, we will base our lectures on practical examples and by the end of the course, you will be able to do complex regression analysis for a real company. It will enable you to answer questions such as how much sales should you expect in the upcoming periods, what are the main factors affecting your company sales, and a lot more. Not only you will better understand and manage any company in a business, but also you will be able to act more rationally as a customer simply because you know the rules of the game.

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Introduction to Microeconomics in the Real World is a complete course of Microeconomics theory and practice. While beginners should have no difficulties, intermediate and advanced students will also satisfy their curiosity. Since the very first classes, we will base our lectures on practical examples and by the end of the course, you will be able to do complex regression analysis for a real company. It will enable you to answer questions such as how much sales should you expect in the upcoming periods, what are the main factors affecting your company sales, and a lot more. Not only you will better understand and manage any company in a business, but also you will be able to act more rationally as a customer simply because you know the rules of the game.

My name is Lilit, and I will be guiding you throughout the course. I am a high performing lecturer at Canada Summer Overseas and my courses at udemy currently have more than 500 students. Besides my teaching experience, I also have in-depth experience at both financial and industrial companies.

Thank you and feel free to watch the sample lecture. Waiting for you to join us at the Introduction to Microeconomics in the Real World course.

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What's inside

Learning objectives

  • Main principles and terms of economics (scarcity, opportunity cost, externality, inflation, etc.)
  • Observation, assumptions and economic models
  • The relationship between economy participants
  • The production possibilities frontier
  • Microeconomics vs. macroeconomics
  • Positive vs. normative economics
  • Specialization and trade
  • Import/export
  • Money and its functions
  • Markets and competition
  • Demand and supply (movements, shifts, equilibrium)
  • Price elasticity of demand and its determinants
  • Income and cross-price elasticity of demand
  • Price elasticity of supply and its determinants
  • Price ceiling and price floor
  • Minimum wage impact on the labor market
  • Tax burden division among buyers and sellers
  • Direct vs. indirect taxes
  • Progressive vs. regressive taxes
  • Fiscal vs. monetary policy
  • Consumer and producer surplus
  • Market efficiency
  • Deadweight loss and tax revenue
  • The impact of international trade on importing and exporting countries
  • Tariff and deadweight loss
  • Arguments for restricting trade
  • Positive and negative externalities, social optimum
  • Policies toward externalities
  • Public goods and common resources
  • Tragedy of the commons
  • The design of the tax system
  • The costs of production
  • Economies and diseconomies of scale
  • Break-even analysis
  • Competitive market and its characteristics
  • Monopolies and the reasons why they exist
  • Natural monoply
  • Price descrimination
  • Monopolistic competition and its characteristics
  • Oligopoly, duopoly and the characteristics
  • Game theory (prisoner's dilemma, profits maximization, an arms-race game, a common-resources game)
  • Profit maximization in different markets
  • The markets for the factors of production
  • Earnings and discrimination
  • Maslow's hierarchy of needs
  • Indifference curves and budget constraint
  • Substitutes and complements
  • Income and substitution effects
  • Economics of asymmetric information (moral hazard, adverse selection)
  • Political economy
  • Behavioral economics
  • Regression analysis and various excel calculations
  • Building demand function for a real company
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Syllabus

Externalities
Introduction
Ten Principles of Economics
Thinking Like an Economist
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Traffic lights

Read about what's good
what should give you pause
and possible dealbreakers
Bases lectures on practical examples, which helps learners apply microeconomic principles to real-world business scenarios
Covers core microeconomic principles such as supply and demand, elasticity, and market structures, which are fundamental for economics students
Includes regression analysis and Excel calculations, which are valuable tools for analyzing real-world data in a business context
Explores topics like externalities, public goods, and the design of the tax system, which are relevant to public policy and economic analysis
Examines game theory, behavioral economics, and political economy, which are specialized topics that may be of interest to advanced students
Requires learners to use Excel, which may require learners to purchase a license if they do not already have access to it

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Introduction to microeconomics

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Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in Introduction to Microeconomics in the Real World with these activities:
Review Basic Economic Principles
Reinforce your understanding of fundamental economic concepts to better grasp the nuances of microeconomics.
Browse courses on Scarcity
Show steps
  • Review introductory economics textbooks or online resources.
  • Complete practice quizzes on basic economic principles.
  • Define key terms and explain their significance.
Review 'Naked Economics: Undressing the Dismal Science'
Gain a broader understanding of microeconomic principles through real-world examples and engaging explanations.
Show steps
  • Read the book, focusing on chapters relevant to the course syllabus.
  • Summarize key concepts and examples from each chapter.
  • Relate the book's content to the course lectures and assignments.
Practice Elasticity Calculations
Sharpen your ability to calculate and interpret different types of elasticity, a crucial skill for understanding market dynamics.
Show steps
  • Find practice problems online or in textbooks.
  • Calculate price elasticity of demand for various goods.
  • Calculate income elasticity and cross-price elasticity.
  • Interpret the results and explain their implications.
Four other activities
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Show all seven activities
Create a Presentation on Market Structures
Deepen your understanding of different market structures by creating a presentation that explains their characteristics and implications.
Show steps
  • Research perfect competition, monopoly, monopolistic competition, and oligopoly.
  • Prepare slides outlining the key features of each market structure.
  • Include real-world examples of each market structure.
  • Present your findings to a study group or record a video presentation.
Analyze the Impact of a Real-World Tax
Apply your knowledge of taxation to a real-world scenario by analyzing the impact of a specific tax on consumers and producers.
Show steps
  • Choose a specific tax (e.g., sales tax, excise tax) in your area.
  • Research the tax's history, purpose, and revenue generation.
  • Analyze the tax's impact on consumer prices and producer profits.
  • Write a report summarizing your findings and conclusions.
Review 'Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything'
Explore unconventional applications of microeconomic principles to enhance your understanding of real-world phenomena.
Show steps
  • Read the book, focusing on chapters that relate to microeconomic concepts.
  • Identify the economic principles at play in each chapter's examples.
  • Discuss the book's arguments and conclusions with classmates.
Build a Demand Function for a Local Business
Apply regression analysis to build a demand function for a real company, solidifying your understanding of econometric techniques.
Show steps
  • Choose a local business and obtain sales data.
  • Identify potential factors affecting sales (price, income, advertising, etc.).
  • Collect data on these factors.
  • Perform regression analysis using Excel or other statistical software.
  • Interpret the results and present your demand function.

Career center

Learners who complete Introduction to Microeconomics in the Real World will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:
Economist
An economist studies the production and distribution of resources, goods, and services by collecting and analyzing data, researching trends, and evaluating economic issues. This course, "Introduction to Microeconomics in the Real World" may be useful in providing a firm grasp of microeconomic principles. The course covers a wide range of topics, from supply and demand to market structures and game theory, that can help build a strong foundation for a career as an economist. The course's focus on real-world applications and regression analysis can enhance your ability to apply economic theory to practical problems. For students considering an advanced degree (master's or phd), this can provide an excellent foundation.
Pricing Analyst
A pricing analyst determines optimal pricing strategies for products or services. To be a successful pricing analyst, you need a solid understanding of microeconomic principles. "Introduction to Microeconomics in the Real World" directly addresses this need, providing a thorough grounding in concepts like elasticity of demand, cost of production, and competitive market dynamics. This course may be useful to understand pricing strategies and how they affect demand. The course will enable a pricing analyst to analyze pricing decisions in a company.
Financial Analyst
A financial analyst provides guidance to businesses and individuals making investment decisions. This can include valuing companies, analyzing stocks, and preparing financial reports. To be successful as a financial analyst, a deep understanding of microeconomic principles is essential. This course, "Introduction to Microeconomics in the Real World" can help you grasp these principles, including supply and demand, market equilibrium, and the impact of taxes and international trade. The course's coverage of topics like cost of production, competitive markets, and monopolies can provide a solid foundation for analyzing financial data and making informed recommendations. The regression analysis skills taught by the course may be especially valuable to a financial analyst.
Management Consultant
A management consultant helps organizations solve issues, create value, maximize growth and improve business performance. This person needs a firm grasp of how markets and individual actors work. This course, "Introduction to Microeconomics in the Real World," can help develop that understanding. The course's exploration of topics like market efficiency, externalities, and the costs of production can help you to advise businesses on how to optimize their strategies and improve their bottom line. This course's coverage of game theory may be useful to analyze competitive dynamics and strategic decision-making within organizations.
Business Consultant
A business consultant advises organizations on how to improve their performance and efficiency. This course may be useful in assessing market dynamics and competitive landscapes. "Introduction to Microeconomics in the Real World" will expose you to vital knowledge about various market structures, including competitive markets, monopolies, and oligopolies. The insights into cost analysis, pricing strategies, and market efficiency can help you develop effective solutions for your clients. An understanding of regression analysis, as taught in the course, may be useful to consultants who need to build models or forecast outcomes.
Business Intelligence Analyst
A business intelligence analyst interprets data and transforms it into actionable insights that inform business decisions. This course can help you understand the underlying economic forces that drive market trends and consumer behavior. "Introduction to Microeconomics in the Real World" can equip analysts with the tools to analyze data through an economic lens. The skills in regression analysis may be useful to forecast sales and interpret the factors that influence their company's performance. The course may be particularly valuable for those who need to analyze market data and make strategic recommendations.
Market Research Analyst
A market research analyst studies market conditions to examine potential sales of a product or service. This course, "Introduction to Microeconomics in the Real World" may be useful to help you understand market forces such as supply and demand, elasticity, and the impact of government policies, all of which are crucial for accurate market analysis. The course's detailed exploration of consumer and producer behavior, market efficiency, and the costs of production can help ground your research in sound economic principles. This course can enhance an analyst's ability to interpret data and forecast market trends effectively.
Policy Analyst
A policy analyst researches and analyzes the impact of government policies on various sectors of the economy and society. "Introduction to Microeconomics in the Real World" provides a strong foundation in microeconomic principles and is useful in understanding the potential effects of different policies. The course's coverage of topics like externalities, public goods, and the design of the tax system is especially relevant for policy analysis. The insights into market efficiency, deadweight loss, and the impact of international trade can help policy analysts evaluate the economic consequences of policy decisions.
Actuary
An actuary assesses and manages financial risks. To be an actuary, you need a strong understanding of economic principles and statistical analysis. This course, "Introduction to Microeconomics in the Real World" will help you develop the knowledge you need. The course's coverage of topics like externalities, asymmetric information, and behavioral economics can provide insights into how individuals and markets behave under risk. Furthermore, the course's emphasis on regression analysis can help with predictive modeling, which is a core skill for actuaries. The course may be useful for students planning to earn advanced actuarial credentials.
Data Analyst
A data analyst collects, cleans, and analyzes data to identify patterns and insights. To be a data analyst, you may need to understand how economic principles affect data. This course, "Introduction to Microeconomics in the Real World," introduces students to these principles. The course's emphasis on regression analysis and various Excel calculations can provide you with a practical toolkit for analyzing economic data. This course may be useful for data analysts who work in industries where economic factors play a significant role.
Investment Banker
An investment banker provides financial advice to companies and governments, helping them raise capital through the issuance of stocks and bonds. The ability to assess market conditions and evaluate investment opportunities is key to success. This course, "Introduction to Microeconomics in the Real World" can help an investment banker with economic principles. The course's coverage of topics like market efficiency, externalities, and the impact of international trade can help in assessing the viability of investment opportunities. Especially valuable is the course's focus on regression analysis.
Credit Analyst
A credit analyst analyzes financial data to determine the creditworthiness of individuals and businesses. They assess risk and recommend appropriate credit limits. A strong grasp of economic principles is essential for evaluating the broader economic environment in which borrowers operate. "Introduction to Microeconomics in the Real World" introduces students to principles such as supply and demand, market equilibrium, and the effects of government policies. This course may be useful in understanding how various economic factors can impact a borrower's ability to repay debt.
Real Estate Analyst
A real estate analyst evaluates properties and market trends to provide investment recommendations. This course may be useful in developing a strong foundation in microeconomics, particularly as it relates to supply and demand. "Introduction to Microeconomics in the Real World" introduces these fundamentals and the course looks at factors such as elasticity, market equilibrium, and the impact of government policies. The course's coverage of topics like externalities, public goods, and the design of the tax system may be useful in understanding how government policies can influence real estate values.
Compensation Analyst
A compensation analyst researches and analyzes employee compensation and benefits programs. "Introduction to Microeconomics in the Real World" provides a foundation in microeconomic principles relevant to labor markets. The course's discussion of topics like minimum wage impacts on the labor market, earnings and discrimination, and the markets for the factors of production is helpful for analyzing compensation structures and their economic effects. This course can help analysts understand the economic forces that shape wage levels and benefit offerings.
Compliance Officer
A compliance officer ensures that an organization adheres to laws, regulations, and internal policies. Although seemingly unrelated, microeconomic principles can inform a compliance officer's understanding of market behavior and regulatory impacts. "Introduction to Microeconomics in the Real World" may be useful in providing the skills to analyze the economic implications of regulations and ensure that an organization’s practices align with both the letter and spirit of the law. The knowledge of topics like externalities, market efficiency, and the impact of government policies can aid in assessing the potential consequences of noncompliance and crafting effective compliance strategies.

Reading list

We've selected two books that we think will supplement your learning. Use these to develop background knowledge, enrich your coursework, and gain a deeper understanding of the topics covered in Introduction to Microeconomics in the Real World.
Provides an accessible and engaging introduction to microeconomic principles. It explains complex concepts in plain language, using real-world examples to illustrate key ideas. It is particularly helpful for students who are new to economics or who struggle with abstract concepts. This book serves as a valuable supplement to the course material, offering a different perspective and reinforcing understanding.
Applies economic principles to unconventional topics, demonstrating the power of economic thinking in everyday life. While not a traditional microeconomics textbook, it reinforces core concepts such as incentives, information asymmetry, and market efficiency. It is more valuable as additional reading to broaden the student's perspective. It encourages critical thinking and provides a fresh perspective on the application of microeconomic principles.

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