The Principles of Microeconomics course was developed through the Ohio Department of Higher Education OER Innovation Grant. This work was completed and the course was posted in December 2019. The course is part of the Ohio Transfer Assurance Guides and is also named OSS004. For more information about credit transfer between Ohio colleges and universities, please visit: www.ohiohighered.org/transfer.Content ContributorsKen Fah                                             Ohio Dominican UniversityJohn Fiske                                         Ohio Dominican UniversityJoe Nowakowski                                Muskingum UniversityLibrarianNathan Wolfe                                     Kenyon CollegeReview TeamMolly Cooper                                     Ohio State University Subbu Kumarappan                          Ohio State University ATI 

In this topic, students will be introduced to the concept of elasticity.  They’ll learn about price elasticity of demand and price elasticity of supply, about their determinants and how to calculate it.  They’ll be introduced to some applications of price elasticity.  They’ll also learn about two other important elasticity measures, cross-price elasticity and income elasticity.  

In this topic, students will be introduced to the elements of international trade. They’ll learn about the gains from trade and how they arise. They’ll learn the difference between absolute and comparative advantage and why comparative advantage is the key to profitable trade. They’ll also be exposed to the types of trade restrictions imposed by governments and the usual justifications for those restrictions.            

In this topic, students will be introduced to the concept of market failure and learn about its two prime examples, the presence of externalities and the provision of public goods. The concept of externalities will be explained through the use of examples such as environmental protection and technological innovation. The resources identified below also include a brief coverage of market efficiency, which would usually be covered elsewhere, if the instructor wishes to review.     

This topic introduces the features of the market for labor, a factor of production.  It examines the factors that determine the demand for labor and supply of labor.  Equilibrium employment and wages under different assumptions of output and labor market structure are presented.  It considers the potential consequences of the minimum wage for workers and employers.  Current developments in US labor markets including labor unions, and their implications for trends in wages and earnings are explored.    

This topic introduces key concepts that form the foundation of much of microeconomic analysis. The material ranges from a discussion of model-building as a way to simplify complex relationships among economic variables to definitions and descriptions of key concepts such as scarcity, efficiency and inefficiency, opportunity cost, comparative advantage and the gains from trade.

In this topic, students will be introduced to monopoly.  They’ll learn what a monopoly is, how it differs from perfect competition and what conditions give rise to it.  They’ll also learn how monopolists decide on the profit-maximizing level of output and price.  The social costs and benefits of monopoly will also be covered.  In addition to monopoly, the topic will cover price discrimination.   

This topic covers the analysis of a firm’s costs in the short and long run.  It explains the important difference between accounting and economic costs (and how that affects the definition of accounting and economic profits).  It also makes the distinction between fixed and variable costs.

This topic presents an analysis of firm behavior under perfect competition. It begins by identifying the requirements for perfect competition. It then covers the definitions and meaning of costs in the short and long run, describes the firm’s profit-maximizing output decision and its entry-exit decisions. It ends with a discussion of the efficiency implications of perfect competition.

An analysis of how the private and public sectors interact, the role of taxes and how the decisions regarding their disposition are made, as well as the role of special interests and voting procedures. 

This topic covers the basics of demand and supply for a principles of microeconomics course.  Students will learn about the determinants of market demand and market supply for a good or service.  It enables students to employ an analytical tool in expressing the potential impacts of changes in market conditions on the consumers and sellers of a good or service.  It provides the basic tools to help students understand the impacts of policies that affect various economic units.