Test: Economy and Economics - UPSC MCQ

Economics is the social science that deals with the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. It studies how individuals, businesses, and governments allocate resources to fulfill their unlimited wants and needs.

In a market economy, the allocation of resources is driven by the interaction of producers and consumers in the marketplace. Decisions are based on supply and demand, and prices play a crucial role in guiding resource allocation.

GDP is a key indicator of a country's economic health. It measures the total monetary value of all goods and services produced within a country's borders in a given time period (usually a year).

Inflation is the increase in the general price level of goods and services in an economy over time. It reduces the purchasing power of money, as each unit of currency buys fewer goods and services.

The economic system characterized by government ownership of key industries and centralized planning is known as socialism. In a socialist system, the government often controls major sectors of the economy, such as healthcare, education, transportation, and utilities, with the aim of ensuring equal distribution of resources and services among the population. Centralized planning refers to the government making economic decisions and planning production and distribution of goods and services rather than relying on market forces.

The World Bank provides financial and technical assistance to developing countries to support various projects aimed at reducing poverty, improving infrastructure, and promoting economic development.

The Federal Reserve System, also known as the Fed, is the central banking system of the United States. Its primary role is to conduct monetary policy, including managing interest rates and the money supply, to promote stable prices and maximum employment.

The Gini coefficient is a statistical measure of income or wealth inequality within a country. It ranges from 0 to 1, where 0 represents perfect equality (everyone has the same income) and 1 represents perfect inequality (one person has all the income).

The unemployment rate is the percentage of the labor force that is unemployed and actively seeking employment. It is an important indicator of the health of an economy and the availability of job opportunities.

Fiscal policy involves the use of government spending and taxation to influence the economy. It aims to achieve economic goals such as promoting growth, reducing unemployment, and controlling inflation.

The balance of trade is the difference between a country's exports and imports of goods and services. If exports exceed imports, it results in a trade surplus, while the opposite leads to a trade deficit.

Opportunity cost is the value of the next best alternative that is given up when a decision is made. It represents the trade-off between different choices and helps in understanding the real cost of decision-making.

A trade deficit occurs when the value of a country's imports exceeds the value of its exports. It means the country is buying more goods and services from other nations than it is selling to them.

Elasticity measures the sensitivity of the quantity demanded or supplied of a good or service to changes in its price, income, or other factors. It helps understand consumer behavior and market dynamics.

A regressive tax takes a larger percentage of income from low-income earners than from high-income earners. Sales tax is an example of a regressive tax because it imposes the same percentage on all consumers, regardless of their income levels.

The main goal of monetary policy is to control inflation and promote economic growth. Central banks use tools such as interest rates and open market operations to achieve these objectives.

Laissez-faire economics advocates for minimal government intervention in the economy. It believes that markets are self-regulating and will naturally reach an optimal equilibrium without government interference.

The IMF provides financial assistance to member countries facing balance of payments problems and offers economic policy advice to promote stable and sustainable economic growth.

Economists believe that the level of education and human capital of a country's population is a crucial determinant of its standard of living. Skilled and educated workers are more productive, leading to higher economic output.

Capital resources refer to man-made goods used to produce other goods and services. Money is considered a capital resource as it facilitates investment and the purchase of other resources needed for production.