This document discusses microeconomics and macroeconomics as the two divisions of modern economic theory. It defines microeconomics as the study of individual decision-making units like firms and consumers and their role in determining prices. Macroeconomics is defined as the analysis of aggregates for the entire economy, such as GDP, employment, and inflation. The document also outlines the deductive and inductive methods used in economic investigation, with deduction reasoning from general assumptions to specific conclusions and induction using experiments and data to derive general principles.
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Modern Approach and Methods of Economic Investigation
1. TOPIC-2
Modern Approach
Micro-economics and Macro-economics
Methods of Economic Investigation
Deduction & Induction
2. Modern Approach :
This approach divides subject matter of economics into
two divisions i.e., micro economics and macro economics.
The terms micro and macro economics were first coined
and used by Ragnar Frisch in 1933.
1. Micro-Economics or Price Theory: The term micro-
economics is derived from the Greek word micro, which
means small or a millionth part. It is also known as price
theory.
It is an analysis of the behaviour of small decision-making
unit, such as a firm, or an industry, or a consumer, etc. It
studies only the employment in a firm or in an industry. It also
studies the flow of economic resources or factors of
production from the resource owners to business firms and
the flow of goods and services from the business firms to
households. It studies the composition of such flows and
how the prices of goods and services in the flow are
determined.
3. Limitations of Micro-Economics:
Micro-economic analysis suffers from certain
limitations:
It does not give an idea of the functioning of the
economy as a whole.
It fails to analyse the aggregate employment level of
the economy, aggregate demand, inflation, gross
domestic product, etc.
It assumes the existence of full employment in
the whole economy, which is practically impossible.
4. 2. Macro-Economics or
Theory of Income and Employment:
The term macro-economics is derived from the
Greek word macro, which means large. Macro-
economics is an analysis of aggregates and averages
pertaing to the entire economy, such as national
income, gross domestic product, total employment,
total output, total consumption, aggregate demand,
aggregate supply, etc. Macro-economics looks to
the nation's total economic activity to determine
economic policy and promote economic progress.
5. Importance of Macro-Economics:
It is helpful in understanding the functioning of a
complicated economic system.
It also studies the functioning of global economy. With
growth of globalisation and WTO regime, the study of
macro-economics has become more important.
It is very important in the formulation of useful
economic policies for the nation to remove the
problems of unemployment, inflation, rising prices and
poverty.
Through macro-economics, the national income can be
estimated and regulated. The per capita income and
the peoples living standard are also estimated through
macro- economic study.
6. Limitations of Macro-Economics:
Individual is ignored altogether. For example, in
macro-economics national saving is increased
through increasing tax on consumption, which
directly affects the consumer welfare.
The macro-economic analysis overlooks individual
differences. For instance, the general price level
may be stable, but the prices of food grains may
have gone up which ruin the poor.
A steep rise in manufactured articles may conceal a
calamitous fall in agricultural prices, while the
average prices were steady. The agriculturists may
be ruined.
7. Methods of Economics Investigation :
There are two methods of economic investigation
that are used in economic theory i.e.,
and
1) Deductive method
2) Inductive Method
8. 1. Deductive Method:
This method involves reasoning or inference from
the general to the particular or from the universal
to the individuals. It is also known as the abstract,
analytical, hypothetical or apriori method.
Deduction involves four steps:
(1) Selecting the problems
(2) Formulating the assumptions
(3) Formulating the hypothesis through the process
of logical reasoning whereby inferences are drawn
and
(4) Verifying the hypothesis.
9. 2. Inductive Method:
This method is also known as Concrete method,
historical method or realistic method. It involves
reasoning from particulars to the general or from
the individual to the universal. This method derives
economic generalizations on the basis of
experiments and observations.
In this method detailed data are collected on
certain economic phenomenon and effort is then
made to arrive at certain generalizations which
follow from the observations collected.
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