Question

Suppose that you are president of the student government, and you have to decide how to allocate a $20,000 fund for guest speakers for the year. Conan O’Brien and Will Ferrell each cost $10,000 per appearance, Stephen Colbert costs $20,000 per appearance, and former economic advisers to the government charge $1,000 per lecture. Explain the economic problem of choice and scarcity in this case. What issues would you consider in arriving at a decision?

Answer 1

Economic resources are scarce, making each consumer face an individual budget constraint. So consumers should make choices that maximize their satisfaction in the face of their budget constraints. To make the choices, consumers use their preferences. In this matter, the student organization resources available for hiring speakers is $ 20,000. That means their budget constraint is $ 20,000. Then, they should choose, from the speakers that cost up to this value, the one that generates the greatest benefit for the student group. This is a choice based on group preferences.