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This course used the open-source textbook, “Economy, Society, and Public Policy,” published by the nonprofit Core Econ. The textbook offers real-world applications that readers find more useful than what’s typically discussed in traditional textbooks
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- Chapter 1: The relationship between capitalism and income inequality
- Chapter 2: Game theory and rational decision making
- Chapter 3: How policymakers and economists assess fairness and efficiency
- Chapter 4: Finding balance between work and leisure (like an economist)
- Chapter 5: What is an “economic rent” and how does it influence working conditions?
- Chapter 6: Why companies often pay workers more than minimum wage
- Chapter 7: A primer on supply and demand, and how firms maximize profits
- Chapter 8: How competition impacts consumer prices and worker wages
- Chapter 9: How credit markets work, and why they perpetuate inequality
- Chapter 10: Why banks have the power to create new money
- Chapter 11: When markets fail, what happens next?
- Chapter 12: The role that governments play in the economy (governments can fail too!)
Econ 101 is a production of Marketplace, a listener-supported public journalism outlet. Consider making a donation to support our mission to make people smarter about the economy, tech and the world. Your donation today makes for a better Marketplace tomorrow.
This course was written and edited by Ellen Rolfes, Erica Phillips, Tony Wagner and David Brancaccio. It was originally published in February 2023 and updated in November 2024.