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DIAMOND-WATER PARADOX: The perplexing observation that water, which is more useful than diamonds, has a lower price. If price is related to utility, how can this occur? This paradox was first proposed by classical economists in the 19th century and was subsequently used as a stepping stone for developing the notion of marginal utility and the role it plays in the demand price of a good. The paradox is magically cleared up with an understanding of marginal utility and total utility. People are willing to pay a higher price for goods with greater marginal utility. As such, water which is plentiful has enormous total utility, but a low price because of a low marginal utility. Diamonds, however, have less total utility because they are less plentiful, but a high price because of a high marginal utility.
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COMPENSATING WAGE DIFFERENTIALS Different wages paid to different workers or in different markets that adjust for differences in the jobs or in the productivity of the workers. Wage differentials occur for many reasons. Quite often they are the result of the personal preferences of workers. In some cases workers are willing to "buy" leisure-time or other types of household production by taking lower wages. Differences in job risks, education, and location are also reasons for the persistence of wage differentials.
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Getting The Most Out Of WORKING WOMENNo pedestrian excursion around the economy could be even remotely considered complete without a stop at the Shady Valley Museum of Traditional Family Life. Just beyond the freshly painted white picket fence and the newly mown lawn resides a full-scale, life-like, fully functional model of the traditional family. The two-car garage houses Mom's good old reliable family stationwagon right next to Dad's sensible four-door sedan. Inside the humble, but well-kept abode, we can find young Billy, who aspires to a career as a highly-paid doctor, and his sister, little Debbie, who hopes to marry a highly-paid doctor. The faithful family dog, Spot, is resting comfortably at the feet of our traditional husband, provider, and father, who has just returned from a long, hard day on the office. He has worked long and hard on this day to provide for his traditional family. Purring at the feet of our traditional wife, mother, and homemaker, is Fluffy, the family cat. Our traditional wife is busily preparing the night's traditional family fare of pot roast, potatoes, and green beans. After the meal, she will gaily clean the evening's dishes, a fine ending to her day that has been filled with shopping, baking, and cleaning. How quaint!
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BROWN PRAGMATOX [What's This?]
Today, you are likely to spend a great deal of time browsing through a long list of dot com websites wanting to buy either a birthday greeting card for your aunt or a wall poster commemorating the moon landing. Be on the lookout for deranged pelicans. Your Complete Scope
This isn't me! What am I?
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Only 1% of the U.S. population paid income taxes when the income tax was established in 1914.
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"The roots of education are bitter, but the fruit is sweet." -- Aristotle
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AER American Economic Review
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