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Macroeconomics vs. Microeconomics - What They Are and What They're Used For

Image by Marga Santoso
Santiago Bel
October 5, 2024

People normally tend to associate economics with money, graphs or Wall Street. However, it is primarily about the choices the people, businesses, and countries make and how these choices impact them. The two parts of economics are: microeconomics that studies subjects closely, and macroeconomics which examines the subjects from a broader perspective. These departments are different in terms of the approaches they use to analyze the economy while still focusing on the same subject. The existence of these two different views makes one see the changes more distinctly, be it in the price of a candy or in the way the government handles its finances.


Have you ever wondered how people such as you, your neighbors, and local shops decide on what to produce or buy? Microeconomics is the one that closely studies such decisions. Instead of contemplating the global picture, it focuses on people, families, and businesses and studies their buying, selling, and making activities. It talks in detail about such things as prices, wages, enthusiasm for business, and consumer behavior. Imagine microeconomics telling us why theater fares in the afternoon are lower, why Starbucks alters its prices according to the popularity of its products, or why the cost of housing rises as the number of people increases. Think of supply and demand: if demand rises but supply stays the same, then prices will increase. When there is more of something available, prices go down. Or when people want less of it, prices go down. These small pieces of buying and selling that occur all the time are what make the whole system work.


You are dealing with microeconomics every day without realizing it. Have you ever thought about the reasons behind companies increasing their prices? Or why are some jobs paying more than others? Maybe even if you should save money or spend it? This is the point at which this stuff comes in handy. Microeconomics works with businesses to enable them to make better decisions concerning what they should sell and the ways of getting customers. Governments also employ these concepts. For instance, they may offer tax cuts for electric vehicles in order to attract people to consume more eco friendly energy.


Macroeconomics, on the other hand, is the study of the entire economy and not just the small parts of it. Instead of concentrating on one business or person, it deals with the significant changes that are, e.g., a country's growth rate, unemployment rate, and inflation rate. For instance, what causes an economic downturn? Why are prices going up all over the country? What tools does the government have to speed up or slow down the growth of the economy?


In Economics, Government spending and control of the money supply are two essential things to consider. The Government changes its budget, the balance between tax revenue and spending, to have a different effect on the economy. Thus, when the economic activity slows down, they might increase expenditures on renovating roads and bridges or reducing taxes with a view to people purchasing more. The Federal Reserve is the US financial management committee. It regulates the economy by modifying the interest rates and the money supply. When the rates are lowered, loans become less expensive, hence money borrowing for business and investing will be more frequent, among both people and enterprises. Contrary to that, increasing those rates makes it tough to get a loan which, in turn, takes care of rising prices/inflation.


After a long period of raising rates to keep inflation in check, the Federal Reserve decided to lower borrowing costs in 2024 and 2025. The Federal Reserve took this step in reaction to a weak labor market and a wish to stimulate individuals and businesses to lend more. These moves show the management of the national economy, which aims to balance growth, job opportunities, and stable prices. Understanding how economies function can give you a better grasp of the events around you. For instance, when COVID 19 came, governments resorted to measures of giving money to families and credit to businesses in order to avert disaster. This event is an example of employing a broad strategy to maintain the stability in times of uncertainty for the majority.


Small pieces of an economy might seem separate from each other, however, they are all interlinked to create a bigger picture. People make decisions daily which affect the economy of a country. Businesses usually experience a drop in their earnings when the whole community decides to save rather than spend money. Thus, they might have to lay off workers, or the country's economy may come to a standstill. The phenomenon is called the paradox of thrift: when people are money wise, it harms the economy as a whole.


Any novice can grasp a great deal out of economics lessons that provide them with clearer insights into the working of the world. Microeconomics is a field that studies the decision making process of the people regarding issues like money, businesses, and even future jobs. Whereas Macroeconomics deal with large scale problems such as inflation, employment and government actions impacting everyday life. At the core, Economics is about bonds. It has two aspects: one, which concentrates on the decisions made by people and businesses and the other, that shows the impact of those decisions on the performance of the country as a whole. Knowing both sides be it inflation, government taxes, or unemployment gives you an idea of how the economy works along with helping you plan your finances better.

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2025 Holmdel Journal For Applied Economics
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