The goal of socialist economies is to: Allocate resources efficiently Level the playing field by seeking equal opportunity Create equal outcomes through the redistribution of income/wealth Promote the direction of the economy through the invisible hand

Suppose that: 1. malaysia requires 1 hour of labor to produce 1 pound of rice and 2 hours of labor to produce 1 pencil; 2. indonesia requires 2 hours of labor to produce 1 pound of rice and 4 hours of labor to produce 1 pencil; 3. each country has 10,000 hours of labor to allocate between the production of rice and pencils; and 4. in autarky, malaysia consumes 5,000 pounds of rice and 2,500 pencils. which country has an absolute advantage in rice production? in pencil production? which country has a comparative advantage in rice production? in pencil production? will trade between the two countries be mutually beneficial?

Oceanside marine company manufactures special metallic materials and decorative fittings for luxury yachts that require highly skilled labor. oceanside uses standard costs to prepare its flexible budget. for the first quarter of the year, direct materials and direct labor standards for one of their popular products were as follows: direct materials: 2 pound per unit; $ 11 per pound direct labor: 2 hours per unit; $ 19 per hour oceanside produced 2 comma 000 units during the quarter. at the end of the quarter, an examination of the direct materials records showed that the company used 7 comma 500 pounds of direct materials and actual total materials costs were $ 98 comma 100. what is the direct materials cost variance? (round any intermediate calculations to the nearest cent, and your final answer to the nearest dollar.)

Self-interest achieve society’s economic goals because producers know which goods consumers want the most. as consumers and producers exercise their freedom to act in their own self-interest, markets will produce the desired goods at the lowest possible cost. consumers and producers both operate based on society’s economic goals. consumers know which goods can be produced at the lowest cost. there is a wide variety of desired goods and services in a market system because producers determine what to produce. consumers change their minds frequently. there is always a need to produce something new and improved. individual wants are diverse. what is produced is ultimately determined by consumers, because if the goods offered are not what consumers want, consumers will not buy them. producers, because they are driven by profits. producers, because they determine what to produce. consumers, because they participate in marketing surveys.