Go to Course: https://www.coursera.org/learn/economics
### Course Review: Introduction to Economics: Incentives and Markets **Course Overview:** The "Introduction to Economics: Incentives and Markets" course on Coursera offers an engaging four-week exploration of foundational economics principles, aimed at demystifying how economic factors influence our daily lives. The course delves into key topics such as opportunity cost, supply and demand, market equilibrium, and elasticity. Its primary aspiration is to cultivate an economic intuitive understanding among learners, enabling them to recognize the practical applications of economics in various aspects of life, including trade, investment, policies, and current news events. What is notably appealing about this course is its focus on real-world applications, allowing students to see the relevance of economic theories. The progression of the course guides learners to think like economists, fostering strong analytical skills that will serve as a strong base for future studies in economics. **Syllabus Highlights:** 1. **Lecture 1: Basic Principles of Economics** - This introductory lecture lays a strong foundation by covering essential economic concepts such as opportunity cost, marginal thinking, the "invisible hand," decision-making processes, and the workings of markets. The inclusion of a small economic game makes learning enjoyable and engaging, allowing students to grasp predictive reasoning in economics. 2. **Lecture 2: Supply and Demand** - Central to economic theory, this lecture dives into supply, demand, and market equilibrium. It highlights the variables that affect supply and demand curves, including sub- and complementary goods. By the end of this lecture, learners will have a comprehensive understanding of how markets achieve equilibrium, as well as the outcomes of changes in supply or demand. 3. **Lecture 3: Market Supply and Demand and Government Policy Impact** - Building on previous concepts, this lecture examines how government price controls, including price ceilings and floors, influence market outcomes. Through this, learners will analyze how changes in supply or demand can impact prices and quantities in the context of policy interventions. 4. **Lecture 4: Surplus** - This lecture introduces the concept of surplus within the realm of welfare economics, focusing on consumer and producer surplus. Students will learn to apply surplus analysis to evaluate the efficacy of policies such as taxation and international trade, gaining insights into their effects on consumer and producer welfare. **Recommendation:** I highly recommend the "Introduction to Economics: Incentives and Markets" course for anyone looking to gain a grounding in economic principles. It is particularly beneficial for beginners who may feel overwhelmed by the complexities of economics. The structure of the course allows learners to proceed at a comfortable pace while engaging with thought-provoking content. The practical examples and interactive elements enhance comprehension and retention, making the learning experience both enjoyable and effective. Whether you want to better understand the economic dynamics that influence your daily life or lay the groundwork for further economic studies, this course is an excellent choice. With its comprehensive approach, this course not only equips learners with fundamental economic knowledge but also ignites a passion for understanding the intricacies of economic interaction in our world. Enroll today and start your journey into the fascinating world of economics!
第一講：經濟學基本原理與介紹
本講是經濟學的入門介紹，含括經濟學的基礎概念，例如機會成本、邊際的概念、看不見的手、人們如何作決策、市場及經濟體如何運作等。本講另外包含了一個經濟學的小遊戲，可以讓你/妳學到何謂理性的預測，同時體會經濟學樂趣。【熟悉這一講的內容，你/妳將可以對經濟學有初步的認識，並對之後的內容奠下基礎。】
第二講：供給與需求本講介紹了經濟學中最核心的部分：供給、需求及市場均衡，內容包括影響供給、需求線變動的因素、替代品及互補品的概念。最後介紹市場如何達到均衡的過程，以及當供給或需求發生變動時，如何對市場均衡造成影響。【熟悉本講的內容，你/妳將可對供需及市場運作等概念有完整的認識。】
第三講：市場供給與需求及政府政策影響本講承繼上一講的內容，運用供給需求的概念來看政府實施價格管制的政策效果，內容包括價格上限及價格下限對市場造成的影響，並進一步分析當實施價格管制時，供給或需求發生改變將會如何影響市場價格、數量。【熟悉本講的內容，你/妳將可了解政府價格管制相關政策的政策效果。】
第四講：剩餘本講介紹為福利經濟學中的基本概念─剩餘，透過需求、供給線得到消費者剩餘及生產者剩餘，進一步將剩餘的概念運用到政策效果分析，透過剩餘的改變來看政府課稅及開放國際貿易對消費者及生產者福利的變化。【熟悉本講內容，你/妳將可運用供給、需求及剩餘的概念判斷政府政策對於經濟體的影響。】
本課程將在四週中介紹經濟學的基礎內容，包含基本經濟學原理、機會成本、供給需求、市場均衡、彈性等，課程旨在讓學習者了解經濟學範疇的入門內容，進而培養經濟直覺。課程中包含許多現實生活出現的案例，讓學習者了解經濟學在生活中各個面向的運用。 在生活中我們幾乎每天都會聽到或處理經濟相關問題，例如：交易、投資、政策、新聞內容等，經濟和人類活動的關連是如此緊密，但許多人卻對經濟學內容一知半解，透過這門課程逐步的學習，學習者將逐漸學到如何以經濟學家的方式剖析問題，對經濟議題建立正確的判斷能力，並奠定學習其他經濟學進階課程的基礎，也希望讓更多人了解經濟學的美妙之處。
很棒的課程，對於完全沒有經濟學基礎的我非常有幫助。我也閱讀完了蘋果橘子經濟學，發現經濟學其實可以很生活化的運用！非常推薦這個課程
林明仁老師透過容易理解的說法和豐富的舉例，讓沒有經濟學基礎的學生也能夠因此喜歡上經濟學、進一步了解更多相關的知識。
教授的教學淺顯易懂，點出了很多平常在生活中看到的狀況，讓我學到如何從經濟學的角度解析遇到的事件，進一步用不一樣的觀點來了解事情的全貌。
我是完全沒修過經濟學的文組人，由於老師的教學非常深入淺出、也會提供許多例子輔助各種理論的說明(eg.以沉默成本講解分手)，讓課程變得相當生動有趣，我也非常享受四周的課程，非常希望老師能再開新課!