How much should you get paid for your job? Well, that depends on a lot of factors. Your skill set, the demand for the skills you have, and what other people are getting paid around you all factor in. In a lot of ways, labor markets work on supply and demand, just like many of the markets we talk about in Crash Course Econ. But, again, there aren't a lot of pure, true markets in the world. There are all kinds of oddities and regulations that change the way labor markets work. One common (and kind of controversial one) is the minimum wage. The minimum wage has potential upsides and downsides, and we'll take a look at the various arguments for an against it.

This week, Adriene and Jacob teach you about macroeconomics. This is the stuff of big picture economics, and the major movers in the economy. Like taxes and monetary policy and inflation and policy. We need this stuff, because if you don't have a big picture of the economy, crashes and panics are more likely. Of course, economics is extremely complex and unpredictable. Today we'll talk about GDP as a measure of a country's economic health, the basics of economic analysis, and even a little about full employment, unemployment

This week Jacob and Adriene teach you about marginal analysis, which you're using RIGHT NOW! The video is coming from inside the house! Or something. You'll learn how marginal analysis guides the decision making if cities, nations, companies, and amusement park enthusiasts. We'll also look at the idea of elasticity, and what people are willing to pay for certain stuff based on the supply. Why is a Van Gogh worth more than an OBEY poster? (hint: it's because they're still cranking out the OBEY posters, and Vincent is dead) All this and more on Crash Course Economics!

This week on Crash Course Econ, Jacob and Adriene are talking about failure. Specifically, we're talking about market failures. When markets don't provide a good or service efficiently, that's a market failure. When markets fail, often governments step in to provide those services. Stuff like public education or military protection are good examples of market failures. So, what are some of the ways governments address, market failures? Well, it's funny you should ask, as we also talk about that in this episode. We'll get into taxes and subsidies and externalities and a bunch of other important stuff this week on Crash Course Econ.

Adriene and Jacob teach you all about markets. So, in free market(ish) economies like the United States and most of the world, markets are a big deal. Markets work to produce the stuff that consumers want, and that society needs. Today we'll talk about productive and allocative efficiency, skinny jeans, price signals, and more in this information-dense installment of Crash Course.

So, we've been putting off a kind of basic question here. What is money? What is currency? How are the two different. Well, not to give away too much, but money has a few basic functions. It acts as a store of value, a medium of exchange, and as a unit of account. Money isn't just bills and coins. It can be anything that meets these three criteria. In US prisons, apparently, pouches of Mackerel are currency. Yes, mackerel the fish. Paper and coins work as money because they're backed by the government, which is an advantage over mackerel. So, once you've got money, you need finance. We'll talk about borrowing, lending, interest, and stocks and bonds. Also, this episode features a giant zucchini, which Adriene grew in her garden. So that's cool.

What is a monopoly? It turns out, it's more than just a board game. It's a terrible, terrible economic practice in which giant corporations dominate markets and hurt consumers. Except when it isn't. In some industries, monopolies are the most efficient way to do business. Utilities like electricity, water, and broadband internet access are probably less efficiently delivered in competitive markets. Come along, and let us monopolize your attention for a few minutes. You might learn something. And you might land on Free Parking.

So, during times of inflation or deflation, why doesn't the government just set prices? It sounds reasonable, but price ceilings or floors just don't work. Adriene and Jacob explain why. Subsidies, however, are a little different, and sometimes they even work. We'll also explain that. Today you'll learn about stuff like price controls, deadweight loss, subsidies, and efficiency.

Why are some countries rich? Why are some countries poor? In the end it comes down to Productivity. This week on Crash Course Econ, Adriene and Jacob investigate just why some economies are more productive than others, and what happens when an economy is mor productive. We'll look at how things like per capita GDP translate to the lifestyle of normal people. And, there's a mystery.

If you're ever put in charge of a national economy, there are a few things you should try to avoid. Before you laugh, just remember, you COULD be in charge of an economy someday. Someone has to do it, and anyway, if it could happen to Alan Greenspan, it could happen to you, too. The first thing you're going to want to avoid is hyperinflation. Don't print too much money, okay? Actually, it's a little more complicated than that. Jacob and Adriene will explain. You're also going to want to stay away from recessions, and especially depressions. In the world as it exists today, continued growth is the only path to viability. While some argue for sustainability or even controlled recession, you're not going to keep a job as head of central bank thinking like that in this day and age. Also, avoid stagflation, which is a stagnant, no-growth economy combined with inflation. It's just the worst. Don't do it. All this and more on this week's Crash Course Economics.

How do companies make money? What are profits? Revenues? How are prices set? This week, Jacob and Adriene are talking business. Whether you're selling cars, pizza, or glow sticks, this video has pretty much all the information you need to run a business. Well, not really, but there's a lot of good stuff in here.

In which Adriene Hill and Jacob Clifford teach you about specialization and trade, and how countries decide whether they're going to make stuff or trade for stuff. You'll learn about things like comparative advantage, the production possibilities frontier and how to make pizza!

We've been talking about the unavoidables recently. Last time, we covered Death. This time, it's taxes. So, what are taxes? Why do we pay taxes? What is all that tax money used for? This week, Adriene is going to cover all that and more. We'll talk about types of taxes, progressive and regressive taxes, tax brackets, and we'll even get into a few historical scenarios where bad tax policy led to revolutions.

What is an underground economy? Whether you call it a black market, a grey market, or just the shop down the street, its about connecting people with goods outside of official channels. Some stuff happens in the underground economy because it's illegal, but a lot of the money that moves around this way is exchanged for pretty mundane goods and services. We'll talk about how these things work, and the awesome ways that economists figure out where all that money is.

This week on Crash Course Economics, we're talking about monetary policy. The reality of the world is that the United States (and most of the world's economies) are, to varying degrees, Keynesian. When things go wrong, economically, the central bank of the country intervenes to try aand get things back on track. In the United States, the Federal Reserve is the organization that steps in to use monetary policy to steer the economy. When the Fed, as it's called, does step in, there are a few different tacks it can take. The Fed can change interest rates, or it can change the money supply. This is pretty interesting stuff, and it's what we're getting into today.