welfare economics
the study of how the allocation of resources affect economic well-being
willingness to pay
the maximum amount that a buyer will pay for a good
consumer surplus
the amount a buyer is willing to pay for a good minus the amount the buyer actually pays for it
cost
the value of everything a seller must give up to produce a good
producer surplus
the amount a seller is paid for a good minus the sellers cost of providing it
efficiency
the property of a resource allocation of maximizing the total surplus received by all members of society
equality
the property of distributing economic prosperity uniformly among the members of society