positive economics
1
6.3
- noun
- /ˈpɒzɪtɪv ɪˈkɒnəmɪks/
- Specialized
:
economía positiva
- In positive economics, analysts focus on factual statements, such as the impact of inflation on purchasing power.
Examples
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The liberal internationalist will also support free trade because there is a strong argument from positive economics that trade increases total wealth (comparative advantage, specialization, competition, etc.).
Blog text (1) -
"Normative economics and the art of economics," on the other hand, cannot be independent of positive economics.
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Now, how does positive economics apply to these three cases?
Blog text (1) -
Yet in positive economics, it's all "value-free science."
Academic text (2011) -
Ethics too can be greatly enriched by positive economics.
Academic text (1992) -
Let us move from normative to positive economics, and consider Long's objections to the thesis that in the free market, wages tend to be based upon marginal productivities.
Blog text (10) -
The principles of positive economics help economists predict the effects of various economic policies without bias.
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In positive economics, researchers examine data to describe economic trends accurately.
Antonyms
- Specialized
Expressing opinions about how the economy should be and what governments should do
How Objective
- Specialized
4
8.4
- Specialized
1
6.3
- Specialized
- Specialized
Surface Forms
Morphology
This is an academic term in which 'positive' has the technical sense 'descriptive, value-free', not the everyday meaning 'good' or 'optimistic'. A B1 learner who knows only the common senses of 'positive' and 'economics' would likely not derive this specialized meaning and might misinterpret it, so prior exposure or explanation is needed.
Etymology
Positive economics uses positive in an old sense that means 'about facts', not 'good'. It names the part of economics that tries to describe and predict 'what is' without saying 'what should be'.