High School Economics Topics

Introduction

The Council for Economic Education (CEE) has compiled a list of the 51 key economics concepts common to all U.S. State requirements for high school classes in economics.

The resources arranged here supplement these recommended CEE topics. These free resources are appropriate for teachers of high school and AP economics, social studies, and history classes. They are also appropriate for interested students, home schoolers, and newcomers to the topic of economics.

Materials have been selected for authoritativeness, quality of writing, liveliness, and ease of understanding. Most of the suggested readings and podcasts were prepared by internationally respected professors of economics. Many are selected from the Concise Encyclopedia of Economics (CEE), a widely used economics reference first published in 1993. Links to podcasts, original source materials, and other web pages are also included.

List of Topics

Fundamental Economics | Macroeconomics | Microeconomics | International Economics | Personal Finance Economics

Fundamental Economics

Decision Making and Cost-Benefit Analysis

Division of Labor and Specialization

Economic Institutions

Economic Systems

Incentives

Money

Opportunity Cost

Productive Resources

Productivity

Property Rights

Scarcity

Technology

Trade, Exchange and Interdependence

Macroeconomics

Aggregate Demand

Aggregate Supply

Budget Deficits and Public Debt

Business Cycles

Economic Growth

Employment and Unemployment

Fiscal Policy

GDP

Inflation

Monetary Policy and the Federal Reserve

Real vs. Nominal

Microeconomics

Competition and Market Structures

Consumers

Demand

Elasticity of Demand

Entrepreneurs

Government Failures/Public-Choice Analysis

Income Distribution

Market Failures

Markets and Prices

Price Ceilings and Floors

Producers

Profit

Roles of Government

Supply

International Economics

Balance of Trade and Balance of Payments

Barriers to Trade

Benefits of Trade/Comparative Advantage

Economic Development

Foreign Currency Markets/Exchange Rates

Personal Finance Economics

Compound Interest

Credit

Financial Markets

Human Capital

Insurance

Money Management/Budgeting

Risk and Return

Saving and Investing