Economists study how people make decisions and the consequences of those decisions. For example, what are the key forces at work in the decision to buy a Mac or a PC What factors determine the production of these goods and how is that production organized How do these forces interact to determine the prices we pay for computers and the number of computers produced How would a tax or a subsidy change the prices and quantities Who gains Who loses How do these decisions aggregate to give overall employment and inflation Economics provides a unified framework to think about choice, its consequences, and the ability of policy makers to change outcomes.