Every economy must ration goods in some way because of overpopulation. When deciding whether to buy a second car, the economic way of thinking indicates that the purchaser should compare the benefits expected from two cars with the cost of both. People buy less beef in response to a rise in the price of beef. A voter supports a politician who favors raising taxes to build a dam the voter opposes. Farmers produce more bushels of wheat in response to an increase in the price of wheat.
People drive less because of higher gas prices.
Mediocre economists often consider only the immediate apparent effects of a change, whereas a good economist will also consider effects that may only become observable over time. This statement most clearly emphasizes the fallacy of composition. A decrease in price leads to an increase in quantity demanded. The temperature outside is 90 degrees. Economics is more difficult than history.