10 Principles of Economics - Mankiw

(It's nice how Mankiw so cleverly summarized the principles in Economics. As he said, "even the most sophisticated economic analysis is built using these ten principles.")

How People Make Decisions

1. People Face Trade-Offs
2. The Cost of Something is What You Give up to Get It
3. Rational People Think at the Margin
4. People Respond to Incentives

How People Interact

5. Trade Can Make Everyone Better Off
6. Markets Are Usually a Good Way to Organize Economic Activity
7. Governments Can Sometimes Improve Market Outcomes

How the Economy As A Whole Works

8. A Country’s Standard of Living Depends on Its Ability to Produce Goods and Services
9. Prices Rise When the Government Prints Too Much Money
10. Society Faces A Short-Run Trade-Off between Inflation and Unemployment

Source: Mankiw N. 2007. Principles of Economics, Fourth Edition