Mavzu: "mikroiqtisodiyot" fanining mazmuni, maqsadi va vazifalari

The rule of rational choice is that in trying to make themselves better off, people 
alter their behavior if the expected marginal benefits from doing so outweigh the 
expected 
marginal 
costs.
2
Robert L.Sexton “Exploring Economics” Chapter 2: The Economic Way of Thinking 

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In an uncertain world, the actual result of changing behavior may not always make 
people better off. However, as a matter of rationality, people are assumed to engage 
only in behavior that they think ahead of time will make them better off. That is, 
individuals will only pursue an activity if expected marginal benefits are greater than 
expected marginal costs, or E(MB) > E(MC). 
The rule of rational choice is simply the rule of being sensible, and most economists 
believe that individuals act as if they are sensible and apply the rule of rational choice 
to their daily lives 
We can use marginal thinking to evaluate pollution levels. We have to weigh the 
expected marginal benefits of a cleaner environment against the expected marginal 
costs of a cleaner environment. Zero pollution levels would be far too costly in terms 
of what we would have to give up. 
Just as we can have optimal (or best) levels of pollution that are greater than zero, the 
same marginal thinking can be used to analyze crime and safety issues. What would it 
cost society to have zero crime? It would probably be impossible to eliminate crime.
Regarding safety, the issue is not safe or unsafe products, but rather how much safety 
consumers want. (For example, Peltzmans study of car safety regulations and 
increased reckless driving.) 
In the News: Weighing the Benefits and Costs of Punting on Fourth Down