Economics is about choice and the impact of our choices on each other. It relates to every aspect of our lives, from the decisions we make as individuals or families, to the structures created by governments and firms. The economic way of thinking can help us make better choices. You may have never studied economics before, and yet when you open a newspaper what do you read? "?a report from our economics correspondent". Turn on the news on TV and what do you see? An item on the state of the economy. Talk to friends and often the conversation will turn to the price of this or that product, or if you have got enough money to afford this or that. Economics affects our daily lives. Continually we are being made aware of local, national and international economic problems, and continually we are faced with economic problems and decisions of our own. Current issues could include:? What caused the "credit crunch"?? Can the 'debt culture' amongst UK consumers ever be reversed?? How will the UK economy deal with ever increasing petrol prices? Many people think Economics is all about money, and to some extent this is true. Economics has a lot to do with money; how are wage levels in an economy decided, how much people spend, what it costs to buy various items, what level of profits can firms earn. But economics is about much more than just the study of money. It is the study of how best to satisfy unlimited wants with limited resources. Skills required to do well in A Level Economics, you are likely to be:? Very interested in the big issues in the world around us? Aware of political policies and objectives? Good at analysing problems? Highly numerate and highly literate? Able to look at an argument from both sides?