What is Cateris Paribus?
Cateris Paribus is an expression in Latin which literally translates into "assuming all things are constant or the same". The easiest example of application in everyday life, for example, the law of gravity states that an object thrown upwards will fall back to the ground, CATERIS PARIBUS gravity will make an object thrown upwards fall to the ground as long as nothing has changed.
So what if there was something else that kept him floating in the air and not falling to the ground? A strong gust of wind is one example of another that has not taken into account. The law of gravity still applies, even if the object that was thrown upwards did not fall to the ground.
Scholars use it to explain the theory behind the laws of economics and nature. An economist might argue that raising the minimum wage will increase unemployment, increasing the money supply in the market will cause inflation, reducing marginal costs will increase economic returns for a company, and so on.
Cateris Paribus in Economics
Ceteris paribus concepts and phrases are widely used in economics. This is because there are so many variables that are constantly changing. The example of the law of gravity above is easier to understand because there are rarely other things that affect it, where all objects that are thrown upwards, will always fall to the ground, in accordance with applicable natural laws.
However, this cannot happen in the economic sector. Everything is always changing. That would certainly make it more difficult to make laws of economics than laws of physics. The following is an example of how an economist uses ceteris paribus to explain the law of demand. You have to focus on the independent variable which is demand, and the dependent variable which is price.
The law of demand states that if demand falls, ceteris paribus, the price will go down to meet demand.
With the word otherwise, when people want fewer goods or services, sellers lower prices. They can reduce production to reduce supply and keep prices the same, or they can upgrade products to stimulate demand. That's what Apple, Inc. did to keep prices the same. high prices.Sometimes the producer cannot lower the price because the ' cost ' is too high. In this case, of course the volume of demand will decrease.
Example of Cateris Paribus
- Interest rates
When interest rates rise, the demand for debt decreases, because borrowing costs increase. What goes unnoticed is in the broader economy. For example, if a business is doing well and wants to grow, an increase in interest rates will not deter the business from making loans.
Furthermore, high interest rates occur when money 'floods' the market is high. When the money supply is high, inflation usually occurs. If people expect inflation, they will also expect the real value of their debt to increase.
While there are other factors that will drive demand for debt, the interest rate is the most influential. That's what economists use ceteris paribus for. We can logically conclude that a higher interest rate will reduce the demand for debt. However, it is also important to conclude that this may not always be the case.- Oil Prices
During the Great Depression , oil demand fell from 87.8 million barrels per day in the fourth quarter of 2007 to 84.2 million barrels per day in the second quarter of 2009. The law of demand says that oil prices must fall to meet the level of demand. In contrast, oil prices rose from $ 88.96 per barrel in the fourth quarter of 2007 to $ 122.24 per barrel in the second quarter of 2008. Although oil prices fell drastically in the fourth quarter of 2008, oil prices started to rise once again in the second quarter of 2008. second year 2009.See also: Get a chance to win luxury car. Join now!
- Minimum
wages When the minimum wage increases cateris paribus the demand for these workers decreases. The logic is that companies have to pay their employees more, so it will hire fewer employees. What is not noticed is when there is economic growth. As the economy grows, we will see several industries experiencing an explosion in employee demand. For example, restaurants, retail, and fast food tend to experience increased demand because consumers spend more of their money.
In turn, the demand for employees will increase, regardless of whether the salary is higher or not. In fact, it can be said that wages will naturally rise. One thing to consider is the fact that the employer may pay a higher minimum wage but reduce other benefits such as overtime pay or bonuses. So the demand for workers may increase, but they receive fewer work benefits.- Higher Taxes
If the government imposes higher taxes, of course the government will receive a higher income. For example, if the income tax rate increases from 20 percent to 25 percent. It is based on ceteris paribus, in which no other variables are changed.
What has not been noticed is the impact on individuals, especially wealthy individuals. They may leave the country, and ultimately reduce the country's tax revenue.
Or, a higher tax may apply when the economy is in decline. So, people lose their jobs which reduces consumption. This in turn, automatically, can contribute to lower tax revenues
Purpose of Using the Paribus Catteries
The assumption that ceteris paribus is used with the following objectives:
- To simplify the explanation of a theory. Thus the theory becomes easy to learn.
- Identify the variables that most influence a theory. The variable constraints discussed make it easier to identify the influencing variables.
- To state a direct relationship to a variable. By limiting the discussion to the variables that directly influence it.
- Simplifying a theory. If economic theory uses so many variables, the theory becomes difficult to explain.
- Helping the analysis become easier. Variables that are more limited in a theory make it easier to analyze the application of the theory in real life.
Disadvantages of Using Ceteris Paribus
Ceteris paribus provides a number of advantages, but also has inherent drawbacks. This means that these weaknesses cannot be avoided, as a consequence of using this ceteris paribus assumption. These weaknesses include:
- There are a number of important factors that have been ignored, resulting in the theory being inaccurate. To overcome this, another theory is usually issued to complement the old theory, or to become a substitute theory for the old theory, whose variables are more complete.
- The assumptions that are limited in a frame lead to inappropriate actions in the real world. In fact, this theory does not solve the problem, instead it adds to the problem because the recommendations given by a theory are incorrect.