Trade
They provide goods and services to others and receive goods and services in return
Gains from trade
People can get more of what they want through trade than they could if they tried to be self-sufficient
Specialization
Each person specializes in the task that he or she is good at performing
Comparative advantage
An individual has a comparative advantage in producing a good or service if the opportunity cost of producing a good or service is lower for that individual than for other people
Absolute advantage
An individual has absolute advantage in producing a good or service if her or she can make more of it