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Economics Olympiad Study Resources

Economics Olympiad
Study Resources

If you’re looking for free resources to help you prepare for the Economics Olympiad, you’ve come to the right place.

We’ve collected our favorite videos, interactives, and other content in the nine course modules below, covering the Olympiad’s curriculum. Be sure to complete the practice questions as you go to lock in the learning!

Best of luck in the Olympiad–we hope to see you on the podium!

🚨 Attention Teachers:

If you’d like to cover this content in class, try MRU’s FREE unit plans! They include daily lesson plans, videos, interactives, class activities, and more. Each Olympiad course module includes a list of the most relevant MRU unit plans.

Register or log in for free online access to all of our unit plans.

Study Resources by Topic

This module covers the Economic Principles and History section of the Olympiad’s curriculum:

  • Economic Methodology: Delving into the principles and scope of economics, grounded in foundational concepts.
  • History of Economic Thought: Tracing the evolution of economic theory from early thinkers to the Marginal Revolution, and further exploring post-Marginal developments in economic thought.

For an even more in-depth exploration of these topics, see MRU’s full course Great Economists with 111 videos and exercises.

Teachers: To cover these topics in the classroom, use MRU’s free unit plan:


Key Resources

Principles of Microeconomics

History of Economic Thought

This module covers the first part of the Microeconomics section of the Olympiad’s curriculum, focusing on consumer behavior and markets:

  • Consumer Behavior and Market Demand: Analyzing consumer choice, demand determinants, and risk preferences using utility theory.

For an even more in-depth exploration of these topics, see MRU’s full course Principles of Microeconomics with 101 videos and exercises.

Teachers: To cover these topics in the classroom, use MRU’s free unit plans:


Key Resources

Principles of Microeconomics

Supply and Equilibrium

Elasticity and Taxes

Price Controls

This module covers the second part of the Microeconomics section of the Olympiad’s curriculum, focusing on Market Structures and Externalities:

  • Production and Costs: Examining firm behavior, cost structures, and supply decisions within various market conditions.
  • Market Structures: Differentiating between perfect competition, monopoly, monopolistic competition, and oligopoly, including regulatory and antitrust implications.
  • Factor Markets and Distribution: Exploring the allocation of resources and distribution of income in factor markets.
  • Market Failures and Strategic Behavior: Addressing externalities, public goods, game theory, and behavioral economics insights.

For an even more in-depth exploration of these topics, see MRU’s full course
Principles of Microeconomics
with 101 videos and exercises.

Teachers: To cover these topics in the classroom, use MRU’s free unit plan:


Key Resources

Market Structures

Externalities and Public Goods

Game Theory

This module covers the first part of the Macroeconomics section of the Olympiad’s curriculum, focusing on GDP, Inflation, and Economic Growth:

  • National Income and Price Measurement: Understanding GDP composition and inflation measurement.
  • Economic Growth: Investigating determinants and models of long-term growth.

For an even more in-depth exploration of these topics, see MRU’s full course Principles of Macroeconomics with 83 videos and exercises.

Teachers: To cover these topics in the classroom, use MRU’s free unit plans:


Key Resources

Measuring GDP and Inflation

Economic Growth

This module covers the second part of the Macroeconomics section of the Olympiad’s curriculum, focusing on Monetary and Fiscal Policy:

  • Monetary and Fiscal Policy: Exploring the roles of central banks, money supply, and governmental budgeting in economic stabilization.

For an even more in-depth exploration of these topics, see MRU’s full course Principles of Macroeconomics with 83 videos and exercises.

Teachers: To cover these topics in the classroom, use MRU’s free unit plans:


Key Resources

Monetary Policy

Fiscal Policy

This module covers the first part of the Macroeconomics section of the Olympiad’s curriculum, focusing on Unemployment and Business Cycles:

  • Business Cycles and Unemployment: Analyzing fluctuations in economic activity and labor market dynamics.

For an even more in-depth exploration of these topics, see MRU’s full course
Principles of Macroeconomics with 83 videos and exercises.

Teachers: To cover these topics in the classroom, use MRU’s free unit plan:


Key Resources

Unemployment

Business Cycles

This module covers the International Economics section of the Olympiad’s curriculum:

  • Trade Theories and Policy: Examining comparative advantage, trade barriers, and policy effects on international trade.
  • Open Economy Macroeconomics: Assessing exchange rates, balance of payments, and the global financial system.
  • Integration and Policy: Understanding the economic implications of regional trade agreements and common markets.

For an even more in-depth exploration of these topics, see MRU’s full courses International Trade
with 60 videos and exercises and International Finance with 53 videos and exercises.

Teachers: To cover these topics in the classroom, use MRU’s free unit plans:


Key Resources

International Trade

Globalization and Innovation

International Finance

This module covers the Contemporary Economic Issues section of the Olympiad’s curriculum:

  • Global and Regional Economic Dynamics: Insight into recent developments in global and regional economies.
  • Economic Policy Analysis: Evaluating the impact of fiscal, monetary, and trade policies on economic performance.

To understand current events and the real-world impact of economic policy, there’s no substitute for keeping up with the news. Students and teachers can get a free weekly email newsletter with the top news stories illustrating economic concepts by subscribing to MRU’s Econ in the News. You can also access our categorized archives of past Econ in the News articles. This module will guide you to some of the categories that should be most relevant for the Olympiad.

Start with the two “Unintended Consequences” interactives. These showcase real-world situations where well-meaning efforts to address economic issues went awry—sometimes hilariously, sometimes tragically. Notice the common thread in many of these examples: a poor understanding of economic drivers leading to actions that created new problems.

Next, in each news archive, read three or four articles that look interesting. For each article, consider:

  • What is the economic principle at issue?
  • Based on your understanding of that principle, are events unfolding as expected? Would the outcome have surprised you otherwise?
  • Could you explain or illustrate the events described with a chart or graph? (Sketch it out!)
  • For policy interventions (laws or regulations):
    • What is the stated purpose of the intervention?
    • How does it change the incentives of those involved?
    • What are some possible unintended consequences, and how do they relate to the stated purpose?


Key Resources

Interactive Activities

News Archives

This module covers the Financial Literacy section of the Olympiad’s curriculum:

  • Interest and Investment: Basics of interest calculation, including simple and compound interest, and an introduction to investment principles.
  • Financial Markets and Instruments: Overview of financial markets, securities, and other investment vehicles.
  • Risk Management: Fundamentals of insurance and strategies for managing financial risk.
  • Inflation and Purchasing Power: Understanding the causes and consequences of inflation on money’s value.

Teachers: To cover these topics in the classroom, use MRU’s free unit plan:


Key Resources

Saving, Borrowing, and Banking

Investing and Financial Markets

Inflation and Purchasing Power

This module covers the Economic Principles and History section of the Olympiad’s curriculum:

  • Economic Methodology: Delving into the principles and scope of economics, grounded in foundational concepts.
  • History of Economic Thought: Tracing the evolution of economic theory from early thinkers to the Marginal Revolution, and further exploring post-Marginal developments in economic thought.

For an even more in-depth exploration of these topics, see MRU’s full course Great Economists with 111 videos and exercises.

Teachers: To cover these topics in the classroom, use MRU’s free unit plan:


Key Resources

Principles of Microeconomics

History of Economic Thought

This module covers the first part of the Microeconomics section of the Olympiad’s curriculum, focusing on consumer behavior and markets:

  • Consumer Behavior and Market Demand: Analyzing consumer choice, demand determinants, and risk preferences using utility theory.

For an even more in-depth exploration of these topics, see MRU’s full course Principles of Microeconomics with 101 videos and exercises.

Teachers: To cover these topics in the classroom, use MRU’s free unit plans:

Key Resources

Principles of Microeconomics

Supply and Equilibrium

Elasticity and Taxes

Price Controls

This module covers the second part of the Microeconomics section of the Olympiad’s curriculum, focusing on Market Structures and Externalities:

  • Production and Costs: Examining firm behavior, cost structures, and supply decisions within various market conditions.
  • Market Structures: Differentiating between perfect competition, monopoly, monopolistic competition, and oligopoly, including regulatory and antitrust implications.
  • Factor Markets and Distribution: Exploring the allocation of resources and distribution of income in factor markets.
  • Market Failures and Strategic Behavior: Addressing externalities, public goods, game theory, and behavioral economics insights.

For an even more in-depth exploration of these topics, see MRU’s full course
Principles of Microeconomics
with 101 videos and exercises.

Teachers: To cover these topics in the classroom, use MRU’s free unit plan:

Key Resources

Market Structures

Externalities and Public Goods

Game Theory

This module covers the first part of the Macroeconomics section of the Olympiad’s curriculum, focusing on GDP, Inflation, and Economic Growth:

  • National Income and Price Measurement: Understanding GDP composition and inflation measurement.
  • Economic Growth: Investigating determinants and models of long-term growth.

For an even more in-depth exploration of these topics, see MRU’s full course Principles of Macroeconomics with 83 videos and exercises.

Teachers: To cover these topics in the classroom, use MRU’s free unit plans:

Key Resources

Measuring GDP and Inflation

Economic Growth

This module covers the second part of the Macroeconomics section of the Olympiad’s curriculum, focusing on Monetary and Fiscal Policy:

  • Monetary and Fiscal Policy: Exploring the roles of central banks, money supply, and governmental budgeting in economic stabilization.

For an even more in-depth exploration of these topics, see MRU’s full course Principles of Macroeconomics with 83 videos and exercises.

Teachers: To cover these topics in the classroom, use MRU’s free unit plans:

Key Resources

Monetary Policy

Fiscal Policy

This module covers the first part of the Macroeconomics section of the Olympiad’s curriculum, focusing on Unemployment and Business Cycles:

  • Business Cycles and Unemployment: Analyzing fluctuations in economic activity and labor market dynamics.

For an even more in-depth exploration of these topics, see MRU’s full course
Principles of Macroeconomics with 83 videos and exercises.

Teachers: To cover these topics in the classroom, use MRU’s free unit plan:


Key Resources

Unemployment

Business Cycles

This module covers the International Economics section of the Olympiad’s curriculum:

  • Trade Theories and Policy: Examining comparative advantage, trade barriers, and policy effects on international trade.
  • Open Economy Macroeconomics: Assessing exchange rates, balance of payments, and the global financial system.
  • Integration and Policy: Understanding the economic implications of regional trade agreements and common markets.

For an even more in-depth exploration of these topics, see MRU’s full courses International Trade
with 60 videos and exercises and International Finance with 53 videos and exercises.

Teachers: To cover these topics in the classroom, use MRU’s free unit plans:

Key Resources

International Trade

Globalization and Innovation

International Finance

This module covers the Contemporary Economic Issues section of the Olympiad’s curriculum:

  • Global and Regional Economic Dynamics: Insight into recent developments in global and regional economies.
  • Economic Policy Analysis: Evaluating the impact of fiscal, monetary, and trade policies on economic performance.

To understand current events and the real-world impact of economic policy, there’s no substitute for keeping up with the news. Students and teachers can get a free weekly email newsletter with the top news stories illustrating economic concepts by subscribing to MRU’s Econ in the News. You can also access our categorized archives of past Econ in the News articles. This module will guide you to some of the categories that should be most relevant for the Olympiad.

Start with the two “Unintended Consequences” interactives. These showcase real-world situations where well-meaning efforts to address economic issues went awry—sometimes hilariously, sometimes tragically. Notice the common thread in many of these examples: a poor understanding of economic drivers leading to actions that created new problems.

Next, in each news archive, read three or four articles that look interesting. For each article, consider:

  • What is the economic principle at issue?
  • Based on your understanding of that principle, are events unfolding as expected? Would the outcome have surprised you otherwise?
  • Could you explain or illustrate the events described with a chart or graph? (Sketch it out!)
  • For policy interventions (laws or regulations):
    • What is the stated purpose of the intervention?
    • How does it change the incentives of those involved?
    • What are some possible unintended consequences, and how do they relate to the stated purpose?

Key Resources

Interactive Activities

News Archives

This module covers the Financial Literacy section of the Olympiad’s curriculum:

  • Interest and Investment: Basics of interest calculation, including simple and compound interest, and an introduction to investment principles.
  • Financial Markets and Instruments: Overview of financial markets, securities, and other investment vehicles.
  • Risk Management: Fundamentals of insurance and strategies for managing financial risk.
  • Inflation and Purchasing Power: Understanding the causes and consequences of inflation on money’s value.

Teachers: To cover these topics in the classroom, use MRU’s free unit plan:


Key Resources

Saving, Borrowing, and Banking

Investing and Financial Markets

Inflation and Purchasing Power

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