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Video and PowerPoint from 2008 National AP Economics Conference. If you couldn't attend the 2008 National Conference for AP Economics Teachers November 2-4 at the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond, you can view the video, plus Power Point slides from the presentations here. Audio of the conference sessions will be available in the near future.



  • The consequences of our choices lie in the future.
  • Predictability of consequences improves decision-making, while unpredictability (lack of a clear, definable pattern) leads to inconsistent decision-making.
  • While we do our best to account for all consequences of our choices, there are often unintended consequences which were not anticipated. For example, if price is our only consideration in buying a used car, we may have a very expensive surprise when it is frequently in the shop.
  • Choices made in the past that led to undesirable outcomes cannot be undone but they are good learning experiences, and enable us to make more sound future choices.
  • Our character is the sum of thousands of choices made throughout our lives.
  • The world in which you live is the product of choices made in the past by your ancestors, historical figures, nature, and other influences known and unknown to you.
  • Understanding the past can help us start in the present to make choices that can change the future.
  • Children need a framework for making choices that considers costs and benefits. This is best begun at as early an age as possible, NOT saved for adulthood.

You can use these first three principles to organize a framework for making decisions. We suggest the following:

Text Box: 1. Identify the problem 2. Prioritize alternative solutions and select the two best 3. Make a list of the foreseeable positive and the negative consequences of each choice 4. Select the best choice