quadrants:

The Cartesian coordinate system divides an area into four quadrants. They are numbered I through IV, beginning from the northeast area and moving in a counterclockwise direction. See the link to the Cartesian coordinate system for elaboration.

quango:

Quango is British vernacular for a quasi-non-governmental organization or group, such as a local volunteer fire department or the U.S. Federal Reserve System.

quant fund:

A quant fund is a mutual fund or hedge fund that relies primarily on computer models that use "quantitative analysis" to select financial investments for its portfolio. Note: Most quant funds rely heavily on historical data that, according to efficient markets theory, has no bearing on the future returns derived from owning stock because such information has already been capitalized into the market prices of the stock.

quantity adjuster:

A quantity adjuster is competitive buyer or seller whose actions do not noticeably affect prices; they can choose only among quantities. Quantity adjuster is a synonym for a price taker.

quantity demanded:

The quantity demanded is the amount of a good purchased at a given price.

quantity supplied:

The quantity supplied is the amount of a good supplied at a given price.

quantity theory of money:

The quantity theory of money is the idea that in the long run, the dominant determinant of the price level is the money supply. An extreme version attributes all inflation to excessive monetary growth.

quartile:

An individual statistical observation (e.g., grade point averages) is commonly characterized as in the first, second, third, or fourth quartile when a statistical distribution is divided into fourths.

quasi-rent:

A quasi-rent is a transitory surplus that is often associated with earlier economic investments in physical or human capital that are now sunk costs. For example, the high incomes associated with possessing a medical degree is a quasi-rent because acquiring skills is involves sunk costs by the time relatively high incomes are realized . Surpluses in the form of quasi-rents are ultimately dissipated by, e.g., obsolescence, depreciation, entry into the market by new competitors, or by rent-seeking initiated by other parties.

Quesnay, François

François Quesnay [1694-1774] was a French physician and a leader of the Physiocrats, an early school of economic thought that rejected the mercantilist emphasis on imperialistic policies, centralized decisionmaking, and the accumulation of wealth. Physiocrats viewed natural resources [e.g., land and agriculture] as the ultimate source of all wealth. Quesnay developed an early version of the circular flow of income as a model to explain how Parisians were adequately fed every day, despite not growing their own food.

queuing:

Queuing is the allocative mechanism that provides goods and services or resources on a first come ∕ first served basis. This tends to result in queues (lining up for access).

quid pro quo:

The Latin term quid pro quo [i.e., this for that] refers to an exchange of values between trading parties, and is an essential characteristic of contracts. If value is not received by both parties, then no legally enforceable contract exists.

quintiles:

An individual statistical observation (e.g., SAT scores) is commonly characterized as in the first, second, third, fourth or fifth quintile when the statistical distribution is divided into fifths.

quota rents:

Quota rentsare the exploitable profit opportunities created by the higher prices and restricted supplies artificially created by import quotas. Firms given the licenses to import reap these quota rents, so they have strong incentives to bribe the officials who determine who gets an import license. See also rent-seeking.

quota:

A quota is a quantitative restriction on trade. The imposition of quotas raises the prices of imported goods, causes failure to fully realize potential gains from international trade, and tends to stimulate corruption. See also quota rent.

QWERTY:

QWERTY refers to the order of the letters at the upper left of a standard keyboard. This arrangement was first used because of a tendency for keys on early typewriters to jam. QWERTY forced typists to work slowly. Technological advances made jamming keys became a non-issue, but the QWERTY layout still dominates because of familiarity and inertia. QWERTY keyboards are arguably inefficient, but they have become “locked- in” and serve as a marquee example of path-dependant economics processes. See also path dependence and historicism.