Recently, the price of gasoline dropped to just under $3.50/gallon. Economic analysts currently are focusing on questions concerning the likely impacts of this price decrease on the demand for gasoline. The branch of economics that deals with these questions is called: (a) normative economics (b) positive economics (c) microeconomics (d) macroeconomics

The correct answer is (b) positive economics.

Explanation:

The positive or descriptive economy seeks to explain how the economy works based on reality, that is, empirically. Therefore, try to explain what it was, what it is and what it will be, explaining the consequences of different economic phenomena.

In making a positive economy, economists are considered to act as scientists, moving their moral considerations away from the reality analyzed. Thus, they focus on explaining the cause-effect relationships between facts and economic variables objectively.

The positive economy starts from an economic phenomenon and seeks to find its cause (what was) and its consequences (what will be). This is about establishing a chain of cause-effect relationships between the different economic phenomena, so that the consequences on the reality of any change in the variables studied can be known.