What is the focus of positive economics?

Positive economics is primarily concerned with objective analysis of economic behavior and phenomena. It focuses on describing and predicting how economies function based on observable data and facts, rather than offering opinions on what should be or making ethical judgments about economic outcomes. In this regard, positive economics aims to understand relationships and cause-effect scenarios within economic systems. By analyzing data and constructing models, it can predict how changes in variables can influence economic outcomes.

The other options reflect aspects of economics that belong to normative economics or advocate for specific policies, focusing on subjective evaluations or recommendations rather than strictly observing and analyzing data. Thus, the emphasis on factual description and prediction solidly positions positive economics as the foundational approach to understanding how economies operate, making the answer relevant and accurate.