Reddit mentions of Intermediate Microeconomics: A Modern Approach (Seventh Edition)

it doesn't necessarily fit the "cheap" criterion, but I was quite satisfied with Intermediate Microeconomics: A Modern Approach, Seventh Edition by Hal R. Varian

>Please demonstrate that competition can be universally assumed to always reduce prices and improve customer service.

Here, this should be helpful for you.

>All I'm asking is for you to back up your implied claim that creating incentives for business on a national level is an effective strategy for improving job availability and wages.

This is not a controversial claim, however. That cost incentives determine producer choice is the result of a basic economic model of producer choice (a good reference if you are unfamiliar with such models) and this model is supported by evidence from just about every study conducted, and it is simply not realistic to cite thousands and thousands of studies which support the notion that producers optimize and respond to incentives.

>I'm interested in expanding my knowledge of modern socioeconomic thought, but for some reason I am certain that what Your Grace has in mind consists of one or several of the following:

I'd start something like this. Hal Varian is good but it can be esoteric at times. Nicholson and Snyder are also good and would probably be a bit easier of a read.

You could probably find a bit from Mankiw on utility in his macroeconomic books since it is often briefly touched on.

Utility is found more in microeconomic theory than macroeconomic theory but you will generally find it in the theory books as they tend to be a bit more advanced.