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"Every family in the United States should have an annual income of at least $10,000 in order to meet minimum food, shelter, and health requirements." This is an example of
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a normative economics statement.
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Which of the following is a normative statement?
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Taxes should be raised to finance street repairs
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The necessity for choice, in economics, arises from
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scarcity of resources for satisfying economic wants
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Questions of what to produce, how much to produce, and who will get the output must be faced by
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all economies
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Although specialization of labor increases efficiency of production, it can lead to another major problem:
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the need to exchange goods among producers
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An increase in the price of a good:
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will cause a decrease in the quantity demanded
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The law of demand states that
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as the price increases, total quantity demanded will decrease
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To construct a demand curve, an economist needs data on price and quantity. Each point on the demand curve is
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a quantity demanded at that price
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Why does quantity demanded decrease when price increases?
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People choose to reduce consumption of the item, People "drop out" of the market for the item, People find substitutes for the item. (all the above)
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Which of the following will shift the demand curve for good X?
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a change in the income of buyers of good X
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If orange juice prices double in 1997, there will be a
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rightward shift in the demand for grapefruit juice.
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If the demand for steak shifts to the right, the most likely explanation is that
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consumer income has risen
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An upward-sloping supply curve shows that
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suppliers are willing to increase production of their goods if they can receive higher prices for them
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Studies at Cornell University revealed that chickens grow 2 percent more weight when a red mitten is placed in their cage and Vivaldi is played in the coop. Resultant feed savings are
estimated at $60 million a year. In the chicken market, the
estimated at $60 million a year. In the chicken market, the
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supply curve shifts to the right
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In January, 2,500 quarts of ice cream are sold in Boston at $2 a quart. In February, 3,000 quarts are sold at $2.50 a quart. This change in quantity sold and price may have been caused by
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the release of a medical study showing that ice cream consumption improves mental health
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Consider the market for fast-food hamburgers. Two things happen: (1) consumption of burgers is found to improve health, and (2) prices of pizza and sandwiches go up. In the new equilibrium, the price of burgers will _____ and the quantity of burgers consumed will ______.
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increase; increase
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Two studies published in the New England Journal of Medicine link the risk of breast
cancer to alcohol consumption. Young women who have nine drinks per week were reportedly 150 percent more likely to develop breast cancer. Considering the market for alcohol, an economist would predict a movement
cancer to alcohol consumption. Young women who have nine drinks per week were reportedly 150 percent more likely to develop breast cancer. Considering the market for alcohol, an economist would predict a movement
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down the supply curve as the demand curve shifts
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Consumer surplus is a measure of
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how much more value a consumer receives from his purchases than he has to pay for them
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An increase in supply will have what effect on equilibrium price and quantity?
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Price will decrease, quantity will increase
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Which of the following is the correct way to describe equilibrium in a market?
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At equilibrium, quantity demanded equals quantity supplied
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Suppose the price of a commodity is $15 per unit. At that price, consumers wish to
purchase 6,000 units weekly and producers wish to sell 4,000 units weekly. In this situation,
purchase 6,000 units weekly and producers wish to sell 4,000 units weekly. In this situation,
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unsatisfied consumers will bid up the market price
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Which of the following would cause a fall in the price of video tape rentals?
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A new nationwide video rental chain opens.
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A fear that consumption of beef may be related to a life threatening disease spreads rapidly through France. The market result will be:
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the demand shifts left, price decreases and the quantity supplied therefore falls
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New safety regulations increase manufacturers' costs of producing signs. What happens in the market for signs?
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The supply shifts left, resulting in a higher equilibrium price and lower equilibrium quantity
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Why is exchange important to a nation's prosperity?
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Trade creates value.
Both parties are better off.
It increases the wealth created by a society.
Exchange leads to specialization
(all the above)
Both parties are better off.
It increases the wealth created by a society.
Exchange leads to specialization
(all the above)
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Suppose that IVY College administrators propose to increase revenue by raising tuition for all students. The college administrators are assuming that the (absolute value of the) price elasticity of demand for education is:
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Less than 1.0
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The staff economist for Barnaby's Boots estimates that if the firm increases the price of its boots by 10 percent, it would lead to a 6 percent reduction in the quantity of boots demanded. If the firm was interested in maximizing total revenue , it should.
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increase price 10%
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The price elasticity of a good depends on the price of a good relative to consumers' incomes. Which of the following goods has the most elastic demand?
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Swing set
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A 4% increase in the price of beer will cause a 1% decline in the quantity of beer demanded. The demand for beer is:
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inelastic
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A perfectly elastic supply curve is:
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horizontal
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If the cross-price elasticity of demand of two goods is positive, we can conclude that the two goods are:
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substitutes
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If the demand curve is elastic a price______ causes an _____ in revenues.
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decrease; increase
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(Figure) If price decreases from $20 to $10, total revenue will:
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increase by $1500, so the demand curve is elastic
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A product would be more demand price elastic
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The lower the price of the good
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An industry is said to be perfectly competitive when:
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Each firm has virtually no influence over the price of its product
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Marginal cost is:
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The change in the total cost from producing one more unit of output
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A perfectly competitive industry exists under which of the following conditions?
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1. The product sold is similar across firms
2. There are many sellers, each small relative to the total market
4. The threat of competition exists from potential sellers that have not yet entered the market
2. There are many sellers, each small relative to the total market
4. The threat of competition exists from potential sellers that have not yet entered the market
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A competitive firm maximizes profits at the point where P=MC. (T/F)
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True
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As the price of a good fluctuates, a profit-maximizing firm will expand or contract production along its:
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Marginal cost curve
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Average total cost is equal to the total cost divided by profit. (T/F)
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False
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Damien produces 400 gallons of milk a day in a very competitive industry. The market price for a gallon of milk is $2. Damien's marginal revenue per gallon of milk is:
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$2
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Profit is defined as:
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Total revenue minus total cost
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A competitive firm maximizes profit when marginal cost:
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Equals the price
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Profit maximization occurs when:
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MR=MC
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Which one of the following is not an assumption of the competitive model?
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Economies of scale
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If marginal cost is less than average cost, average cost is rising. (T/F)
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False
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For a small firm in an extremely competitive industry , marginal revenue is always equal to price because:
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The firm has no ability to influence the market price
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Firms in competitive industries:
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1. Can only charge a price equal to the market price.
2. Cannot charge any more than the market price.
3. Will earn less profit if they charge less than the market price.
2. Cannot charge any more than the market price.
3. Will earn less profit if they charge less than the market price.
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After a significant decrease in the price of a variable input,
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Marginal cost shifts downward and output rises
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Which of the following is a primary difference between price searchers (monopoly) and price takers (perfect competition) ?
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Price searchers have to cut their price to sell additional output, but price takers do not.