question
What are the three factors of production
answer
labor, land, capital
question
Labor
answer
application of physical and mental skills people have
question
Capital
answer
Machines, tools, buildings, software, inventories
question
Land
answer
Actual land (space) or natural resources
question
Production function
answer
A mathematical function that shows the maximum output possible for any combination of inputs with a particular technology
question
Production function for quantity in micro terms
answer
Q = f(labor, capital, land)
Q = f(L, K, N)
L = labor
K = capital
N= land
Q = f(L, K, N)
L = labor
K = capital
N= land
question
Marginal product definition
answer
The change in output created by a one-unit change in a particular input (while all other input amounts stay the same)
question
Marginal product of labor (MPl)
answer
Marginal product of labor = change in quantity/change in labor
ex. adding a new worker, how effective is that worker to production
ex. adding a new worker, how effective is that worker to production
question
Marginal product of capital (MPk)
answer
Marginal product of capital = change in quantity/change in capital
Ex. adding a new machin
Ex. adding a new machin
question
Marginal product graph
answer
Increases then decreases
- Increases on onset of production because the initially will have a large impact
- Decreases because of the law of diminishing marginal returns: increase in output gets smaller as more of one input is utilized
- Increases on onset of production because the initially will have a large impact
- Decreases because of the law of diminishing marginal returns: increase in output gets smaller as more of one input is utilized
question
In a model with only labor and capital as inputs, in the short run the amount of ______________ is fixed, while in the long run the amount of ______________ is variable.
answer
either labor or capital (usually capital); both labor and capital
question
Average product definition
answer
Total product divided by the amount of a particular input utilized
question
Average product of labor (APL)
answer
Q/L (Average product of labor = quantity / labor)
question
Average product of capital (APK)
answer
Q/K (Average product of capital = quantity / capital)
question
Graph for average product
answer
Increases, then goes constant, then decreases. (the increase and decrease is not as huge as marginal product)
question
Relationships between marginal and average product: What happens when...
1. MP > AP
2. MP < AP
3. MP = AP (except for first observation)
1. MP > AP
2. MP < AP
3. MP = AP (except for first observation)
answer
1. AP rises
2. AP decreases
3. AP is at its maximum
2. AP decreases
3. AP is at its maximum
question
What are the two types of costs
answer
Fixed (FC or TFC) and variable (VC or TVC)
question
Fixed costs
answer
costs that are constant
question
If the fixed cost of producing 50 units of output is $100,000 per year, the fixed cost of producing 100 units of output per year is _____.
answer
100,000. Fixed cost represents the cost per period for the fixed input. The amount paid is unrelated to the amount produced because the quantity of the fixed input does not change.
question
Variable costs
answer
costs that change as output changes
question
Total cost
answer
Combines fixed cost with variable cost for each level of output
question
Will a change in fixed costs change marginal cost?
answer
No. A change in fixed costs will only change total costs and average costs. Marginal cost is affected only by changes in variable costs.
question
Total cost equation
answer
TC = FC + VC
or
TC = TFC + TVC
or
TC = TFC + TVC
question
Graph with FC, VC, and TC
answer
- Fixed costs is a straight line
- Variable costs increases as output increases
- Total cost is variable cost plus fixed cost so it will be above the variable cost line
- Variable costs increases as output increases
- Total cost is variable cost plus fixed cost so it will be above the variable cost line
question
Marginal cost (MC)
answer
the change in total costs associated with a one-unit change in output
question
MC equation
answer
∆TC/∆Q
question
Marginal cost graph
answer
- Begins decreasing because a lot of quantity is being generated in the beginning (gains in Q outweighs gains in variable cost)
- Increases because variable costs increase
- Increases because variable costs increase
question
Diminishing marginal product
answer
As you increase production, the next unit produced requires an increasing amount of inputs. The marginal product of an input declines as the quantity of the input increases
question
Diminishing marginal product of labor is a (short run/long run) occurrence when capital is (variable/fixed)
answer
Diminishing marginal product of labor is a short-run occurrence when capital is fixed.
question
Why does marginal cost end up increasing (in addition to increasing variable costs)?
answer
Because of diminishing marginal product.
Diminishing marginal product: as you increase production, the next unit produced requires an increasing amount of inputs
Diminishing marginal product: as you increase production, the next unit produced requires an increasing amount of inputs
question
Diminishing marginal product implies what
answer
increasing marginal cost
question
Marginal cost is the slope of ___________.
answer
total cost curve
question
Diminishing marginal returns
answer
the additional output gained from each unit of input decreases as the quantity of inputs increases. This happens because as you add more units of an input, you eventually reach a point where the input becomes less productive due to factors such as overcrowding, limited resources, or inefficient use of resources
question
The law of diminishing marginal returns is the cause of ______________ marginal product and ______________ marginal cost.
answer
decreasing, increasing
question
Average cost
answer
Total cost dividing by total output: AC = TC/Q
question
Marginal cost and average cost graph
answer
Accounting Profit = Total Revenue - Explicit Costs
question
Accounting profits
answer
Direct expenses (clearly defined costs, expenses you must pay)
question
What are explicit costs
answer
Total Revenue - (Explicit Costs + Implicit Costs)
question
Economic profits
answer
implicit costs
question
opportunity costs are
answer
zero or negative
question
If a firm is earning positive accounting profits, economic profits can be
answer
your accounting profits are equal to your opportunity costs. This means there is a positive accounting profit
question
What does zero economic profits mean? What does it mean for the accounting profit?
answer
inputs could be better elsewhere
question
Negative economic profits mean
answer
the amount of money that could be earned elsewhere
question
Normal profits
answer
- Variable costs: plug in Q for 10Q + 0.5Q^2
- ATC: Divide the equation by Q
- AVC: divide variable cost by q
- FC: 100
- AFC: 100/q
- MC: Derivative of variable cost (10Q +0.5Q^2)
- ATC: Divide the equation by Q
- AVC: divide variable cost by q
- FC: 100
- AFC: 100/q
- MC: Derivative of variable cost (10Q +0.5Q^2)
question
Total cost function example:
TC = 100 + 10Q + 0.5Q^2
What is VC? What is ATC? What is AVC? What is FC? What is AFC? What is MC?
TC = 100 + 10Q + 0.5Q^2
What is VC? What is ATC? What is AVC? What is FC? What is AFC? What is MC?
answer
a time period long enough to allow a firm to change all of its inputs
question
What is meant by "long run"
answer
Firms want to chose the lowest cost combination of inputs for any given output level
question
Describe firms objective for any level of output
answer
Can use capital (K) or labor (L). Optimal input combination will be the lowest combination that we can use to produce the decided level of output.
question
How does a firm find the most efficient input combinations?
answer
The change in output level as the result of hiring another worker
question
Definition for MPL
answer
The change in output level as the result of buying another piece of capital
question
Definition of MPk
answer
Marginal analysis to examine the productivity and cost of the inputs
question
What is the combination of inputs decided
answer
If you keep adding machines and labor remains constant, the marginal productivity of machines will decrease as there won't be enough workers to operate the machines effectively.
question
Diminishing marginal returns of capital (use machines as an example)
answer
Compare the marginal productivity of inputs per dollar spent on those inputs
question
How to make input decisions between labor and capital
answer
when MPK/w = MPL/r
question
What is the optimal cost minimizing combination of inputs
answer
If w is the wage rate and r is the rental rate (cost of capital), then the optimal combination occurs when MPK/r = MPL/w
question
General rule for input choice
answer
output per dollar spent
question
What is being compared for input choice
answer
hire more people (get more labor) until MPL = MPK
question
If MPL/w > MPK/r what do you do
answer
Get more capital
question
If MPL/w < MPK/r what do you do
answer
- Usually, there is a team of two or three workers on the truck, and the workers are doing division of labor to accomplish the job.
- If you hire a 4th, 5th, or 6th worker the marginal product of labor will decrease
- If you hire a 4th, 5th, or 6th worker the marginal product of labor will decrease
question
Describe a diminishing MPL example using a team of garbage collection and there is one truck
answer
All inputs are variable
question
What is true about the long-run model of the firm?
answer
Diminishing MPL
question
If a firm hires more labor while keeping physical capital consistent, then the firm will eventually see...
answer
Upward sloping
question
A firm's long-run total cost curve is
answer
It depends on the output level. You are going to choose the AC curve that is closest to its minimum at that quantity
question
How does a firm choose what average costs to take on?
answer
more capital is required, the firm will be on a new AC curve
question
When output grows to a larger level...
answer
Get the minimum of all the short run AC curves (ends up being a straight line at the minimums of the AC curves). It is a function which shows the lowest average cost of producing any output level.
question
How to derive the long run average cost curve
answer
- Occur when average costs fall as a firm grows
- Occurs when the curve is on the downward slope
- Occurs when the curve is on the downward slope
question
Economies of scale
answer
- occurs when average costs rise as a firm grows.
- When a firm grows very large, it may have new additional expenses.
- When a firm grows very large, it may have new additional expenses.
question
Diseconomies of scale
answer
Short run AC curves move down and to the right to create a downwards sloping long-run average cost line
question
Economies of scale graph
answer
Short run AC curves move up and to the left to create an upwards sloping long-run average cost line
question
Diseconomies of scale graph
answer
- Decreasing
- Increasing
- Not changing
- Increasing
- Not changing
question
U-Shaped long run average cost
answer
- Changes in productivity resulting from improvements in technology (lowering costs) or decreases in prices of inputs will change long-run costs just as they change short-run costs.
question
Long run Marginal Cost curves
If the long run marginal cost is...
- Below the average
- Above the average
- Constant and equal to the average
What happens to the long run average costs?
If the long run marginal cost is...
- Below the average
- Above the average
- Constant and equal to the average
What happens to the long run average costs?
answer
- At any level of output, the output can be produced at a lower cost
- Increase in technology or decrease in input costs
- Increase in technology or decrease in input costs
question
How can a long-run average cost curve shift
answer
- At any level of output, the output will be produced at a higher cost
- Increase in input costs
- Increase in input costs
question
What does a long-run average cost downward shift mean, and how can it shift downward
answer
Economies of scale
question
What does a long-run average cost upward shift mean, and how can it shift upward
answer
- number of firms
- type of product
- influence over a price
- barriers to entry
- type of product
- influence over a price
- barriers to entry
question
Suppose that as a firm grows, it is able to use larger-volume equipment in production. This will likely result in:
answer
a market structure in which a large number of firms all produce the same product. No producer has influence over the price and there are no barriers to entry.
question
Characteristics that define a market structure
answer
profit maximization
question
Perfect competition
answer
price takers
question
In perfect competition, firms have still have a goal of
answer
farming commodities
question
Firms in perfect competition are
answer
The market
question
Examples of perfectly competitive markets
answer
Increases the level of output if price is greater than marginal cost. Stop increasing output when price equals marginal cost
question
What determines the price of a good in perfect competition
answer
change in total revenue per unit of output.
question
How does a firm get to the maximizing profit level of output
answer
market price
question
Market supply and demand vs firm demand graphs
answer
No, it cannot influence price
question
Marginal revenue
answer
If it is earning positive economic profits or zero economic profits.
question
In perfect competition, marginal revenue is equal to what
answer
Because the firm is doing just as well as its opportunity cost of being in business elsewhere
question
Can a firm in perfect competition influence price
answer
Its better to earn a small loss than a large loss. If some expenses can be covered, it may be better to produce some output rather than shutting down.
question
When will a firm produce
answer
when any level of output results in larger losses compared to producing nothing at all
question
Why will a firm produce with zero economic profits
answer
perfectly elastic
question
Why might a firm continue to operate if profits are negative
answer
price
question
When will a firm shut down
answer
As long as they can make money
question
MC, ATC, AVC graph in perfectly competitive markets
answer
where MR(Price) = MC
question
In competitive markets, demand is
answer
At a given price, go across until you hit MC, go down to ATC, and then back across the the y axis. This rectangle is the economic profit.
question
In competitive markets, marginal revenue is also the
answer
At a given price, go across until you hit MC, go up to ATC, and then back across the the y axis. This rectangle is the economic loss.
question
When will people enter a market with zero barriers to entry
answer
As long as the price is covering the average variable costs
question
Where will a firm produce (always)
answer
you aren't covering anything, so you are worse off if you generate q in the short run, so you would get out of the business in the long run. In the short run, you may temporarily shut down
question
How to calculate economic profit looking at an MC, ATC, AVC costs graph
answer
economic loss
question
How to calculate economic loss looking at an MC, ATC, AVC costs graph
answer
continue to produce because you will cover the variable costs and some fixed costs
question
In the short run, when will you continue to operate
answer
The firm temporarily shuts down
question
If the price is below Average variable cost, then what
answer
Leave the market
question
If price is < ATC you are at an
answer
- Profit = TR - TC
- Profit = (P X Q) - (VC + FC)
- Profit = (P X Q) - (ATC X Q)
- Profit = (P - ATC) * Q
- Profit = (P X Q) - (VC + FC)
- Profit = (P X Q) - (ATC X Q)
- Profit = (P - ATC) * Q
question
If P > AVC and < ATC
answer
MR = MC
question
If P < AVC
answer
more
question
In the long run, if p < AVC
answer
nothing
question
How to calculate economic profit (using equations)
answer
-The supply curve in a perfectly competitive market is the sum of all of the individual firm's marginal cost curves
-The shutdown price is the minimum of the AVC function
-The shutdown price is the minimum of the AVC function
question
Reminder: A firm produces until
answer
- If the industry is profitable, more firms will enter.
- If the industry is experiencing losses, firms will exit.
- If the industry is experiencing losses, firms will exit.
question
Reminder: If MR > MC you should produce ______
answer
where ATC = MC.
firms are breaking even with zero economic profit.
firms are breaking even with zero economic profit.
question
Reminder: If MR < MC you should produce _____
answer
- if there is a demand shift, equilibrium price will change.
- It will result in firms going from zero profit to positive or negative profit depending on the direction of the demand shift
- It will result in firms going from zero profit to positive or negative profit depending on the direction of the demand shift
question
Competitive firm supply
answer
- Firm entry or exit will follow (causing a supply shift), and the price will adjust so firms are once again making zero economic profits in the long run.
question
Describe the Market equilibrium process
answer
There will be a change in profitability of competitive firms
- If firms costs increase, some firms will leave the industry
- If firms costs increase, some firms will leave the industry
question
Where is long run equilibrium?
answer
Entry and exit of firms might change costs. there will be varying outcomes of price and supply
question
Industry demand changes
answer
one in which existing firm costs do not change as a result of new firm entry.
question
Industry supply changes
answer
horizontal. Higher prices and profits will lead to firm entry, and firms entering will lower the price back down to a zero profit level
question
What happens if production cost changes for a firm
answer
one in which existing firm costs increase as a result of new firm entry. Inputs may be scarce. Higher competition for inputs leads to higher costs for the firm.
question
What happens to firms cost in the long run
answer
upward sloping. Higher prices and profits will lead to firm entry, and firms enter, causing higher costs and lower prices until a zero profit result is reached.
question
Constant cost industry
answer
one in which existing firm costs decrease as a result of new firm entry.
question
Constant cost industry long run supply curve is
answer
downward-sloping. Higher prices and profits will lead to firm entry, and firms enter, causing lower costs and lower prices until a zero profit result is reached.
question
Increasing cost industry
answer
Perfectly competitive markets are efficient, both technically and allocatively.
question
Increasing cost industry long-run supply curve is
answer
Any possible level of output is produced at the lowest average cost.
question
Decreasing cost industry
answer
Market supply intersects market demand, and price equals marginal cost.
in other words, the opportunity cost of making the last unit is equal to society's valuation of that unit.
in other words, the opportunity cost of making the last unit is equal to society's valuation of that unit.
question
Decreasing cost industry long-run supply curve is
answer
The market price
question
Explain perfectly competitive markets in terms of efficiency
answer
Total economic profits
question
Technically efficiency
answer
At the minimum of average total cost
question
Allocative efficiency
answer
Increase short run average costs and long run average costs. Higher wages will simply make production more expensive, both in the short run and long run.
question
Review question: For a firm in a perfectly competitive market, average revenue equals ________.
answer
not change; not change. The change in fixed costs does not affect the marginal costs and variable costs, so there is not a change on output choices (and therefore no change in the price of the good).
question
Review question: In the theory of firm behavior, we assume that firms attempt to maximize _________.
answer
increase; decrease. Reasoning: With higher fixed costs, total costs go up. Firms will be making losses and some will leave, shifting the supply curve to the left. This will increase the price and decrease the quantity in the market.
question
Review question: If a perfectly competitive industry is in long-run equilibrium, what is the price?
answer
decrease; increase. Reasoning: Lower variable costs also indicate lower marginal costs. All firms will produce more, thus shifting the supply curve to the right, lowering the price with the higher supply
question
Review question: Consider the effect on costs of an increase in wages in an economy. What is the increase likely to do? In the short run? In the long run?
answer
decrease; increase by more than in the short run. Reasoning: The quantity increases more in the long run because the lower costs mean higher profits, so more firms enter, increasing the quantity further.
question
Review question: Assume a constant-cost industry in a competitive market. What are the short-term effects of the following change?
An increase in fixed costs will ______________ the equilibrium price and ______________ equilibrium quantity in the market.
An increase in fixed costs will ______________ the equilibrium price and ______________ equilibrium quantity in the market.
answer
A single firm operating in a market with no close substitutes and barriers to entry
question
Review question: Assume a constant-cost industry in a competitive market. What are the long-term effects of the following change?
An increase in fixed costs will ______________ the equilibrium price and ______________ the market equilibrium quantity.
An increase in fixed costs will ______________ the equilibrium price and ______________ the market equilibrium quantity.
answer
monopoly resources, government regulation, production process, economies of scale, effective advertising
question
Review question: Assume a constant-cost industry in a competitive market. What are the short-term effects of the following change?
A decrease in variable costs in the short run will ______________ the equilibrium price and ______________ equilibrium quantity in the goods' market.
A decrease in variable costs in the short run will ______________ the equilibrium price and ______________ equilibrium quantity in the goods' market.
answer
When MR = MC
question
Review question: Assume a constant-cost industry in a competitive market. What are the long-term effects of the following change?
A decrease in variable costs in the long run will cause the equilibrium price to ______________ and the equilibrium quantity in the market to ______________.
A decrease in variable costs in the long run will cause the equilibrium price to ______________ and the equilibrium quantity in the market to ______________.
answer
increase production, revenue would go up by more than cost would go up
question
What is a monopoly
answer
decrease production because costs are rising by more than revenue is rising
question
Barriers to entry in a monopoly
answer
the entire market demand curve
question
When is profit maximized for monopolies
answer
lower the price, causing the marginal revenue to change
question
If MR > MC
answer
- Revenue = Price * Quantity
- Marginal Revenue = Change in Revenue / Change in Quantity
- Marginal Revenue = Change in Revenue / Change in Quantity
question
if MR < MC
answer
To sell more, the firm decreases the price, so the additional revenue gain has to be less than the price.
question
A monopolist faces the
answer
ALWAYS less than price
question
For a monopoly to sell one more unit it will have to
answer
Along the demand curve at the quantity where marginal revenue = marginal cost
question
Revenue and Marginal Revenue
answer
Where marginal revenue = marginal cost
question
Explain what happens when a monopoly tries to sell more of their good
answer
Marginal revenue = Marginal cost
question
For a monopoly, marginal revenue is
answer
find the point of intersection between MC and MR, trace it up to the demand curve, and trace it down to the average total cost curve, then take it across to the y axis. Then plug in values into the formula: (P-ATC) * Q
question
Monopoly market graph
answer
short run and long run
question
How to find the price a monopoly will sell its good at
answer
squeezed out. This is where firms in competitive markets produce
question
How to find the quantity produced by a monopoly
answer
No, the price for a monopoly is always greater than marginal revenue. Therefore, price > marginal cost. Marginal utility / price ≠ marginal utility/ marginal cost
question
Where does equilibrium occur in a monopolistic market
answer
No, with barriers to entry, the price will not be pushed to the minimum average cost.
question
How to find the profits of a monopoly
answer
- When a firm experience economies of scale (as they increase output, average costs are falling).
- These monopolies drive out other firms through lower prices.
- These monopolies drive out other firms through lower prices.
question
A monopoly can make this profit in the
answer
- They base it off of people's willingness to pay, which is their price elasticity
- The difference in price needs to be based on a certain characteristic (age, military service, student/faculty status).
- The product can't be resellable
- The difference in price needs to be based on a certain characteristic (age, military service, student/faculty status).
- The product can't be resellable
question
At the minimum of average total cost, profits are
answer
Decrease the price. reasoning: Lowering the variable cost will lower the marginal cost at each level of output. Therefore, the point where marginal revenue is equal to marginal cost is at a greater quantity, which is at a lower price on the demand curve
question
Are monopolies allocatively efficient?
answer
elastic
question
Are monopolies technically efficient?
answer
Because of barriers to entry. The monopoly has no incentive to produce where price is equal to the minimum of the average cost. Additionally, it would not be maximizing profits at that level.
question
Natural monopoly
answer
There is no supply curve for a monopoly.
question
How might a monopoly decide in changing their price (price discrimination)?
answer
- It is producing at the highest profit possible in their market
- It is producing where the additional revenue is just equal to the additional cost for each output
- It is producing where the additional revenue is just equal to the additional cost for each output
question
Review question: A decrease in variable costs will cause the monopoly to do what to its price?
answer
Because marginal cost is always positive
question
Review question: A monopoly produces a level of output where demand is ______________ (elastic / inelastic / unit elastic)
answer
Total revenue would decrease
question
Review Question: Why won't a monopoly necessarily be technically efficient?
answer
A market structure in which a few large firms dominate a market. There are significant entry and exit barriers. Products can be homogenous or differentiated.
question
Review question: What is the supply curve for a monopoly?
answer
interdependent. One's firms actions will influence other firms' profits
question
Review question: Describe the implications for a monopoly when they are producing where marginal revenue equals marginal cost
answer
short run and long run
question
Review Question: Why won't a monopoly ever produce where marginal revenue is negative?
answer
squeezed out for everyone in the end
question
Review question: If a monopoly increased the price above the profit maximizing level, what would happen?
answer
- Gas, banking, airlines, cars
question
Oligopoly
answer
A group of producers agreeing to act in concert with one another.
question
Firms in an oligopoly are
answer
A group of producers informally set the quantity or the price together
question
In an oligopoly market structure, positive economic profits are possible in the
answer
Produce where monopolies produce, but each firm is producing a certain percentage of the output
question
In an oligopoly market, profits may be
answer
undercut competitors and make more money
question
Oligopoly examples
answer
Firms have more elastic demand than the industry as a whole.
question
Oligopoly cartel
answer
Lowering the price to gain additional market share. They do this so they can undercut competitors prices to gain more customers. However, in the long run, firms will follow and lower their prices, thus it will return to even split market share
question
Oligopoly collusion
answer
because in the long-run, all firms will drop their price and follow the strategy of the firm that is undercutting. Economic profits are being squeezed out.
question
Oligopoly diagram
answer
the marginal cost
question
In an oligopoly, individual firms can
answer
A branch of economics that studies the behavior of firms (or individuals) in a setting where:
- One firm's decisions affects the profits of others
- Firms are aware of the effect of their own choices on the profits and choices of their competitors
- Take into account the choices of competitors in deciding what to do
- One firm's decisions affects the profits of others
- Firms are aware of the effect of their own choices on the profits and choices of their competitors
- Take into account the choices of competitors in deciding what to do
question
Compare the demand and marginal revenue curves in oligopoly markets for the market and the firm
answer
- Players: refer to individuals or firms.
- Strategies: refer to the actions taken by each player.
- Outcomes: refer to all possible results given all of the strategies taken by all players.
- Strategies: refer to the actions taken by each player.
- Outcomes: refer to all possible results given all of the strategies taken by all players.
question
What is an unstable solution for oligopolies
answer
1. Perfect Competition
2. Monopolistic Competition
3. Oligopoly
4. Monopoly
2. Monopolistic Competition
3. Oligopoly
4. Monopoly
question
Why is market demand split equally in an oligopoly
answer
- Many producers
- A variety of products, each one slightly different
- Freedom of entry and exit
- A variety of products, each one slightly different
- Freedom of entry and exit
question
The new marginal revenue for oligopolies are greater than
answer
Local restaurants, gas stations, hair stylists
question
Game theory
answer
produce until MR=MC. Go up to the demand curve from that point and over to the y axis to get the profit-maximizing price. Average cost is along the same vertical line as MR=MC and over to the y axis
question
Basic game theory set up
answer
There is a change in the short run and long run because more firms will enter if they see positive economic profits. This will cause demand and marginal revenue to shift to the left
question
The four market models
answer
Short run: Monopolistically competitive firms will produce where the marginal revenue of the last unit produced is equal to the marginal cost of production. At this output level, the firm will earn a positive economic profit, but this profit will not be sustainable in the long run because of entry by new firms.
Long run: As new firms enter the market, they will offer similar products and compete for the same customers, driving down the demand and market power of the existing firms. This will lead to a decrease in prices and profits, and firms will produce where their ATC curve intersects the demand curve, earning zero economic profit in the long run.
Long run: As new firms enter the market, they will offer similar products and compete for the same customers, driving down the demand and market power of the existing firms. This will lead to a decrease in prices and profits, and firms will produce where their ATC curve intersects the demand curve, earning zero economic profit in the long run.
question
monopolistic competition
answer
Firms in monopolistic competition have more market power because their products are differentiated.
question
Examples of monopolistic competition
answer
Monopolistically competitive firms will produce where marginal revenue (MR) equals marginal cost (MC), just like perfectly competitive firms. However, because monopolistically competitive firms have some market power due to product differentiation, they will not produce at the minimum point of their average total cost (ATC) curve, as perfectly competitive firms do. Monopolistically competitive firms will produce where their ATC curve intersects the demand curve, earning zero economic profit in the long run.
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Monopolistic competition in the short run. How do you find profit?
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Monopoly demand curve is more steep because they are the only producer
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Explain why there is a change in the short run and long run market for monopolistically competitive firms
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- Positive profit and low entry barriers will attract new firms.
- Demand and MR shift to the left and potentially flatten. Why?
Increase in substitutes, demand is more elastic because now there are more options
- Profits will shrink until economic profit is zero.
- Demand and MR shift to the left and potentially flatten. Why?
Increase in substitutes, demand is more elastic because now there are more options
- Profits will shrink until economic profit is zero.
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Provide an in depth explanation of where firms produce in monopolistically competitve markets in the short run compared to the long run.
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Less than, greater than
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How is monopolistic competition and perfect competition different
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equals marginal cost and is greater than average cost
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Compare and contrast monopolistic competition and perfect competition as to where they produce in the long run compared to average total cost
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short run, enter
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Compare the demand slopes for monopolistic competition and a monopoly
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zero
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Monopolistic competition in the long run
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new firms will enter until all firms make zero economic profits
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A monopolistically competitive firm in the long run will produce an amount that is _______ the quantity where average cost is at a minimum and charge a price that is _______ marginal cost.
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Limit supply and raise prices
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In the long run, a monopolistically competitive firm will produce where price __________
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when price is below average cost
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When the price is greater than the average cost in a monopolistic competitive market, it means that the firm is operating in the _____ and we can expect firms to ______ the market
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Monopoly
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What is the long run economic profit for monopolistic competition
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monopolistically competitive
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If firms are making a lot of economic profits, what will happen in the long run
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zero in perfect competition and monopolistic competition, perhaps positive in a monopoly and perhaps positive in oligopoly
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If two firms collude to earn more profits, what might they do?
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Yes.
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When does a monopolistic competitive firm operate at a loss
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Only in perfect competition does price equal marginal cost
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What market has the highest profit level
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Perfect competition
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If a large number of firm face a downward sloping demand curve, what market is this
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Perfect competition
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Compare the levels of economic profits in a long-run equilibrium for a perfectly competitive firm, a monopoly, a monopolistically competitive firm, and an oligopoly. Go through the economic profits for all 4 firms:
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perfect competition, monopolistic competition, oligopoly, monopoly
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Can all 4 market structures we looked at have economic profits in the short run
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monopoly, oligopoly, monopolistic competition, perfect competition
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Go through each market type and determine whether or not their price equals their marginal cost
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Only perfect competition
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What is the only market that achieves economic efficiency
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Average revenue and price
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What is the only market that has their average costs at a minimum at the profit-maximizing quantity
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Whenever two or more competitors agree to take actions that have the effect of raising, lowering or stabilizing the price of any product or service without any legitimate justification.
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Rank each type of market on their industry quantities from highest to lowest.
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How large are the merging firms relative to the size of the market in which the firms compete
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Rank each type of market on their prices from highest to lowest
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Department of Justice and Federal Trade Commission
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For what graphs do the demand curve also represent marginal revenue
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measures the sums of squares of the market shares of all firms in the market, which gives the greater weight to the largest firms and it is used today by the Federal Trade Commission.
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The demand curve always represents
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If the concentration index is high, then merged firms will have increased their market power significantly and thus made price increases a win-win for the merged firm. That is unlike a low concentration index environment, where a price increase on the part of one firm is likely to result in lower profits.
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Price Fixing
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When a firm lowers prices with some or all customers and causes itself to incur avoidable losses and forgo short run profits
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What question is taken into account for mergers
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to drive competitors out of a market, prevent entry by one or more potential rivals, in order to increase its own market power, and eventually reduce output and raise prices, it is engaging in predatory pricing.
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Who measures the degree of existing concentration and the amount of change in concentration to determine if the merger will be harmful?
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Herfindahl-Hirschman Index (HHI)
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The sums of the squares concentration index
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sum the squared market shares for all firms.
Take the square root of all the market shares and add them up (10,000 is the highest)
Take the square root of all the market shares and add them up (10,000 is the highest)
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Merger rules
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moderately concentrated
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Predatory pricing
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highly concentrated
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Why would a firm use predatory pricing
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It will be flagged the overall market share for HHI goes up by more than 200
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How to measure concentration of market share
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How to calculate HHI
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HHI between 1,500-2,500 is considered to be
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HHI above 2,500 is considered to be
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What point level increase will be flagged if two firms decide to merge?
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