question
In a competitive price-searcher market, the firms will
answer
be able to choose their price, and the entry barriers into the market will be low
question
A profit-maximizing price searcher will expand output to the point where
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marginal revenue equals marginal cost
question
In the long run, neither competitive price takers nor competitive price searchers will be able to earn economic
profits because
profits because
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competition will force prices down to the level of per-unit production costs
question
If firms in a competitive price-searcher market are currently earning economic losses, then in the long run,
a. new firms will enter the market, and the current firms will experience a decrease in
a. new firms will enter the market, and the current firms will experience a decrease in
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some existing firms will exit the market, and the remaining firms will experience an
increase in demand for their products until zero economic profit is again restored.
increase in demand for their products until zero economic profit is again restored.
question
As long as a market is contestable, then even if it has only a few sellers, the
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threat of new entrants will prevent the prices from rising above the competitive level.
question
Entrepreneurial judgment
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is necessary to make business decisions when no fixed decision rule can be used.
question
Compared to the outcome when the firms are price takers, competitive price-searcher markets will result in
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a wider variety of products and higher prices.
question
If a market is in long-run equilibrium, which of the following conditions will be present in a competitive
price-taker market but absent from a competitive price-searcher market?
price-taker market but absent from a competitive price-searcher market?
answer
P = MC
question
The strategy underlying price discrimination is
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to increase total revenue by charging higher prices to those with the most inelastic
demand for the product and lower prices to those with the most elastic demand.
demand for the product and lower prices to those with the most elastic demand.
question
If a government wanted to increase the prosperity of a nation, it could best serve this goal by
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reducing barriers that restrict the ability of potential competitors to enter markets.
question
The idea that business failure is a positive force for progress in a market economy is often summarized by the
term "creative destruction." Which of the following best states the central idea of this principle?
term "creative destruction." Which of the following best states the central idea of this principle?
answer
Business failure allows the assets and resources from that business to move into other
areas where those resources are now more productive and highly valued
areas where those resources are now more productive and highly valued
question
Which of the following is the major reason why most economists are reluctant to charge price searcher
markets with allocative inefficiency?
markets with allocative inefficiency?
answer
Consumers value the wider variety of quality and styles in competitive price-searcher
markets.
markets.
question
Given the cost and demand conditions depicted in Figure 10-5 for the competitive price-searcher firm, what is
the price that the firm should charge if it wants to maximize its profit?
the price that the firm should charge if it wants to maximize its profit?
answer
40
question
Given that the short-run cost and demand conditions shown in Figure 10-5 for the competitive price-searcher
firm are representative for all firms in the industry, what will happen in this industry in the long run?
firm are representative for all firms in the industry, what will happen in this industry in the long run?
answer
The firm will face competition from new entrants into the industry, causing this firm's
demand to decline until zero economic profits are restored.
demand to decline until zero economic profits are restored.
question
Which is the best example of price discrimination
answer
Airline ticket prices.
question
Which of the following is a true statement about the difference between a price-taker firm and a competitive
price-searcher firm in the long run?
price-searcher firm in the long run?
answer
Both will sell their products at a price equal to average total cost, but only the price taker
will produce at minimum average total cost.
will produce at minimum average total cost.
question
Which of the following statements about price discrimination is correct?
answer
A price discriminating firm will want to charge a higher price to the consumer group with
the more inelastic demand
the more inelastic demand
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Which of the following statements is correct?
answer
To maximize profit, a price discriminator distinguishes groups with different demands
and charges higher prices to those with the more inelastic demand.
and charges higher prices to those with the more inelastic demand.
question
Entrepreneurial judgment requires
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the ability to discover new approaches or solutions to complex problems.
question
To gain from price discrimination, price searchers
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must charge a higher price to those with a more inelastic demand.
question
Which of the following is a major difference between a competitive price searcher and a price taker?
answer
Price takers produce identical goods, whereas competitive price searchers produce goods
that are differentiated from the goods produced by their competitors
that are differentiated from the goods produced by their competitors
question
Suppose you were asked to determine whether a firm was a price taker or a competitive price searcher by
looking at a graph of the firm's cost and revenue curves. The key is that for the competitive price searcher,
a. the firm's marginal revenue curve lies above and to the right of the demand curve, not
below and to the left.
looking at a graph of the firm's cost and revenue curves. The key is that for the competitive price searcher,
a. the firm's marginal revenue curve lies above and to the right of the demand curve, not
below and to the left.
answer
the firm's demand curve is downward sloping, not a horizontal line
question
A competitive price-searcher market is characterized by firms
answer
being able to choose their price and no barriers preventing firms from entering or leaving
the market
the market
question
If a price-searcher firm can sell 4 units at a price of $6 or it can sell 5 units at a price of $5, the marginal
revenue from the fifth unit is
revenue from the fifth unit is
answer
1
question
The fact that barriers to entry are low in competitive price-searcher markets means that if current firms are
making economic losses,
making economic losses,
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some current firms will exit the market, causing the demand curves that face the
remaining firms to increase
remaining firms to increase
question
Which of the following is true when long-run equilibrium conditions are present in price-taker and
competitive price-searcher markets?
competitive price-searcher markets?
answer
MR = MC in both price-taker and competitive price-searcher markets
b. P = ATC in both price-taker and competitive price-searcher markets
b. P = ATC in both price-taker and competitive price-searcher markets
question
A market in which the costs of entry and exit are low is called a
answer
contestable market.
question
In order for a firm to be able to engage in price discrimination, it must be able to
answer
identify and separate groups with different price elasticities of demand.
b. prevent resale of the product between customer groups.
b. prevent resale of the product between customer groups.
question
Some economists have argued that competitive price-searcher industries are allocatively inefficient relative to
price-taker industries because
price-taker industries because
answer
unlike price takers, price searchers do not produce at the minimum of their average total
cost curves
cost curves
question
The practice of price discrimination has which of the following effects?
answer
Groups with the lower elasticity of demand will pay higher prices