Shared Flashcard Set

Details

CFA Session 5
Economics Competitive and Monopolistic Markets
50
Economics
Undergraduate 4
01/21/2010

Additional Economics Flashcards

 


 

Cards

Term
Perfect Competition
Definition
Perfect Competition assumes the following:
All firms in the market produce identical products.
2. There is a large number of independent firms.
3. Each seller is small relative to the size of the total market.
4. There are no barriers to entry or exit.
Term
Price Taker
Definition
Firms that face horizontal (perfectly elastic) demand curves. A "price-taker market" is equivalent to a perfectly competitive market.
Demand curve is perfectly elastic (horizontal).
FOR A SINGLE PRICE TAKER: marginal revenue is simply the price because all additional units are assumed to be sold at the same (market) price.
Term
Monopoly
Definition
One seller of a specific, well-defined product that has no good substitutes. Barriers to market entry are high.
Term
Economic Loss
Definition
Where Marginal Revenue (MR) < (MC) Marginal Cost
Term
Short-Run Profit Maximization
Definition

Profits are maximized for the market at point 8 (MC=ATC). 

- For individual firms, their demand curve in equilibrium is the price level. Price=MR=MC=ATC

[image]

Term
Economic Profit for a Competitive Market
Definition

A firm will earn economic profits if its Price level is above its ATC curve. 

At Q, Price is above ATC. Revenue is the difference in price and ATC intersect then times by Q to get total Revenue and total cost.

 

[image]

Term

Economic Loss for a Competitive Firm

 

Definition

At Q1, firm will produce where ATC>Price. It will has an economic loss.

- The firm will continue to operate is Price is below ATC, but Above AVC. (ATC>P>AVC).

 

[image]

Term
Profit/Loss graph for Competitive Firm
Definition
[image]
Term
Total Profit and Total Revenue Graph
Definition

To maximize profits, produce at the point where TR>TC.

- Important to notice at this point, MR=MC. because either production level up/down would result in less profit so we would produce at the point where a TR>TC(synonymous with MC=MR).

[image]

Term
Shutdown Point
Definition

Firm's production level is just covering its variable costs (P=AVC), the firm will be operating at its shutdown point.

 

If the firm were to operate when P

Term
Short-run supply curve for a firm
Definition

The price-taker that intends to stay in business will maximize profits when it produces the output level at which P = MC AND variable costs are covered. At this output level, the price-taker can maximize its profits or minimizes its losses.

- Therefore, the portion of the firm's short-run marginal cost curve that lies above its average variable cost is the short-run curve of the firm.

[image]


 

Term
Why do firms earn zero economic profit in the long-run equilibrium?
Definition

If firms earn economic profit, firms will enter the market, shifting out supply, which pushes prices back down as output is increased.

 

The inverse is true, also.

[image]

Term
Permanent change in Demand
Definition

A permanent change in demand would leads to entry or exit of firms in the market.

Below is a permanent decrease in Demand. With S1, quantity has to go down to P2. As firms experience economic losses (because Price is below ATC), firms will exit. Decreasing Supply back to S2, which increases the price.

[image]

Term
External Economic of Scale
Definition

Factors beyond the control of an individual firm that lower the firm's costs as the industry output increases.

This is economies for an industry, not a firm.

Ex) the Computer industry was able to charge less, because inputs and technological changes helps the costs lower. So firms costs were lower, helping Companies increase more output and lower costs.

Term
External Diseconomies
Definition

Opposite of external economies of scale. As output increases, so do price.

Ex) Gold. Gold is a rare resource and not unlimited. So as output increased, so did price. 

 

This is typical of most industries.

Term
Technological Changes effect on Competition
Definition
takes a long time to implement into an industry, but as they do they will earn economic profits. Those firms who are slower will be forced to adopt the technology or exit the market.
Term
Two types of barriers
Definition
Legal Barriers: copyrights or patents or endorsements by govt.
Natural barriers: The average cost of porduction decreases as a single firm produces greater and greater output (large significant barriers to entry).
Term
Pricing strategies for a Monopoly
Definition
1)Single price: where all customers are charges the same price for the good.
2) Price Discrimination: a profit maximization effect by charging different prices to different groups of customers based on their need. Ex) DVD players, first cost over $1,000 its release. Then slowly lowered its price to incrementally charge customers.
Term
Two conflicting influences on total Revenue for a Monopoly
Definition

1. The increase in sales due tot he lower price will, by itself, add to the revenue of the monopoly.

 

2. The price reduction, however, also applies to units that would otherwise have been sold at a higher price. This factor itself will cause a reduction in total revenue.

 

These two conflicting forces will result in marginal revenue - the change in total revenue - that is less than the sales price of the additional units. Thus the marginal revenue curve of the monopoly will always lie below the firm's demand curve which is also the market's demand curve:

[image]

Term
Monopoly marginal revenue and Price.
Definition

Although monopolies have no other substitutes, this does not mean they can charge whatever price. Demand still determines price and quantity.

-The amount of Revenue a single-price monopoly will charge is related to the elasticity of demand.

- If demand is elastic, a fall in price brings an increase in TR. the rise in revenue from the increase in quantity sold outweighs the fall in revenue form the lower price per unit, and MR is positive.

- If demand is inelastic, a fall in price will bring a decrease in Revenues. 

Term
Determining Output for a Monopoly
Definition

A monopoly selects the profit-maximizing level of output in the same manner as a competitive firm, where MC=MR. 

The ATC curve tells the analyst the average cost. To determine economic profit:

DxQ - ATCxQ = economic profit.

 

 

[image]

Term
Comparing Monopoly to Competition
Definition

Monopoly has a demand curve of MR, whereas Competition is constrained to D curve.

Competition, they would charge where D=MC, which is there MR=MC point.

Monopoly would decrease output and charge a higher point where MR=MC, according to their curve.

 

[image]

Term
Comparing Efficiencies of Monopoly versus Competition
Definition

Monopolies are inefficient. because they restrict output, resulting in a DWL. Consumer surplus is everywhere above the Pc lines and to the left of Qm.

It inefficient because price > MC. On allput levels where MB exceeds MC, a DWL occurs.

 

 

[image]

Term
Rent-Seeking
Definition

Firms that spend resources to try to secure government protection to acquire/establish a legal barrier monopoly.

This results in a shortage of resources available to produce or offer, and thus reduced economic welfare.

 

Rent-seeking activites: donations to politicians, demonstrating the positive effects of a license.

 

Resources used in rent-seeking can exhaust the monopoly's economic profit and leave the owner with only normal profit.

 

Term
Price Discrimination
Definition

Practice whereby sellers charge different consumers different prices for the same product.

To requirements to do this:

1. Identify and separate at least two groups with differing elasticities of demand.

2. Prevent those who buy at the low price from reselling to the customers charge higher prices.

 

Price discrimination turns Consumer surplus into economic profit.

Term
Efficiency and Rent-Seeking
Definition

Perfect price discrimination extracts the entire potential consumer surplus and converts it to economic profit.

 

Dead weight loss is eliminated in this case. 

Term
Benefits of Monopolies
Definition

Product Innvoation: Patent and copyrights provide protection for the inventor so that they can enjoy and give them the incentive to innovate more.

 

Economies of scale and scope:

Where economies of scale or scope exist, a monopoly can produce at a lower average total cost than what a large number of competitive firms could achieve.

Term
Average Cost Pricing
Definition

Is when governments instruct the monopolist to produce that output where the demand curve intersects the ATC curve. At this point, Monopoly makes zero economic profits and just normal profits.

[image]

Term
Marginal cost pricing
Definition

When government instructs the monopolist to produce that output where the demand curve intersects the MC curve.

Since the monopoly is producing at a loss, government might grant a subsidy, or let them price discriminate.

[image]

Term
Monopolistic Competition
Definition

Also called a competitive price-searcher market.

Characteristics:

-low entry barriers causes intense competition.

- Large number of firms

-small market share between firms

-sensitive to average market price. 

-Collusion and fixed prices is impossible

-Differentiated product

-Firms Compete on price, quality, and marketing

 

Term
Output and Price in Monopolistic Competition
Definition

Price-takers, monopolistic competitors max profits by producing MR = MC.

 

Monopolistic Competition operates much like Monopolistic

[image]

Term
Long-Run: Zero economic profit
Definition

As there is profit for Monopolistic Competition, firms will enter into the firm causing individual firms profits to decrease.

Below is a depiction of where firms enter into the market shifting their market share supply curve to the left. Less people select their product because of the other competitors in the market.

[image]

Term
Efficiency of Monopolistic Competition
Definition

Efficiency is unclear. Consumers definitely benefit form brand name promotion and advertising because they receive information about the nature of the product.

 

Some would argue that the increased cost of advertising and sales in not justified by the benefits of these activities.

Term
Importance of Innovation, product development, advertising and branding
Definition

Product Innovation: necessary activity as firms in monopolistic competition pursue economic profits. Firms with innovation have less-elastic demand curves, enabling them to increase price and earn economic profits.

 

Advertising expenses: high for firms in monopolistic competition, more so than any monopolies and competitive markets. Inform consumers about the unique features of their product.

 

Brand Names: provide information to consumers by providing them with signals about the quality of the branded product. Firms spend significant amount of advertising budget on brand name promotion.

Term
Kinked Demand Curve Model
Definition

Based on the assumption that an increase in a firm's product price will not be followed by its competitors, but a decrease in price will.

Above a given price, firm faces a more elastic(flatter) curve. But below the price it is more inelastic.

[image]

Term
Dominant firm oligopoly Model.
Definition

Based on the assumption that one of the firms in an oligopoly market has a significant cost advantage over its competitors and that this dominant firm produces a relatively large proportion of he industry's output.

 

The dominant firm produces at the point where its own MC=MR, like a Monopoly. The other firms then are price takes are whatever price was set by the dominant firm.

Term
Prisoners Dilemma
Definition

Two prisoners, A (Left side of graph) and B(top of graph), are believed to commit a serious crime. The evidence inconclusive, the prisoners are separated for a given plea:

A or B can either plea guilty or not guilty.

Possible outcomes:

- if prisoner A confesses and B is Denies, prisoner A goes free and B gets 3 years.

- If prisoner B confesses and A denies, prisoner b goes free and A gets 3 years.

- If prisoner A and B both confess, they get 2 years each.

- If prisoner A and B deny, both will get only 1 year.

Result: Both prisoners will enter a contract saying they would confess, but both would deny because of the smaller sentence.

Similar to contract and collusion. Business will enter into contracts but then breach then to get the largest amount satisfaction and benefit.

[image]

Term
Collusion
Definition
Firms make an agreement among themselves to avoid various competitive practices, particularly price competition.
Term
Collusion and the effect of PRisoner's Dillemma
Definition
Refer to page 107-108 of Economics Book.
Term
Derived Demand
Definition
Demand for a productive resource that is dependent upon the demand for the final goods that is is being used to produce.
Term
Marginal Product
Definition
The additional output of a final product produce by using one more unit of a productive input (resource) and holding the quantities of other inputs constant.
Term
Marginal Revenue
Definition
Addition to total revenues form selling one more unit of output. MR
Term
Marginal Revenue Product (MRP)
Definition

Is the addition to total revenue gained by selling the marginal product from employing one more unit of a productive resource.

 

MRP is downward-sloping in any range of output for which diminishing marginal returns are realized form using additional units of a productive resource. It is in fact the firm's demand curve for the productive resource or input.

 

This term is used in analyzing labor markets.

Term
MRP continued
Definition

Markets will add additional inputs of labor to MRP          (of labor) = Price(of Labor)

 

This point of equilibrium will determine the wage rate for labor, the highest a firm may pay to hire an additional unit of labor.

Term
Aggregate Supply
Definition
refers to the amount of goods and services produced by an economy. Aggregate supply is a function of the PRICE level. Just as in good markets, higher prices bring about more supply in the short run.
Term
Short Run in the Aggregate Demand and Supply Model
Definition
That Period over which workers' wage demands are constant. Short-run aggregate supply curve is constructed holding the money wage (not the real wage) constant.
A key factor that drives workers' wage demands in this model is their expectations about future rates of inflation.
Ex) increase in workers' expectations about future inflation increases their wage demands, and this decreases short-run aggregate supply.
Term
Long Run aggregate suppy
Definition

Represents the supply of goods n and services a teach price level when workers' inflation expectations are just equal to actual inflation.

A change in actual inflation, holding workers' money wage demands constant, leads to movement along the SAS curve to a temporary disequilibrium situation, either above or below full0employment GDP (LRAS).

 

[image]

Term
LAS
Definition

LAS is the potential (Full-employment) real output of the economy. This will depend primarily on three things:

1. The quantity of labor in the economy

2. The quantity of capital (productive resources) in the economy.

3. The technology that the economy possesses.

Supporting users have an ad free experience!