Microeconomics- Chapter 6

The term ___________________ is used to describe the common pattern whereby each marginal unit of a consumed good provides less of an addition to utility than the previous unit. A. diminishing marginal utility B. marginal utility pattern C. marginal income utility D. decreasing marginal utility

A. diminishing marginal utility

When economists attempt to predict the spending patterns of U.S. households, they will typically view the _____________________ as a primary determining factor that influences the individual consumption choices that each will make. A. income level of each household B. national average spending level C. national average savings level D. nation's perennial political debate

A. income level of each household

Which of the following is considered to be a tell-tale signal that the point with the highest total utility has been found? A. the marginal utility per dollar is the same for both goods B. the marginal utility per dollar is controlled by trade-offs C. the quantities demanded change so total utility rises D. the demand curves are flatter reducing quantity

A. the marginal utility per dollar is the same for both goods

The typical pattern revealed in a budget constraint model shows that as the quantity consumed rises, A. total utility rises, but marginal utility falls. B. marginal utility increases. C. total utility decreases, but marginal utility rises. D. total utility decreases.

A. total utility rises, but marginal utility falls.

The marginal utility of two goods changes ______________. A. with the quantities consumed B. for the better, if taxes are imposed C. if they are intertemporal choices D. if the mother controls the household budget

A. with the quantities consumed

Jed's weekly budget for lunch is $24. He eats only pizza and burgers. Each pizza costs $6 and each burger costs $3. Jed knows that 2 pizzas and 4 burgers will give him a utility of 8. At his utility-maximizing point, Jed's utility is: A. 4 B. 8 C. 6 D. 10

B. 8

In May and June, Tammy spent all her clothing budget on bathing suits and beach bags. Each bathing suit cost $75. At Tammy's optimal choice, her marginal utility from the last bathing suit purchased is 300 and her marginal utility from the last beach bag purchased is 200. This means that each handbag must cost: A. $50 B. $25 C. $100 D. $150

A. $50

Rick eats only french fries and burgers at his office cafeteria. His weekly lunch budget is $48. Each burger costs $6 and each order of fries costs $3. When deciding how much of each good to buy, Rick knows that 2 burgers and 4 orders of french fries will give him a utility of 8. At his utility-maximizing point, Rick's utility is: A. 32 B. 48 C. 40 D. 24

A. 32

Even with wage increases, the supply curve of labor is most often inelastic for which of the following? A. part-time workers B. full-time workers C. lawyers D. massage therapists

B. full-time workers

Saving money is a(n) ____________________, because it involves less consumption in the present, but the ability to consume more in the future. A. budget constraint B. intertemporal choice C. risk premium D. opportunity cost

B. intertemporal choice

When Marietta chooses to only purchase a combination of goods that lie within her budget line, she: A. is decreasing utility. B. is maximizing utility. C. likely has negative savings. D. must reduce the quantity.

B. is maximizing utility.

A decrease in consumer preference for a product, other things being equal, will cause: A. a decrease in supply. B. market demand to shift to the left. C. market demand to shift to the right. D. quantity demanded is not a price function.

B. market demand to shift to the left.

Jay and Jen are married with two children. They are preparing a household budget for the coming year. Based on statistical information for American households, approximately what portion of this family's annual consumption will most likely be budgeted for food and vehicle expenses? A. one-fourth B. one-third C. one-quarter D. two-thirds

B. one-third

In microeconomic terms, the ability of a good or a service to satisfy wants is called: A. opportunity cost. B. utility. C. utility maximization. D. profit potential.

B. utility.

Josh's weekly budget for lunch is $24. He eats only pizza and burgers. Each pizza costs $6 and each burger costs $3. Josh knows that 2 pizzas and 4 burgers will give him a utility of 8. What is Josh's utility-maximizing point? A. 0 pizzas, 8 burgers B. 3 pizzas, 2 burgers C. 2 pizzas, 4 burgers D. 4 pizzas, 1 burger

C. 2 pizzas, 4 burgers

How does the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics gather information with regard to the typical consumption choices of Americans? A. Consumer Spending Survey B. Consumer Income Budget Survey C. Consumer Expenditure Survey D. Consumer Income Survey

C. Consumer Expenditure Survey

Marginal utility can: A. be positive or negative, but not zero B. decrease, but not become negative C. be positive, negative, or zero D. increase positively, but not negatively

C. be positive, negative, or zero

The key assumption that accompanies the use of numbers for measuring utility is that: A. utility cannot be measured by an outside party. B. utility can be perfectly measured. C. individuals choose based on their preferences. D. people make consumption decisions.

C. individuals choose based on their preferences.

The _________________ budget constraint shows the tradeoff between present and future consumption. A. inflation B. utility-maximizing C. intertemporal choice D. time-value of money

C. intertemporal choice

For lunch, Wendy eats only salads or fruit & yogurt smoothies. Her weekly food budget is $48. Each salad costs $6 and each smoothie costs $3. When deciding how much of each good to buy, Wendy knows that 2 salads and 4 smoothies will give her a utility of 8. What is Wendy's utility-maximizing point? A. 1 salad, 14 smoothies B. 6 salads, 4 smoothies C. 5 salads, 6 smoothies D. 4 salads, 8 smoothies

D. 4 salads, 8 smoothies

Todd is a cattle rancher. In June and July he spent his clothing budget on jeans and cowboy hats. Each pair of jeans cost $50 and each hat cost $100. At Todd's optimal choice, his marginal utility from the last pair of jeans purchased is 200. This means that his marginal utility from the last cowboy hat purchased is: A. 550 B. 500 C. 450 D. 400

D. 400

During a severe recession, the government issued food stamps that could only be used to acquire food to a greater number of families. The budget line graph shows food on the horizontal axis and everything else on the vertical axis. The government expects that issuing the food stamps will cause each family's budget constraint line to: A. pivot out along the horizontal axis. B. pivot out along the vertical axis. C. shift to the left. D. shift to the right.

D. shift to the right.

Economists are able to determine total utility by: A. multiplying the marginal utility of the first unit consumed by the number of units consumed. B. multiplying the marginal utility of the last unit consumed by the number of units consumed. C. multiplying the marginal utility of the last unit consumed by the unit price. D. summing up the marginal utilities of each unit consumed.

D. summing up the marginal utilities of each unit consumed.

The government distributes food stamps that can only be used to acquire food to low-income families. The budget line graph will show food on the horizontal axis and everything else on the vertical axis. After receiving food stamps, Ted's family is able to consume the same amount of food. The new consumption point for Ted's family will be: A. on the new budget line, directly above the old consumption point. B. on the new budget line, above and to the right of the old consumption point. C. on the new budget line, directly to the right of the old consumption point. D. remain precisely the same as the old consumption point.

A. on the new budget line, directly above the old consumption point.

Economic theory offers ____________________ about the full range of possible events and responses, which can prevent __________________ about how households will respond to changes in prices or incomes. A. one budget constraint theory; unrealistic possibilities B. a systematic way of thinking; misguided conclusions C. two budget constraint theories; misguided possibilities D. systematic consumption choices; unrealistic conclusions

B. a systematic way of thinking; misguided conclusions

The government wants to make medicare benefits available to more people, but to achieve this goal, it needs to make cuts in the existing medicare budget. The two areas where they are considering cuts are non-essential elective surgery and 6-12 month mental health care programs. Applying the concept of diminishing marginal utility, the budget cuts should be made for spending on: A. mental health therapy due to its higher marginal return rate. B. elective surgery due to its lower marginal return rate. C. both programs, which have the same marginal return rate. D. neither can be compared by measuring marginal utility.

B. elective surgery due to its lower marginal return rate.

As a general rule, utility-maximizing choices between consumption goods occur where the: A. rise in income has created the greatest utility. B. price ratio and marginal utilities ratio of two goods is equal. C. higher-income households have the greatest satisfaction. D. constraints on budget expenditures has fallen substantially.

B. price ratio and marginal utilities ratio of two goods is equal.

The theoretical model of the intertemporal budget constraint for the U.S. economy as a whole suggests that the most common pattern seems to be that: A. the quantity of savings automatically adjusts to changes in the rate of return. B. the quantity of savings doesn't adjust much to changes in the rate of return. C. the result of a higher rate of return is a higher quantity of saving. D. the result of a lower rate of return is a lower quantity of saving.

B. the quantity of savings doesn't adjust much to changes in the rate of return.

For lunch, Maria eats only salads or vegetarian burgers. Her weekly food budget is $36. Each salad costs $6 and each vegetarian burger costs $3. When deciding how much of each good to buy, Maria knows that 2 salads and 4 vegetarian burgers will give her a utility of 8. Maria's utility-maximizing point is: A. 6 salads, 1 vegetarian burger B. 4 salads, 6 vegetarian burgers C. 3 salads, 6 vegetarian burgers D. 2 salads, 8 vegetarian burgers

C. 3 salads, 6 vegetarian burgers

In terms of microeconomic analysis, what is the function of "utils"? A. a form of budget constraint B. applies to changes in income C. a measurement of utility D. relates to a consumers original choice

C. a measurement of utility

In the U.S., the amount in savings contributed to IRAs rose from $239 billion in 1992 to $3,667 billion by 2005, while overall savings actually dropped from low to lower. Evidence suggests that, in the economy as a whole, increased savings in these retirement accounts: A. are the negative result of a change in wage levels and a higher work effort. B. the result of personal preferences and intertemporal budget constraints. C. are being offset by negative savings or less savings in other kinds of accounts. D. the result of a higher interest rates and preferences about present consumption.

C. are being offset by negative savings or less savings in other kinds of accounts.

The term _____________ describes a situation where a ________________ causes a reduction in the buying power of income, even though actual income has not changed. A. substitution effect; lower price B. intertemporal budget; higher price C. income effect; higher price D. intertemporal budget; lower price

C. income effect; higher price

Substitution and income effects of a change in price of a good may be used to explain the: A. direct relationship between price and quantity purchased. B. inverse relationship between price and quantity demanded. C. direct relationship between price and quantity supplied. D. direct relationship between income and demand.

D. direct relationship between income and demand.