Microeconomics 105 Cypress College Chapter 2, Chapter 6, Chapter 8, Chapter 12
The more substitutes available for a product, the greater the price elasticity of demand.
True
How can we measure the opportunity cost of leisure? The opportunity cost of leisure is Part 2
the wage rate.
Edward Scahill produces table lamps in the perfectly competitive desk lamp market. The equilibrium price of lamps is $50. Part 2 a. Fill in the blanks in the table for total revenue and marginal revenue, as represented by (i and ii). (Enter your responses as integers.) (i) Total revenue is
$150 $50 7 No because price is greater than minimum AVC.
When quantity demanded is completely unresponsive to price, what is the value of price elasticity of demand?
0
Refer to the graph. What is the opportunity cost of moving from point B to point C?
20 Sedans
Farmer Parker will maximize profits by producing 66 bushels of wheat (enter a whole number). Part 3 Suppose that the marginal cost of wheat increases by $0.50 for every bushel of wheat produced. For example, the marginal cost of producing the eighth bushel of wheat is now $6.50. Will this increase in marginal cost change the profit-maximizing level of production for Farmer Parker? No. Part 4 How much profit will Farmer Parker make now? $6.00 (round your answer to the nearest penny).
6 bushels No $6
After Tea Forté cut the price of its tea samplers, Amazon included the product as one of its Cyber Monday deals, featuring it in e-mail advertisements. Does this additional information affect your answer to part (a)?
A. Yes. With this additional information, we know that the price elasticity of demand must be smaller in absolute value (that is, closer to zero) than the value calculated in part (a).
According to an article on cnbc.com, in October 2018, S&P cut its rating on General Electric's bonds from A to BBB+. Source: Fred Imbert, "S&P Downgrades General Electric's Credit Rating a Day after CEO Is Fired," cnbc.com, October 2, 2018. Part 2 What is S&P's top bond rating?
AAA
According to an estimate by the Pew Research Center, the number of people between the ages of 25 and 64 born in the United States from U.S.-born parents will decline by 8.2 million between 2015 and 2035. Source: Eduardo Porter, "Short of Workers, U.S. Builders and Farmers Crave More Immigrants," New York Times, April 3, 2019. a. Holding other factors constant, briefly explain the effect this decline would have on the labor supply curve in the United States.
All else equal, a decrease in the working-age population will cause the labor supply curve to shift to the left.
Suppose that you are the economic adviser to a presidential candidate who is trying to decide whether she should support a proposal that Congress impose such regulations on the prices of pharmaceuticals and medical devices. You need to prepare a report discussing the relevant factors the candidate should consider. Use the concepts of opportunity cost and trade-offs to discuss some of the main issues you would include in your report. The presidential candidate should consider
All of the Above
Which of the following stock indexes experienced a sharp decline in late 2007, reflecting the severity of the recession which began late that year?
All of the Above
Why are independent courts important for a well-functioning economy? Independence is necessary for courts:
All of the Above to make their decisions free of influence from other parts of the government. to make their decisions free of influence from people with powerful political connections. to make their decisions free of intimidation by criminal gangs. to make their decisions based on the law.
Why is the supply curve of labor usually upward sloping?
As the wage decreases, the opportunity cost of leisure decreases, causing individuals to devote less time to working.
Why is the supply curve of labor usually upward sloping?
As the wage decreases, the opportunity cost of leisure decreases, causing individuals to devote less time to working. As the wage increases, the opportunity cost of labor increases, causing individuals to devote more time to working.
According to an article in the Wall Street Journal, "In the four weeks through Sept. 1, the total number of orange juice gallons sold fell by 5.1% from the same period last year, as prices increased by 2.6%." Source: Julie Wernau, "More Bad News for the Orange Juice Market," Wall Street Journal, October 15, 2018. a. Assuming that the demand for orange juice didn't shift during this period, the price elasticity of demand for orange juice is enter your response here. (Enter your response as a negative number rounded to two decimal places.)
Assuming that the demand for orange juice didn't shift during this period, the price elasticity of demand for orange juice is negative −1.96. (Enter your response as a negative number rounded to two decimal places.)
Which of the following best explains why firms don't maximize revenue rather than profit?
At the point where revenue is maximized, the difference between total revenue and total cost may not be maximized.
What is the relationship between a perfectly competitive firm's marginal cost curve and its supply curve?
A firm's marginal cost curve is equal to its supply curve for prices above average variable cost.
Suppose that a firm in which you have invested is losing a lot of money. Would you rather own the firm's stock or the firm's bonds? Part 2
Bonds
Which of the following is true of the management structure of corporations in the United States?
Both A and B . Members of management who are inside directors serve on the board of directors. Large corporations are legally owned by shareholders who do usually not directly manage the firm
The cost of XXX a book is a price you pay to buy the book, but the cost of XXX a book would include the time spent reading the book.
Buying Consuming
Which of the following statements is true?
By protecting private property rights, governments make it more likely that investments will be made in businesses that provide jobs and income for workers.
A columnist for Forbes argues that: "Even if China is always better than Spain at producing textiles, if the best thing that Spain could be doing is textiles then that's what Spain should be doing." Source: Tim Worstall, "Inditex's Zara and the Power of Comparative Advantage," forbes.com, July 7, 2015. What does the columnist mean by writing that China "is always better than Spain" in producing textiles (which include clothing, sheets, and similar products)?
China can produce textiles at a lower cost in terms of resources than Spain can.
What is the basis for trade?
Comparative advantage.
The graph shows a demand curve for subway passes assuming the MTA's strategy succeeds and a second demand curve assuming that the strategy fails. In the figure, the price elasticity of demand for demand curve Upper D 1D1 is relatively more inelastic.
D1
What challenges did Lyft face in becoming profitable? (Check all that apply.)
Dealing with increased government regulatory requirements. Your answer is correct. Convincing investors of the continued growth opportunities for ride-hailing apps Keeping its prices competitive relative to the prices of its rivals.
What do economists mean by scarcity? (2.1)
Economists mean that unlimited wants exceed limited resources.
According to an article on espn.com, when the Atlanta Falcons football team moved into a new stadium, the team changed its strategy of pricing concessions: "The Falcons lowered prices on food and beverage by 50 percent and fans spent 16 percent more." Source: Jamison Hensley, "Ravens Try to Win Back Fans with Lower Concession Prices," espn.com, May 15, 2018. Holding everything else constant and given the 16 percent increase in revenue as a result of the 50 percent decrease in prices, the demand for food and beverage in the new stadium is price
Elastic
What is an entrepreneur?
Entrepreneurs operate businesses that produce goods and services.
In the 1950s, the economist Bela Balassa compared 28 manufacturing industries in the United States and Britain. In every one of the 28 industries, Balassa found that the United States had an absolute advantage In these circumstances, would there have been any gain to the United States from importing any of these products from Britain? Explain.
Even with an absolute advantage, the United States would have benefited from importing those products for which Britain had a comparative advantage.
What impact would each of the following events be likely to have on the price of Google's stock? Part 2 A competitor launches a search engine that is just as good as Google's. The price of Google's stock would be expected to XXX The corporate income tax is abolished. The price of Google's stock would be expected to rise. Part 4 Google's board of directors becomes dominated by close friends and relatives of its top management. The price of Google's stock would be expected to fall. Part 5 The price of wireless Internet connections unexpectedly drops, so more and more people use the Internet. The price of Google's stock would be expected to rise. Part 6 Google announces a huge profit of $1 billion, but everybody anticipated that Google would earn a huge profit of $1 billion. The price of Google's stock would be expected to stay the same.
Fall Rise Fall Rise Stay the Same
If you and your neighbor both grow oranges and grapefruits and you are better than your neighbor at picking both oranges and grapefruits, there can be no advantage to you in specializing in growing only one type of fruit and trading with your neighbor for the other.
False
The demand curve for a luxury is less elastic than the demand curve for a necessity.
False
The market supply curve of labor is determined by adding up the wages for each worker at each quantity of labor supplied, holding constant all other variables that might affect the willingness of workers to supply labor.
False
The more time that passes, the more inelastic the demand for a product becomes.
False
When demand curves intersect, the curve with the larger slope in absolute value (the steeper demand curve) is more elastic.
False
A free market is a market with ________ government restrictions on how a good or service can be produced or sold and with ________ government restrictions on how a factor of production can be employed.
Few/Few
Writing in the New York Times, Michael Lewis argued that "...a market economy is premised on a system of incentives designed to encourage an ignoble human trait: self-interest." Source: Michael Lewis, "In Defense of the Boom." New York Times, October 27, 2002. Part 2 What incentives does a market system provide to encourage self-interest?
Financial Reward
What are the two main categories of participants in markets?
Firms and households
Who has the comparative advantage in producing wine and who has the comparative advantage in producing cheese?
France has a comparative advantage producing wine and Germany has a comparative advantage producing cheese.
The likely result of this rating's cut will be
GE will have to pay a higher interest rate when it sells bonds.
Are there any disadvantages?
General incorporation laws reduce the owners' responsibility for the firm's debts.
Is Amazon likely to have the same effect on revenue from increasing the prices of groceries that it has from increasing the price of its Amazon Prime service? Does it matter for your answer that many consumers view Whole Foods as an upscale grocery store that carries some products that supermarkets like Kroger, Albertson's, or Publix do not carry?
If consumers do not see other grocery stores as being good substitutes for Whole Foods, it is possible that the demand for groceries purchased at those stores is price inelastic and raising prices may increase total revenue.
Is the following statement correct or incorrect? "According to the model of perfectly competitive markets, the demand for wheat should be a horizontal line. But this can't be true: When the price of wheat rises, the quantity of wheat demanded falls, and when the price of wheat falls, the quantity of wheat demanded rises. Therefore, the demand for wheat is not a horizontal line."
Incorrect. The commentator is confusing the market demand for wheat with the demand line facing the representative firm.
As you move up a linear demand curve, the price elasticity of demand in absolute value
Increases
What does increasing marginal opportunity costs?
Increasing the production of a good requires larger and larger decreases in the production of another good
It is not possible to determine with certainty what the return will be on money invested in the stock market. Part 3 b. Would it be a good idea to invest in the stock market money that you will need in two years as a down payment on a car? Briefly explain.
Is not No, because the value of stocks can fluctuate substantially over short periods of time.
An article on cnbc.com quoted a financial advisor discussing Lyft as an investment as saying: "We've seen throughout history that great services, great products don't necessarily make great businesses." Source: Lorie Konish, "Here's What You Need to Know Before You Invest in Lyft's IPO," cnbc.com, March 4, 2019. Part 2 a. In what sense might Lyft be considered a great service or a great product? (Check all that apply.)
Lyft might be considered a great service or a great product if it can continue to expand its market further. Lyft might be considered a great service or a great product if expectations of future profitability are high.
Frank Gunter owns an apple orchard. He employs 42 apple pickers and pays them $9 per hour to pick apples, which he sells for $4.50 per box. If Frank is maximizing profits, what is the marginal revenue product of the last worker he hired? What is that worker's marginal product? marginal revenue product of the last worker=$enter your response here per hour. (Enter your response as an integer.)
Marginal Revenue Product=7 per hour Marginal Product 7/1.75=4
Suppose that shortly after graduating from college you decide to start your own business. Assuming you are starting a small business and realize that you need someone with particular expertise or business skills, which category of firm are you most likely to start? Part 2 A.
Partnership
In 2019, an article in the Wall Street Journal noted that the Nestlé company was facing "fierce competition" in the markets for its Nescafé coffee and KitKat chocolate bars. Source: Saabira Chaudhuri, "Nestlé's Revival Plan Starts to Pay Off," Wall Street Journal, February 14, 2019. Does this "fierce competition" mean that the demand curves for Nescafé coffee and KitKat chocolate bars are horizontal?
No. "Fierce competition" does not imply a horizontal demand curve because horizontal demand curves are found only in perfectly competitive markets.
Under what circumstances would S&P, or the other bond rating agencies, be likely to cut the rating on a firm's bonds?
None of the above.
What do we mean by the separation of ownership from control in large corporations?
Shareholders own the corporation, but it is controlled by managers.
A columnist in the New York Times observed that "the entire point of investing in stocks is that you get greater long-term expected returns in exchange for tolerating bigger ups and downs." Source: Neil Irwin, "What Should You Do about a Falling Stock Market? Nothing," New York Times, January 3, 2019. Part 2 a. Why did the columnist refer to long-term expected returns?
Stock prices are difficult to predict and returns are based on predictions about expected future profitability.
What does the columnist mean by "a clear road to profitability"?
The ability of a business that is presently losing money to eventually earn a profit.
A decrease in the price of a firm's bonds would tell managers which of the following?
The cost of external funds has increased.
Suppose that a large oil field is discovered in Michigan. By imposing a tax on the oil, the state government is able to eliminate the state income tax on wages. What is likely to be the effect on the labor supply curve in Michigan?
The quantity of labor supplied in Michigan will increase if the substitution effect is larger than the income effect.
Why do entrepreneurs play a key role in a market system?
They bring together factors of production.
What is the circular-flow diagram and what does it illustrate? (2.3)
The circular-flow diagram shows how households and firms are linked through product and factor markets.
Why isn't elasticity just measured by the slope of the demand curve?
The slope can change dramatically, depending on the units chosen for quantity and price.
Pew forecasts that the total population of the United States between the ages of 25 and 64 will increase by 13.6 million between 2015 and 2035. Given the information provided in this problem, which of the following best explains the source of this increase?
The source would have to be immigrants or children of immigrants.
State whether the following statement is true or false: "The total value of the shares of Microsoft stock traded on the NASDAQ last week was $895 billion, so the firm actually received much more revenue from stock sales than from selling software."
The statement is false because Microsoft does not receive the money investors paid for the stock.
The price elasticity of demand for a particular brand of raisin bran is, in absolute value,
larger than the price elasticity of demand for all breakfast cereals.
Of the three ways to enter the park—in a private, noncommercial vehicle; on a motorcycle; and by foot, bike, or ski—which way would you expect to have the largest price elasticity of demand, and which would you expect to have the smallest price elasticity of demand?
The private, noncommercial vehicle has the largest price elasticity of demand and visitors 16 and older entering by foot, bike, ski, etc. have the smallest price elasticity of demand.
In a typical year, only XXX of mutual fund managers were able to earn their investors a higher return than a small investor could earn by investing in an index mutual fund that buys only the stocks in the S&P 500.
Third
During the 1928 presidential election campaign, Herbert Hoover, the Republican candidate, argued that the United States should only import those products that could not be produced here. Do you believe that this would be a good policy? Explain.
This is not a good policy because it does not necessarily result in countries producing those goods for which they have a comparative advantage.
Firms often rely on market experiments to calculate the price elasticity of demand for a new product.
True
Which of the following are perfectly competitive markets? Part 2
Tomato Yes, Many, Identical, High Retail bookselling No, Many, Differentiated, High Manufacturing computers, No, Few, Differentiated, Low Office Building construction, No, Few, Differentiated, Low
Direct finance is borrowing XXX while indirect finance is borrowing XXX (8.2)
Via financial markets from financial intermediares
Why do single firms in perfectly competitive markets face horizontal demand curves?
With many firms selling an identical product, single firms have no effect on market price.
Consider a firm in each of the following three situations, and explain whether the firm will produce in the short run or shut down in the short run.
produce 1,000 units of output and break even with a price of $10.00.
What are the advantages and disadvantages to Frito-Lay from the change in its compensation scheme?
With the new pay scheme, Frito-Lay can control costs better, thus increasing its revenue, but it may also reduce the incentives for drivers to work hard.
sWhich of the factors listed below does not cause the demand curve for labor to shift?
a change in the wage
If demand is perfectly elastic, then what is the effect of an increase in price?
a decrease in quantity demanded to zero
What is a price taker? A price taker is
a firm that is unable to affect the market price.
If the price of a firm's bonds decreases, this indicates
a higher cost of new external funds.
A bond represents XXX, while a share of stock represents XXX.
a loan to the company part ownership of the company
A buyer or seller that is unable to affect the market price is called
a price taker.
In situation 2, the firm should
produce 1,000 units of output at a loss since the price is less than the average total cost.
Of all firms in the United States,
about 20 percent are corporations that account for the majority of all firms' profits.
What is the role of an entrepreneur?
all of the above to bring together the factors of production—labor, capital, and natural resources to take risks to operate a business that produces a good or service
If a market system functions well, which of the following is necessary for the enforcement of contracts and property rights?
an independent court system powerful political connections action by government to prevent the exercise of certain property rights All of the above.
Which determinant is the most important?
availability of close substitutes
What are the key determinants of the price elasticity of demand for a product? Part 2 The key determinants of the price elasticity of demand for a product are:
availability of close substitutes, passage of time, necessities versus luxuries, definition of the market, and share of the good in the consumer's budget.
What is the difference between a firm's shutdown point in the short run and its exit point in the long run? In the short run, a firm's shutdown point is the minimum point on the (12.4)
average variable cost curve, while in the long run, a firm's exit point is the minimum point on the average total cost curve.
What term do economists use to refer to the conflict between the interests of shareholders and the interests of top management?
a principal-agent problem
What role do they play in the working of a market system? Private property rights:
both a and b. encourage a significant number of people to be willing to risk funds by investing them in business. encourage firms to spend money on research and development.
What is personnel economics? Part 2 Personnel economics is (16.5)
both a and b. the application of economic analysis to human resource issues such as the link between differences among jobs and differences in the way workers are paid. the application of economic analysis to human resource issues such as pensions.
Related to Making the Connection] When the contact lens firm changed the compensation plan for its salespeople from salary plus quota-based commission to straight commission on sales, who benefited from the change?
both the salespeople and the company
What are the implications of this idea for the shape of the production possibilities frontier?
bowed outward
The best explanation for this result is that
bus trips are a necessity for those without cars.
How is the price elasticity of demand measured?
by dividing the percentage change in the quantity demanded of a product by the percentage change in the product's price
How is the market supply curve derived from the supply curves of individual firms? The market supply curve is derived
by horizontally adding the individual firms' supply curves.
The substitution effect of a wage increase
causes a worker to supply a larger quantity of labor, and the income effect causes a worker to supply a smaller quantity of labor.
In what ways does a free market economy differ from a centrally planned economy? Unlike a free market economy,
centrally planned economies have extensive government controls.
The figure compares the compensation that a shoe salesperson receives if she is on a straight salary of $70 per day or if she receives a commission of $5 for each pair of shoes sold. Part 2 Which compensation structure is preferred by the salesperson? Part 3 Suppose the salesperson sells more than 14 pairs of shoes per day and only cares about compensation. Suppose the shoe store owner's goal is to sell as many pairs of shoes as possible. Part 6 For the store owner, the commission is the preferred form of compensation.
commision commision
The demand for labor is called a derived demand, because
demand for labor is derived from the firm's output choice.
Determine whether the demand for the following product is likely to be elastic. or inelastic Part 2 Demand for frozen cheese pizza is likely to be
elastic
Determine whether the demand for the following product is likely to be elasticLOADING... or inelasticLOADING.... Part 2 Demand for cola is likely to be
elastic
If a 20 percent increase in the price of Red Bull energy drinks results in a decrease in the quantity demanded of 25 percent, demand for Red Bull is _______ in this range.
elastic
In 2019, an opinion columnist in the Wall Street Journal observed, "Starbucks is in some ways the victim of its success, having attracted increasingly aggressive competitors into what is now a fairly crowded market." Source: James Freeman, "Tragedy of the Starbucks Commons," Wall Street Journal, January 10, 2019. The entry of these competitors into the coffee house market made the demand for Starbucks coffee more price
elastic
Explain why it is true that for a firm in a perfectly competitive market that P = MR = AR. In a perfectly competitive market, P = MR = AR because (12.2)
firms can sell as much output as they want at the market price.
The production possibilities frontier will shift outward
if technological advances occur
When a firm moves from straight-time pay to commission or piece-rate pay, the productivity of a firm's employees may
increase as less productive employees leave and those who remain have an incentive to sell more.
What is the outcome of enforcing contracts and property rights in a market system?
increased economic activity
If you borrow money from a bank to buy a new car, you are using XXX finance
indirect
The increase in total revenue that results from selling one more unit of output is
marginal revenue
In 2018, a judge allowed a lawsuit alleging that Kona Brewing Company, which sells Kona beer, had misleadingly marketed Kona as if it were brewed in Hawaii, when it is actually brewed in Oregon, Washington, Tennessee, and New Hampshire. Source: Ross Todd, "Trouble Brewing: 'Kona' Beer-Maker Faces Certified Class of Consumers over Mainland Brewing," law.com, October 9, 2018. If the market for beer were perfectly competitive, the location of breweries would
not matter to consumers since the product would be homogeneous.
An increase in a firm's stock price most likely indicates which of the following?
optimism about the firm's profit prospects
An article discussing the reasons that the Connecticut state legislature passed a general incorporation law in 1873 observes that prior to the passage of the law, investors were afraid that large businesses "were not a safe bet for their money." Source: Anne Rajotte, "Connecticut's General Incorporation Law Was the First of Its Kind," ctstatelibrary.org, June 10, 2014. The author argues that investors' fear was because prior to the the passage of the law,
owners of all businesses established in Connecticut had unlimited liability.
The shares of stock issued as a result of Lyft's Initial Public Offering (IPO) were sold in a XXX market
primary
Absolute advantage is the ability of an individual, a firm, or a country to
produce more of a good or service than competitors using the same amount of resources.
Sales personnel, whether selling life-insurance, automobiles, or pharmaceuticals, typically get paid on commission instead of a straight hourly wage. The principal-agent problem between the owner of the business and its sales force is Part 2
reduced when workers are paid on commission because it gives them an incentive to work harder.
For years, the Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company compensated its sales force by paying a salesperson a salary plus a bonus based on the number of tires he or she sold. In early 2002, Goodyear made two changes to this policy: (1) The basis for the bonus was changed from the quantity of tires sold to the revenue from tires sold, and (2) salespeople were required to get approval from corporate headquarters in Akron, Ohio, before offering to sell tires to customers at reduced prices. Source: Timothy Aeppel, "Amid Weak Inflation, Firms Turn Creative to Boost Prices," Wall Street Journal, September 18, 2002. Part 2 Explain why these changes were likely to increase Goodyear's profits. Part 3 These changes were likely to increase Goodyear's profits because previously
salespeople had an incentive to sell more tires by reducing tire prices.
Limited liability means that
shareholders in a corporation cannot lose more than their investment in the firm.
This idea is an important intellectual contribution because
the interaction of firms and consumers in markets produces outcomes that are economically efficient and that promote the economic growth that results in rising living standards.
In this case,
the losers would be those salespeople who have poor sales skills and had previously relied on their salary
Explain why it is true that for a firm in a perfectly competitive market, the profit-maximizing condition MR = MC is equivalent to the condition P = MC. Part 2 When maximizing profits, MR = MC is equivalent to P = MC because
the marginal revenue curve for a perfectly competitive firm is the same as its demand curve.
What is the formula for the price elasticity of demand? (Chapter 6.1)
the percentage change in quantity demanded divided by the percentage change in price.
According to an article in the Wall Street Journal in September 2018, "Apple's iPhone unit sales for the nine-month period ended in June were largely flat with the same period the year before at a bit less than 170 million devices, yet iPhone revenue jumped 15% in that time, to $129.5 billion." Source: Dan Gallagher, "Apple's New iPhones Will Need to Collect," Wall Street Journal, September 10, 2018. a. How is it possible for Apple to have increased the revenue it earned from iPhone sales if the quantity of iPhones it sold didn't increase? If Apple's total revenue from iPhone sales increased when the quantity didn't increase,
the price of the iPhone must have increased.
What are the three most important variables that cause the market supply curve for labor to shift? Part 2 The supply curve for labor shifts with changes in
the population, demographics, and opportunities in other labor markets.
The government grants limited liability to the owners of corporations
to limit shareholder risk and thus encourage investment in corporations.
You shouldn't necessarily do what you are better than anyone else at doing
unless your advantage in that activity is greater than advantages you possess in other activities.
Consider the market for Post raisin bran cereal. The demand for this product would become more elastic if it
were a larger share in the consumer's budget
Consider the market for Amazon DVDs. The demand for this product would become more elastic if it
were more of a luxury
The article also states, "As the biggest player, P&G tends to drive industrywide pricing moves." What does the article mean by "industrywide pricing moves"? Would competitors raising their prices make the demand for Pampers more elastic or less elastic?
"Industrywide pricing moves" are price changes that are made by most firms in an industry at about the same time. Competitors' raising their prices will make the demand for Pampers and Bounty less elastic than if the competitors don't raise their prices.
Suppose that the MTA's strategy doesn't succeed. What then must be true about the price elasticity of demand for subway passes? Is demand price elastic or price inelastic?
Elastic, because a price increase lowers revenue.
In 2019, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) in New York City raised the price of a monthly subway pass from $121 to $127. According to an article in the New York Times: "Transit leaders say they need billions of dollars to tackle huge budget deficits and to pay for critical repairs." Source: Emma G. Fitzsimmons, "Subway Fares Are Rising Again. But That Won't Solve the M.T.A.'s Crisis," New York Times, February 27, 2019. In order for the MTA's strategy for covering its rising costs to be successful, what must be true about the price elasticity of demand for subway passes? Is demand price elastic or price inelastic?
Inelastic, because a price increase raises revenue.
An article in the Wall Street Journal used the headline "Procter & Gamble, in a Strategy Shift, Moves to Raise Prices" and the sub-headline "Company would seek to push through large price increases on Pampers diapers and Bounty paper towels." Source: Sharon Terlep, "Procter & Gamble, in a Strategy Shift, Moves to Raise Prices," Wall Street Journal, July 31, 2018. a. The article notes that Pampers and Bounty are two of Procter & Gamble's (P&G's) most popular brands. Is that fact relevant to P&G's decision to raise prices?
P&G apparently believes that the demand curves for these goods are price inelastic because raising the prices of goods that have price inelastic demand will increase the firm's total revenue.
With respect to consumption, individuals and countries
can, through trade, consume beyond their production possibilities frontiers.
We can show economic inefficiency:
with points inside the production possibilities frontier.
We can show economic efficiency:
with points on the production possibilities frontier.
What is a free market?
A free market is one where the government does not control the production of goods and services.
The U.S. Energy Information Administration estimates that the price elasticity of demand for gasoline in the United States is −0.02 in the short run. Source: Michael Morris, "Gasoline Prices Tend to Have Little Effect on Demand for Car Travel," eia.gov, revised December 17, 2014. a. If the estimate is accurate, a 5050% increase in the price of gasoline would be required to reduce the quantity of gasoline demanded by 1 percent. (Enter your response as a whole number.)
-1%/-0.02=50%
Tea Forté, Inc. sells tea and tea mugs on Amazon.com's site. In December 2017, when Tea Forté cut the price of its loose-leaf tea samplers by 35 percent, it sold 6.5 times as many samplers as before the price cut. Source: Laura Stevens, "Merchants Ride Amazon's Deals," Wall Street Journal, December 11, 2017. a. Based just on this information, the price elasticity of demand for Tea Forté's tea samplers is negative 15.7−15.7. (Enter your response as a negative number rounded to one decimal place.)
-15.7
Suppose that France is currently producing 1 bottle of wine and 12 pounds of cheese and Germany is currently producing 3 bottles of wine and 10 pounds of cheese. Then, assume instead that France and Germany specialize by producing only the good for which they have a comparative advantage and then trade 3 bottles of wine for 14 pounds of cheese.
2/
Suppose the price of wheat rises to $5.00 per bushel. Farmer Parker will maximize profits by producing 7 bushels of wheat (enter a whole number). Part 3 He will make a profit of $15.5015.50 (round your answer to the nearest penny).
7 bushels $15.50
Is the columnist arguing that Spain has an absolute advantage over China in producing textiles, a comparative advantage, or both?
A comparative advantage in producing textiles.
Absolute Advantages
A country can specialize in producing that for which it has a comparative advantage and then trade for other needed goods and services.
How can a country gain from specialization and trade?
A country can specialize in producing that for which it has a comparative advantage and then trade for other needed goods and services.
Comparative Advantages
A country can specialize in producing that for which it has a comparative advantage lower opportunity cost
A column on barrons.com as Lyft was preparing to launch its IPO contained the following advice: "The Lyft IPO is sure to create excitement as other tech unicorns prepare to follow it to market. Investors should stand back on the curb until there is a clear road to profitability." Source: Andrew Bary, "Investors Should Steer Clear When Lyft Goes Public," barrons.com, March 22, 2019. Part 2 a. What is a "tech unicorn"?
A new firm or startup in the tech industry that has a value of more than $1 billion.
Imagine that the next time the Green Bay Packers play the Chicago Bears at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin, Packers star quarterback Aaron Rodgers has a temporary lack of judgment and plans to sell Packers memorabilia during the game because he realizes that he can sell five times more Packers products than anyone in the stadium sports gear store. Likewise, imagine that you are a creative and effective manager at work and that you tell your employees that during the next six months, you plan to clean the offices because you can clean five times better than the cleaning staff. Both you and Aaron are making an error in judgment by assuming that specialization should be based upon
Absolute Advantage
What problems might African farmers have because they lack secure property rights?
All of the Above Without secure property rights, farmers in Africa may be reluctant to make the investments in their farms that would raise the farms' productivity. Without secure property rights, it is harder for farmers to borrow because they cannot use their land as collateral. Without secure property rights, farmers are not able to obtain funds by selling some of their land.
Which of the following factors shifts the labor supply curve?
All of the Above a change in population a change in alternatives available in other labor markets a change in demographics
Which of the following events would create economic growth, that is, shift the production possibilities frontier outward?
All of the above
In discussing "output-based compensation schemes," such as piece-rate systems, Stanford economist Edward Lazear observed, "One major advantage of this approach is that it accommodates a variety of worker preferences." But he also noted, "A disadvantage is that a pure piece-rate scheme makes the worker bear risk associated with variations in . . . business conditions." Source: Edward P. Lazear, "Compensation and Incentives in the Workplace," Journal of Economic Perspectives, Vol. 32, No. 3, Summer 2018, pp. 195-214. a. What does Lazear mean by the first quote above? How do these compensation schemes accommodate different worker preferences? Preferences for what?
All of the above explain how piece-rate systems can accommodate a variety of worker preferences.
Which of the following is a reason for choosing a salary system rather than the more profitable commission, or piece-rate system, of compensation?
All of the above. concerns about quality difficulty in measuring output worker dislike of risk
Which of the following statements is true when the difference between TR and TC is at its maximum positive value? Part 2
Both A and B are true. MR = MC Slope of TR = Slope of TC
How else can you calculate the price elasticity of demand?
Both a and b. The midpoint formula will give the same value as the price elasticity of demand when using the higher price and the higher quantity. B. The midpoint formula will give the same value whether moving from the higher price to the lower price or from the lower price to the higher price.
What happens as a firm increases the number of workers that it hires?
Both the marginal product of labor and the marginal revenue product of labor decrease.
In a simple circular-flow model, there are flows of _________ and flows of _________.
Both (a) and (b) are correct. funds received from the sale of factors of production; spending on final goods and services factors of production; goods and services
An editorial in the New York Times discussed whether the federal government should enact regulations that would force firms to accept lower prices when selling pharmaceuticals and medical devices. The editorial notes that European countries that have such regulations "accept a trade-off, inherent in this approach, that the United States has so far resisted: They forgo access to certain innovations, like pricey new drugs and medical devices..." Source: Editorial Board, "How Much Will Americans Sacrifice for Good Health Care?" New York Times, February 16, 2019. a. Why might price regulations reduce the number of new drugs and medical devices that firms offer for sale?
By reducing firms' potential profits from selling new drugs and medical devices, price regulation may reduce the incentive firms have to devote resources to the research and development necessary to develop these products.
When countries specialize in producing goods in which they have XXX advantage and trade for goods in which other countries have XXX advantage, the incomes of all countries increase.
Comparative/Comparative
If the demand for orange juice is inelastic, will a decrease in the price of orange juice increase or decrease the revenue received by orange juice sellers? Part 2 If the price of orange juice decreases, revenue will
Decrease
When Amazon purchased the Whole Foods grocery chain in 2017, it cut prices. But two years later, it changed its strategy and began to raise prices. Source: Laura Forman, "Why Amazon Just Raised Your Grocery Bill," Wall Street Journal, February 13, 2019. a. In 2017, what did Amazon likely believe was true about the price elasticity of demand for groceries purchased at Whole Foods? Why might Amazon have changed that view by 2019? In 2017, Amazon believed that the demand for groceries purchased at Whole Foods was price ▼ inelasticelastic, so it chose to cut prices to increase total revenue. By 2019, Amazon must have observed that the demand for purchasing groceries at Whole Foods was price ▼ elasticinelastic, which caused Amazon to raise prices to increase total revenue.
Elastic Inelastic
In 2019, after Netflix increased the price of its most popular streaming plan from $10.99 per month to $12.99 per month, competing service Hulu cut the price of its basic plan from $7.99 per month to $5.99 per month. Source: Christopher Palmeri and Gerry Smith, "Hulu Cuts Basic Monthly Subscription to $6 after Netflix Hike," bloomberg.com, January 23, 2019. What was Hulu assuming about the price elasticity of demand for its basic plan? Why did Netflix's decision to raise the price of its most popular plan affect Hulu's pricing strategy? Hulu assumed that the demand for its services was price elastic. Lowering the price of its streaming service was intended to raise its total revenue. Hulu dropped its prices when Netflix raised its because Hulu considers its service as a substitute to Netflix's streaming services.
Elastic Raise Substitute
The city would have been more successful in discouraging soda consumption with a 1-cent-per-ounce tax on soda if the demand for soda were more price ▼ elastic inelastic . A 1-cent-per-ounce tax on soda would have generated more tax revenue for the city if the demand was more price ▼ elastic inelastic .
Elastic inelastic
The market demand curve for labor is determined by adding up the wages for each worker at each quantity of labor demanded, holding constant all other variables that might affect the willingness of firms to hire workers.
False
A student argues: "To maximize profit., a firm should produce the quantity where the difference between marginal revenue.. and marginal cost is the greatest. If a firm produces more than this quantity, then the profit made on each additional unit will be falling." Is the above statement true or false?
False. Profit is maximized at the output level where marginal revenue equals marginal cost.
According to Adam Smith, which of the following is necessary for the proper functioning of the market system?
For markets to work, people must be free to pursue their self-interest.
Which participants are of greatest importance in determining what goods and services are produced? Part 4
Households.
What factors should state governments take into account when deciding how to allocate the scarce funds in their budgets?
How best to allocate a state government's limited resources is a normative issue and depends on how governors and state legislators evaluate the trade-offs involved.
A news article described a new prescription drug that costs up to "$94,000 for one 12-week treatment regimen" to treat hepatitis C, which is a liver disease that afflicts as many as 3 million people in the United States. It can result in severe liver damage and even death. It is potentially curable, but the prescription drugs available to treat it are very expensive. State government Medicaid programs provide medical insurance to poor and disabled people. In Louisiana, spending on Medicaid accounts for nearly half of the state government's budget. Rebekah Gee is the secretary of the Louisiana Department of Health. She was quoted as saying that it is unacceptable that many Medicaid patients with hepatitis C are not receiving treatment, "but it's also unacceptable for me to pay over $700 million and have to cut primary education, gut our payments to universities and decimate the health care delivery system for just one disease condition." Sources: Alison Kodjak, "Louisiana's New Approach to Treating Hepatitis C," npr.com, July 19, 2018. What trade-offs do state governments face when new prescription drugs are introduced with much higher prices than existing drugs?
Increases in spending on prescription drugs will require reductions in other government programs or services.
The stock and bond markets provide information to businesses through changes in prices. A decrease in the price of a firm's stock would tell managers which of the following?
Investors expect the firm to have lower profits in the future.
In a famous essay on the market system, the economist Leonard Read discussed how a pencil sold by the U.S. firm Eberhard Faber Pencil Company (now owned by Paper Mate) was made. He noted that logging companies in California and Oregon grew the cedar wood used in the pencil. The wood was milled into pencil-width slats at a factory in San Leandro, California. The graphite for the pencil was mined in Sri Lanka and mixed with clay purchased from a firm in Mississippi and wax from a firm in Mexico. The rubber was purchased from a firm in Indonesia. Source: Leonard E. Read, I, Pencil: My Family Tree as told to Leonard E. Read, Irvington-on-Hudson, NY: The Foundation for Economic Education, Inc. December 1958. Part 2 Which of the following statements is true?
It was not necessary for the managers of any of firms that participated in the making of the pencils to know how the components they produced were used to make pencils.
The city's goals were in conflict because improving public health required having the decline in people buying soda be as large as possible, whereas raising revenue required having the decline in people buying soda be as small as possible. Because policymakers repealed the tax after it failed to raise the expected revenue, it seems likely that the policymakers were more interested in raising revenue .
Large Small Raising Revenue
If a firm decided to maximize revenue, would it be likely to produce a smaller or a larger quantity than if it were maximizing profit? The firm would produce a ▼ XXX quantity of output.
Larger
. What does Lazear mean by the second quote above? What are "business conditions"? How do they affect worker compensation when a firm is using a piece-rate scheme? When business conditions are poor, workers will produce ▼ moreless output. If they are paid a straight salary, their income will ▼ decreaseincreasenot change, but if they are on a piece-rate system, their incomes will likely ▼ not changeincreasedecrease. As a result, piece-rate workers often bear ▼ risk and their incomes are ▼ lessmore stable than workers who are paid a straight salary.
Less not change decrease more less
In general, the demand for a good will be _________ elastic the ___________ the share of the good in the average consumer's budget.
Less; smaller
Refer to the graph. According to the analysis of compensation in the textbook, which line represents the compensation of a salesperson based on commission?
Line 1
In the end, the tax raised less revenue than expected, and the tax was repealed. The demand for soda turned out to be XX elastic than policymakers had expected.
More
Suppose the United Kingdom and Norway both produce oil and fish oil, which are sold for the same prices in both countries. The following table shows combinations of both goods that each country can produce in a day, measured in thousands of barrels, using the same amounts of capital and labor: Who has the comparative advantage in producing oil?
Neither country has a comparative advantage producing oil because their opportunity costs of producing oil are equal.
The chapter mentions that in 1965, married women and men combined spent significantly more time on housework than they did in 2018. Does the decrease in the total number of hours of housework during that period mean that families are willing to live in messier homes today than they were in 1965?
No, because there are more labor saving devices so less time is required.
In 2018, Amazon raised the annual price to subscribe to its Amazon Prime service from $99 to $119. An article on a business website commented that "Amazon likely sees many ways to spend $2 billion in incremental revenue. (That's the additional $20 multiplied by 100 million Prime customers )." Source: Brad Stone, "The Curious Case of the Amazon Prime Price Hike," bloomberg.com, April 30, 2018. Is the analyst correct that Amazon will receive an additional $2 billion in revenue as a result of this price hike?
No. At a higher price of $119, quantity demanded for Amazon Prime services will decrease, so the total revenue will increase by less than $2 billion.
Which of the following is not scarce according to the economic definition?
None of the above
In recent years, increases in the number of visitors to National Parks such as Yellowstone and Grand Canyon have resulted in over $12 billion in deferred maintenance costs. In response to the overcrowding that has contributed to the cost overruns, the Park Service has considered limiting the number of daily visits to the parks and soliciting corporate sponsorships. Margaret Walls, a vice president for research at Resources for the Future, has offered another suggestion: increasing entrance fees. But she warns: "Figuring out an efficient and fair fee structure will not be easy. It requires detailed data on visitation, for starters, as well as analysis to shed light on price elasticities of demand for different groups of visitors at different locations." Source: Margaret A. Walls, "Protecting Our National Parks: Entrance Fees Can Help," Resources, No. 193, Fall 2016. Why is it important for the Park Service to have estimates of price elasticities of demand before raising entrance fees to the National Parks?
Price elasticities of demand will reveal whether raising entrance fees will increase or decrease park revenue.
What is the relationship between price, average revenue, and marginal revenue for a firm in a perfectly competitive market?
Price is equal to both average revenue and marginal revenue.
According to Adam Smith, which of the following is the instrument the invisible hand uses to direct economic activity?
Prices
Identify whether each of the following transactions will take place in the factor market or in the product market. and whether households or firms are supplying the good or service or demanding the good or service. George buys a Tesla Model S. This takes place in the XXX Market The household XXX the good and the firm XXX supplies the good. This takes place in the XXX Market
Product Demand/supllies Factor Supply Demand Factor Supplies/demands Factor Supplies and Demands
According to an article in the Economist magazine: "In all rich countries, property rights are secure...Legally recognising land ownership has boosted farmers' income and productivity in Latin America and Asia...More than two-thirds of Africa's land is still under customary tenure, with rights to land rooted in communities and typically neither written down nor legally recognized." Source: "Title to Come: Property Rights Are Still Wretchedly Insecure in Africa," Economist, July 16, 2016. Part 2 a. Which of the following statements regarding secure property rights is true?
Property rights provide incentives for people to maintain and increase the value of the property they own. This is the correct answer.
Refer to the graph, which shows two potential demand curves in the market for photocopies at a printing company. If you start at point A on D1, what is the percentage change in quantity demanded when price falls from $30 to $20? Use the midpoint formula to calculate this percentage change.
Quantity demanded rises by 55 percent.
Firms are likely to produce more of a good or service when its price XXX and less of a good or service when its price XXX
Rises Falls
The principle of increasing marginal opportunity cost states that the more resources devoted to any activity, the XXX the payoff to devoting additional resources to that activity.
Smaller
The columnist notes that, in fact, Spain exports significant quantities of textiles. If his description of the situation in China and Spain is accurate, briefly explain how Spanish firms are able to export textiles in competition with Chinese firms.
Spain must be able to produce textiles at a lower opportunity cost than China can.
Stocks are financial securities that represent partial ownership of a firm. Three of the most widely followed stock indexes are the Dow Jones Industrial Average, the S&P 500, and the NASDAQ. Part 2 Which of the following does not describe the general movements of these three stock indexes?
Stock prices increased after the dot−com crash of 2000.
The principal-agent problem arises almost everywhere in the business world—but it also crops up even closer to home, such as the case of the college classroom. In this case, who is the principal and who is the agent? Part 2 The principal is the XXX and the agent is the XXX.
Student Professor
Using the same amount of resources, the United States and Canada can both produce lumberjack shirts and lumberjack boots, as shown in the production possibilities frontiers in the figure to the right. XXX has a comparative advantage in producing lumberjack boots. XXX has a comparative advantage in producing lumberjack shirts. Does either country have an absolute advantage in producing both goods?
The United States Canada Neither country has an absolute advantage in both goods because the United States can produce more boots but Canada can produce more shirts. 8/4 United States 4/8 Canada
What is comparative advantage?
The ability to produce a good or service at a lower opportunity cost than other producers.
What is absolute advantage?
The ability to produce more of a good or service than competitors using the same amount of resources. Your answer is correct.
How is the separation of ownership from control related to the principal-agent problem?
The agents (managers) may pursue their own interests rather than the interests of the principals (shareholders).
What happens if a country produces a combination of goods that efficiently uses all of the resources available in the economy?
The country is operating on its production possibilities frontier.
If a 17 percent increase in the price of Cheerios causes a 26 percent reduction in the number of boxes of cereal demanded, the price elasticity of demand for Cheerios is −1.531.53. (Enter your response rounded to two decimal places.)
The demand for Cheerios is elastic .
What did the financial advisor mean by a "great business"?
The financial advisor likely meant a business that is profitable.
Refer to the graph of the demand curve facing a firm in the perfectly competitive market for wheat. The fact that the demand curve is horizontal implies which of the following?
The firm can sell any amount of output as long as it accepts the market price of $7.00.
Why would modern systems "in which firms produce a greater variety of products to a more demanding quality and delivery standard" than manufacturers used previously result in firms choosing a salary system rather than piece-rate pay to pay their workers?
The manufacturing conditions of modern systems will induce firms to choose a salary system because the quality of output produced is now more important.
What is the difference between the marginal product of labor and the marginal revenue product of labor for a firm in a perfectly competitive market?
The marginal revenue product of labor is equal to the marginal product of labor multiplied by the product price.
The financial writer Andrew Tobias has described an incident when he was a student at Harvard Business School: Each student in the class was given large amounts of information about a particular firm and asked to determine a pricing strategy for the firm. Most of the students spent hours preparing their answers and came to class carrying many sheets of paper with their calculations. When his professor called on him in class for an answer, Tobias stated, "The case said the XYZ Company was in a very competitive industry . . . and the case said that the company had all the business it could handle." Source: Andrew Tobias, The Only Investment Guide You'll Ever Need, San Diego: Harcourt, 2005, pp. 6-8. Part 2 Given this information, what price do you think Tobias argued the company should charge? (Tobias says the class greeted his answer with "thunderous applause.")
The market price.
What is the advantage of the midpoint me?
The midpoint formula will give the same value whether moving from the higher price to the lower price or from the lower price to the higher price.
In San Francisco, the minimum wage is $15 per hour. Restaurants that have more than 20 employees must also provide them with health insurance, paid sick leave, and paid parental leave. In response, some restaurants hire fewer workers and ask customers to pick up their meals from a counter and bus their own dirty dishes. As a news article put it: "Restaurants haven't developed a way to serve meals with less labor. They've gotten customers to do the labor they had been paying employees to do." One restaurant owner was quoted as saying that to hire workers to perform these tasks, "a $10 hamburger would be a $20 hamburger, and it wouldn't make sense anymore." Source: Emily Badger, "San Francisco Restaurants Can't Afford Waiters. So They're Putting Diners to Work," New York Times, June 25, 2018. a. What does the restaurant owner mean by saying that a $20 hamburger "wouldn't make sense"? From the information given, what can we conclude about the marginal revenue product of the servers in these restaurants relative to the compensation—wage plus health insurance plus paid sick and parental leave—they would receive? The servers' marginal revenue product was Who gains and who loses from the city regulations, as described in this news article, that set the wages and other compensation firms in San Francisco are required to pay? In the following table, identify which groups gain and which groups lose as a result of the city's labor regulations. Restaurant workers who are able to keep their jobs Business owners Low-skill workers, such as dishwasgers Customoers
The owner meant that he would have difficulty selling the hamburgers at a price of $20. less than Gain Lose Lose Lose
Suppose we can divide all the goods produced by an economy into two types: consumption goods and capital goods. Capital goods, such as machinery, equipment, and computers, are goods used to produce other goods. Part 2 Is it likely that the production possibilities frontier in this situation would be a straight line: click on the icon for an example or bowed out: LOADING... click on the icon for an example?
The production possibilities frontier would likely be bowed out because not all resources are equally well suited to produce both consumption and capital goods.
n The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and his other books about the Land of Oz, L. Frank Baum observed that if people's wants were modest enough, most goods would not be scarce. According to Baum, this was the case in Oz: "There were no poor people in the Land of Oz, because there was no such thing as money... Each person was given freely by his neighbors whatever he required for his use, which is as much as anyone may reasonably desire. Some tilled the lands and raised great crops of grain, which was divided equally among the whole population, so that all had enough. There were many tailors and dressmakers and shoemakers and the like, who made things that any who desired them might wear. Likewise there were jewelers who made ornaments for the person, which pleased and beautified the people, and these ornaments also were free to those who asked for them. Each man and woman, no matter what he or she produced for the good of the community, was supplied by the neighbors with food and clothing and a house and furniture and ornaments and games. If by chance the supply ever ran short, more was taken from the great storehouses of the Ruler, which were afterward filled up again when there was more of any article than people needed... You will know, by what I have told you here, that the Land of Oz was a remarkable country. I do not suppose such an arrangement would be practical with us. " Source: L. Frank Baum, The Emerald City of Oz, Chicago: Reilly & Britton, 1910, pp. 30-31. Part 2 Do you agree with Baum that the economic system in Oz wouldn't work in the contemporary United States?
The system in Oz wouldn't work. The wants of people in the United States exceed the resources available to fulfill those wants.
Why are firms willing to accept losses in the short run but not in the long run?
There are sunk costs in the short run but not in the long run.
Your friend asks you to join him in the new Internet business he is setting up as a partnership. If you invest $10,000 in the business, what is the limit to your liability?
There is no limit to your liability.
Can these two countries gain from trading oil and fish oil?
These countries cannot gain from trade because neither has a comparative advantage producing either good
In a study of general incorporation laws in the United States, Eric Hilt of Wellesley College noted, "Prior to the adoption of a general statute, a business could only incorporate if the state passed a special law granting it a corporate charter." Source: Eric Hilt, "Corporation Law and the Shift toward Open Access in the Antebellum United States," Naomi R. Lamoreaux and John Joseph Wallis, eds., Organizations, Civil Society, and the Roots of Development, Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2017. Part 2 What are the advantages of general incorporation laws over the previous system?
They allow more firms to experience the benefits of incorporation and ultimately allow greater competition in the market.
Evaluate the following argument: "Adam Smith's analysis is based on a fundamental flaw: He assumes that people are motivated by self-interest. But this isn't true. I'm not selfish, and most people I know aren't selfish.'
This statement is based on the misconception that following your self-interest and being selfish are the same thing.
For which of the following products is the price elasticity of demand (in absolute value) the largest?
Tide liquid detergent
What barriers did Lyft face to becoming a great business? (Check all that apply.)
To become profitable, Lyft would have to significantly raise prices and perhaps lose many customers.
Given your answer to part (a), why did state and local governments pass such licensing requirements in the first place?
To ensure that workers meet minimum standards of practice and competency and are accountable for their actions.
The basis for trade is comparative advantage, not absolute advantage.
True
Let MRP equal the marginal revenue product of labor and W equal the wage rate. When should a firm hire more workers to increase profit?
When MRP > W
In 2018, Frito-Lay changed the compensation of drivers of trucks delivering Doritos, Cheetos, and other snacks to convenience stores and supermarkets. Previously, drivers' compensation depended primarily on commissions tied to the revenue from the snacks they delivered. Frito-Lay shifted to drivers receiving a straight salary with few opportunities to earn commissions. Some drivers in New York and other cities had their compensation cut by as much as 30 percent. A significant number of drivers quit, leading to temporary shortages of Doritos in some stores. A Frito-Lay spokesman was quoted as saying, "This is a national initiative with the aim of aligning all sales associates. Participating sales representatives have on average seen an increase in overall compensation." Source: Josh Kosman, "There Is a Massive Frito-Lay Shortage in NYC Bodegas," nypost.com, March 19, 2018; and Clark Wolf, "A Dearth of Doritos Results from a Frito-Lay-Off," forbes.com, March 19, 2018. a. What are the advantages and disadvantages to drivers from the change in Frito-Lay's compensation scheme?
With the new pay scheme, drivers' incomes will not exhibit large variations, but more productive workers will see a decline in their total earnings.
Private equity firms, such as Blackstone and Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co., search for firms where the managers appear not to be maximizing profits. A private equity firm can buy stock in these firms and have its employees elected to the firms' board of directors and may even acquire control of the targeted firm and replace the top management. Do private equity firms improve corporate governance?
Yes, private equity firms replace poorly performing managers with shareholder-friendly managers.
The article also notes that the tastes of U.S. consumers have changed, and they are consuming less fruit juice partly because of its high sugar content. Does this information affect your answer to part (a)?
Yes. With this additional information, we know that the price elasticity of demand must be smaller in absolute value (that is, closer to zero) than the value calculated in part (a).
Lithium is a mineral that is important in manufacturing batteries. As production of electric cars has increased, so has the demand for lithium. As a result, beginning in 2016, prices of lithium increased sharply relative to the prices of iron, copper, and cobalt. Many of the same firms that mine those minerals also mine lithium. In describing the problem of limited supplies of lithium, an article in the Wall Street Journal argues: "The solution is obvious: develop new mines. If lithium prices remain near current heady levels, the wait probably won't be all that long." Source: Nathaniel Taplin, "China Won't Dominate Lithium Forever," Wall Street Journal, May 17, 2018. Briefly explain the link the author sees between higher lithium prices and an increase in lithium production. In a market system, an increase in demand for a good leads to _________ in the price of the good. This ________ price provides a signal to producers that the good has become _________ profitable. Given that lithium prices are ______, mining firms are likely to switch some of their labor and capital from producing _____________________.
an increase; higher; more; rising; iron, copper, and cobalt to producing lithium
A Gallup public opinion poll indicates that among people aged 18 to 29, more have a favorable view of socialism than of capitalism. A columnist in the Wall Street Journal comments: "Would these people actually know socialism if they saw it? Taxing the rich, Medicare-for-all, and a Green New Deal that replaces fossil fuels with renewables are certainly liberal, probably radical, possibly unwise. But socialist? Hardly." Sources: Frank Newport, "Democrats More Positive about Socialism Than Capitalism," news.gallup.com, August 13, 2018; and Greg Ip, "Venezuela's Collapse Exposes the Fake Socialism Debated in U.S." Wall Street Journal, February 6, 2019. What definition of socialism is the columnist using if he doesn't consider the programs he lists to be socialist? Is the columnist's definition of socialism one that U.S. socialists like Senator Bernie Sanders and Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez would be likely to accept? The columnist is likely defining socialism to refer to a
centrally planned economy in which the government directly controls most production. Bernie Sanders would be unlikely to accept this definition of socialism because he is more concerned with the provision of services such as health care and not government ownership of businesses.
Using the same amount of resources, suppose that Nicaragua can produce twice as much wheat as Colombia. Nevertheless, Colombia could still have the comparative advantage in producing wheat if
it is even less efficient than Nicaragua in the production of goods other than wheat.
In a letter to his company's stockholders, Warren Buffett offered the following opinion: "Most investors, of course, have not made the study of business prospects a priority in their lives... I have good news for these non-professionals: The typical investor doesn't need this skill." Source: Warren Buffett, Letter to Berkshire Shareholders, March 1, 2014, p. 20. Part 2 Warren Buffet is advising non-professional investors to
concentrate on buying shares of mutual funds that charge relatively low fees.
For which of the following types of business organizations is there a legal distinction between the personal assets of the owners of the firm and the assets of the firm?
corporations
The IPO is an example of XXX finance
direct
Which of the following terms refers to a flow of funds from savers to firms through financial markets?
direct finance
Investors use the bond ratings from Moody's, S&P, and Fitch to determine which bonds they will buy and the prices they are willing to pay for them. The rating services charge the firms and governments that issue bonds, rather than investors, for their services. Critics argue that the rating agencies may give higher ratings than are justified in order to continue to sell their services to bond issuing firms. Part 2 Moody's, S&P and Fitch don't sell their services directly to investors because they argue that
doing so creates a "free rider" problem.
Why is the demand curve for labor downward sloping? Part 2 The demand curve is downward sloping
due to the law of diminishing returns.
In 2019, the entrance fee into Yellowstone National Park in northwestern Wyoming was $35 for a private, noncommercial vehicle; $30 for a motorcycle or a snowmobile; and $15 for each visitor entering on foot or riding a bicycle. The fee provides the visitor with a 7-day entrance permit into Yellowstone and nearby Grand Teton National Park. Source: National Park Service, "Yellowstone National Park: Basic Information," www.nps.gov/yell/planyourvisit/basicinfo.htm. Part 2 The demand for entry into Yellowstone National Park for visitors in private, noncommercial vehicles is Part 3
elastic because when the price is high and the quantity demanded is low, demand is elastic.
When are firms likely to be price takers? Part 5 A firm is likely to be a price taker when
it represents a small fraction of the total market.
Evaluate the following argument: I would like to invest in the stock market, but I think that buying shares of stock in a corporation is too risky. Suppose I buy $10,000 of Twitter stock, and the company ends up going bankrupt. Because as a stockholder, I'm part owner of the company, I might be responsible for paying hundreds of thousands of dollars of the company's debts. This statement is
false because shareholders are not liable for the debts of a corporation.
One study found that the price elasticity of demand for soda is −0.78, while the price elasticity of demand for Coca-Cola is −1.22. Source: Kelly D.Brownell and Thomas R. Frieden,"Ounces of Prevention—The Public Policy Case for Taxes on Sugared Beverages," New England Journal of Medicine, April 30, 2009, pp. 1805−1808. Part 2 The price elasticity of Coca-Cola is (interpret the absolute value of these elasticitiies, i.e., ignore the minus sign):
greater than it is for soda as a product because there are more substitutes for Coca-Cola than soda.
What happens when the quantity demanded is very responsive to changes in price? The percentage change in quantity demanded will be
greater than the percentage change in price.
Consider the market for Best Buy computers. The demand for this product would become more elastic if it
had more close substitutes
If a country has a comparative advantage in the production of a good, then that country
has a lower opportunity cost in the production of that good.
A baseball columnist calculated that during the 2016 and 2017 baseball seasons, outfielder Jason Hayward of the Chicago Cubs had a value of −$25.8 million to the team. Source: Zachary D. Rymer, "Metrics 101: Exposing MLB's Worst Contracts Entering 2018 Season," bleacherreport.com, March 28, 2018. Part 2 How could a baseball player have negative value to a baseball team? Part 3 Jason Hayward would have negative value to the Chicago Cubs if
his salary is greater than the additional revenue he generates.
Which of the following are the two key groups of participants in the circular flow of income?
households and firms
What are the five most important variables that cause the market demand curve for labor to shift? Part 2 The demand curve for labor shifts with changes in
human capital, technology, the price of the product, the quantity of other inputs, and the number of firms in the market.
Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar was a candidate for the 2020 Democratic nomination for president. In an opinion column written with Senator Mike Lee of Utah, she argued, "There is evidence that [occupational] licensing requirements raise the price of goods and services, restrict employment opportunities, and make it more difficult for workers to take their skills across state lines." She also wrote that "licensing requirements should address only legitimate public health and safety requirements to ease burdens on workers." Source: Amy Klobuchar and Mike Lee, "Reforming Occupational Licensing," klobuchar.senate.gov. Part 2 a. If Senator Klobuchar's suggested restrictions on occupational licensing were followed, it would likely XXX the rate at which small businesses are formed.
increase
According to a news story about the bus system in the Lehigh Valley in Pennsylvania, "Ridership fell 14 percent in 2012 after a 33 percent increase" in bus fares. Source: Dan Hartzell, "Rebounding from a 2012 Rate Hike, LANTA's Ridership Was up Last Year," (Allentown, PA) Morning Call, March 13, 2014 Part 2 Given this information, the demand for bus trips is
inelastic
According to an article in the Economist, when Chicago enacted a 1-cent-per-ounce tax on soda, "it was introduced to protect public health but its main purpose was to plug a $1.8bn hole in the [city's] budget." Source: "Chicago's Soda Tax Is Repealed," Economist, October 13, 2017. Part 2 a. Did policymakers in Chicago believe that the demand for soda was price elastic or price inelastic? Given that policymakers in Chicago were expecting a substantial amount of revenue to be raised from the tax, they most likely believed that the demand for soda was price
inelastic
Determine whether the demand for the following product is likely to be elastic or inelastic Part 2 Demand for prescription medicine is likely to be
inelastic
Can the information in the quoted sentence tell us anything about the price elasticity of demand for iPhones? We can conclude that the demand for iPhones is price because revenue increased when increased.
inelastic price increased
Is the demand for agricultural products elastic or inelastic? Why? The demand for agricultural products is (6.2)
inelastic because such products represent a small share in the consumer's budget.
On the lower part of a linear demand curve below the midpoint, the demand is ________ and raising the price causes total revenue to _________.
inelastic; increase
Limited liability becomes more important for firms trying to raise funds from a large number of investors, rather than from a small number of investors, because
investors that make a small investment in a firm may be unwilling to risk all their personal assets if the firm fails.
Whether carried out by an individual or a country, production beyond the production possibilities frontier Part 2
is not physically possible.
The late Nobel Prize-winning economist George Stigler once wrote, "the most common and most important criticism of perfect competition... [is] that it is unrealistic." Source: George Stigler, "Perfect Competition, Historically Contemplated," Journal of Political Economy, Vol. 55, No. 1, (February 1957), pp. 1-17. Despite the fact that few firms sell identical products in markets where there are no barriers to entry, economists believe that the model of perfect competition is important because
it is a benchmark—a market with the maximum possible competition—that economists use to evaluate actual markets that are not perfectly competitive.
If piece-rate or commission systems of compensating workers have important advantages for firms, why don't more firms use them? Some firms don't use piece-rate or commission systems of compensation because
it is difficult to measure output.
A news article described the situation at Weifield Group Contracting, a firm based in Centennial, Colorado, that installs electrical systems. Because the firm was having trouble hiring enough new workers, managers asked many existing workers to work overtime—which means working more than 40 hours per week. Federal law requires firms to pay wages for overtime work that are at least 50 percent more than the regular hourly wage rate. The firm's CEO was quoted as saying, "There are some guys that will not work overtime. You can't pay 'em enough to work overtime." Source: Rachel Feintzeig and Lauren Weber, "Companies Pressured to Pay More in Overtime Wonder if It's Worth It," Wall Street Journal, April 13, 2018. For these workers, what can we say about the size of the income effect of a wage change relative to the size of the substitution effect? The income effect resulting from the higher wage must have been less than the substitution effect.
less than
What are the three conditions for a market to be perfectly competitive? Part 2 For a market to be perfectly competitive, there must be Part 3 (12.1)
many buyers and sellers, with all firms selling identical products, and no barriers to new firms entering the market.
Jay Shambaugh and colleagues at the Brookings Institution argued: In recent years it has become clear that young firms—and not necessarily small firms, as is commonly supposed—are the engine of employment and productivity growth in the United States. As they introduce new technologies and business methods, new firms contribute substantially to productivity growth. Source: Jay Shambaugh, Ryan Nunn, Audrey Breitwieser, and Patrick Liu, "The State of Competition and Dynamism: Facts about Concentration, Startups, and Related Policies," brookings.edu, June 2018. a. New firms might be more likely than older firms to introduce new technologies and business methods because new firms
may find it difficult to compete with the same types of goods and services already being produced by the larger, established firms.
Daniel had been earning $71 per hour and working 45 hours per week. Then Daniel's wage changes to $76 per hour, and as a result, he now works 40 hours per week. What can we conclude from this information about the income effect and the substitution effect of a wage change for Daniel? Part 2 The substitution effect causes Daniel to devote XXX time to working the income effect causes Daniel to devote less time to working, and the substitution effect is smaller than the income effect.
more less smaller than
Most labor economists believe that many adult males are on the vertical section of their labor supply curves. Explain when and why someone's supply of labor curve would be vertical, using the concepts of income and substitution effects. Source: Robert Whaples, "Is There Consensus among American Labor Economists? Survey Results on Forty Propositions," Journal of Labor Research, Vol. 17, No. 4, Fall 1996. Part 2 Suppose an adult male is on the vertical section of their labor supply curve. Part 3 If the wage increases, then the substitution effect would prompt the individual to work ▼ fewermorethe same number of hours and the income effect would prompt the individual to work ▼ morefewerthe same number of hours, with the size of the substitution effect being ▼ larger thansmaller thanequal to the size of the income effect (in absolute value).
more fewer equal to
Would you expect that the price elasticity of demand for gasoline in the long run is larger or smaller (in absolute value) than −0.02? The price elasticity of demand for gasoline is
more price elastic in the long run than in the short run because in the long run more substitutes for gasoline may become available
State whether each of the following events will result in a movement along the market demand curve for labor in electronics factories in China or whether it will cause the market demand curve for labor to shift. If the demand curve shifts, indicate whether it will shift to the left or to the right in the provided graph. Part 2 A decline in the wage rate will result in a XXX the labor demand curve
movement along Shift in (line to the right) Shift in shift in
events will result in a movement along the market supply curve of agricultural labor in the United States or whether it will cause the market supply curve of labor to shift. If the supply curve shifts, indicate whether it will shift to the left or to the right in the provided graph. Part 2 A decline in the agricultural wage rate will result in a movement along the labor supply curve.
movement along shift in shift in
The late Nobel Prize-winning economist Kenneth Arrow of Stanford University once wrote that the argument that the outcomes in a market system, "may be very different from, and even opposed to, intentions is surely the most important intellectual contribution that economic thought has made." Source: Kenneth J. Arrow, "Economic Equilibrium," Encyclopedia of the Social Sciences, 1968. Encyclopedia.com. (May 23, 2015). Part 2 It is possible for the outcomes in a market system to be different from what firms and consumers intended them to be because
neither firms nor consumers are directly interested in increasing economic efficiency or the standard of living of the average person.
Some economists have been puzzled that although entrepreneurs take on the risk of losing time and money by starting new businesses, on average their incomes are lower than those of people with similar characteristics who go to work at large firms. William Baumol believes part of the explanation for this puzzle may be that entrepreneurs are like people who buy lottery tickets. On average, people who don't buy lottery tickets are left with more money than people who buy tickets because lotteries take in more money than they give out. Baumol argues that "the masses of purchasers who grab up the [lottery] tickets are not irrational if they receive an adequate payment in another currency: psychic rewards." Source: William J. Baumol, The Microtheory of Innovative Entrepreneurship, Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 2011. Part 2 The term "psychic rewards" refers to
nonmonetary forms of remuneration that are psychologically uplifting.
Research by economists Susan Helper, Morris Kleiner, and Yingchun Wang has found that the use of pay-for-performance, or piece-rate pay, has declined in manufacturing industries in recent decades. In a summary of this research, Lester Picker writes: "...this change has come about with the adoption of modern manufacturing systems in which firms produce a greater variety of products to a more demanding quality and delivery standard." What characteristics determine whether a salary system is likely to be more profitable for a manufacturing firm? Source: Lester Picker, "The Decline of 'Piece Rate' Compensation in Manufacturing," The Digest, National Bureau of Economic Research http://www.nber.org/digest/may11/w16540.html. Manufacturing firms are likely to consider a salary system to be more profitable if
output is difficult to measure and attribute to individual workers.
According to an article in the Wall Street Journal, "Lululemon Athletica Inc. became a multibillion-dollar brand by convincing women to pay $100 for yoga pants. Though the market is now flooded with cheaper alternatives, the apparel maker's new CEO says it has no plans to lower its prices." Source: Khadeeja Safdar, "Lululemon Chief: 'No Need' to Discount $100 Yoga Pants," Wall Street Journal, April 23, 2019. a. Does Lululemon's CEO believe that the demand for the firm's yoga pants is price elastic or price inelastic? The CEO apparently believes that the demand for the firm's yoga pants is
price inelastic because he doesn't believe that the cheaper yoga pants being offered by competitors will be considered close substitutes by Luluemon's customers.
A production possibilities frontier:
shows the maximum attainable combinations of two goods that may be produced with available resources.
In situation 3, the firm should
shut down since the price is less than the average variable cost.
The three major types of firms in the United States are called (8.1)
sole proprietorships, partnerships, and corporations.
Lawrence Summers served as secretary of the treasury in the Clinton administration and as director of National Economic Council in the Obama administration. He has been quoted as giving the following moral defense of the economic approach. "There is nothing morally unattractive about saying: We need to analyze which way of spending money on health care will produce more benefit and which less, and using our money as efficiently as we can. I don't think there is anything immoral about seeking to achieve environmental benefits at the lowest possible costs." Source: David Wessel, "Precepts from Professor Summers," Wall Street Journal, October 17, 2002. Part 2 It would be more moral to reduce pollution, Part 3
taking the cost into account because money spent on pollution reduction is not available for other worthy activities.
Assuming these economists are correct about the importance of new firms in introducing productivity-enhancing innovations, the declining trend in the formation of new businesses implies that
the U.S. economy will become less dynamic and less able to sustain high rates of economic growth.
What is the midpoint method for calculating price elasticity of demand? Part 2 The midpoint method for calculating price elasticity of demand is: Part 3
the change in quantity divided by the average of the initial and final quantities divided by the change in price divided by the average of the initial and final prices.
As the wage increases,
the demand for labor curve does not shift, but the quantity demanded of labor decreases.
In colonial America, the population was spread thinly over a large area, and transportation costs were very high because it was difficult to ship products by road for more than short distances. As a result, most of the free population lived on small farms where they not only grew their own food but also usually made their own clothes and very rarely bought or sold anything for money. Part 2 Why were the incomes of these farmers likely to rise as transportation costs fell? As transportation costs fell,
the farmers gained access to new markets and customers. Using comparative advantage, the farmers specialized, producing those goods for which they had lower opportunity cost. As they traded for other goods, their incomes and living standards increased.
Psychic rewards that an entrepreneur might receive include (check all that apply):
the pride of self-accomplishment. Your answer is correct. being one's own boss. Your answer is correct. status within the community.
What are private property rights? Private property rights are:
the rights individuals and firms have to the exclusive use of tangible, physical property and intellectual property.
Is it possible for a country to have a comparative advantage in producing a good without also having an absolute advantage? A country without an absolute advantage in producing a good
will have a comparative advantage if it has a lower opportunity cost of producing that good
In discussing dividing up household chores, Emily Oster, an economist at the University of Chicago, advises that: "No, you shouldn't always unload the dishwasher because you're better at it." Source: Emily Oster, "The Wrong Person Is Probably Doing the Dishes in Your Home," Slate, November 21, 2012. Even if you are better at unloading the dishwasher than your spouse, you shouldn't always be the one to unload it because
you may be even better at some other household task and must consider the opportunity cost.
In an academic journal article analyzing the effects of the Berkeley, California, soda tax on consumption, Jennifer Falbe of the University of California, Berkeley's School of Public Health and colleagues discussed "price elasticity of demand estimates for SSBs [sugar-sweetened beverages]—the percent change in demand for SSBs resulting from a 1% increase in price." Source: Jennifer Falbe, et al., "Impact of the Berkeley Excise Tax on Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Consumption," American Journal of Public Health, Vol. 106, No. 10, October 2016, pp. 1865-1871. Briefly explain whether you agree with this definition of price elasticity of demand.
Disagree: the price elasticity of demand measures the responsiveness of the quantity demanded of a good to changes in its price.
A study of the consumption of beverages in Chile found that for soda "a price increase of 10% is associated with a reduction in consumption of 13.7%." Source: Carlos M. Guerrero-Lopez, Mishel Unar-Munguía, and M. Arantxa Colchero, "Price Elasticity of the Demand for Soft Drinks, Other Sugar-Sweetened Beverages and Energy Dense Food in Chile," BMC Public Health, Vol. 17, February 2017, p. 180. Given this information, the price elasticity of demand for soda in Chile is negative −1.37. (Enter your response rounded to two decimal places. Use a negative sign if you are entering a negative number.) Part 2 Is demand price elastic or price inelastic? Briefly explain.
Elastic, because the percentage change in quantity demanded is greater than the percentage change in price.
In the United States, ________ account for the majority of revenue earned and ________ account for the majority of business organizations.
corporations; sole proprietorships
The payments by a corporation to its shareholders are called ________, and the interest payments on a bond are called ________
dividends; coupon payments
What does he expect will happen to Lululemon's revenue if the firm cuts the price of its yoga pants? Since the CEO believes that the demand for the firm's yoga pants is price
inelastic, cutting the price of its yoga pants would result in a decrease in the firm's total revenue.