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Exam 2
markets, taxes
58
Economics
Undergraduate 1
03/15/2009

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Term
welfare
Definition
the study of how the allocation of scarce resources affect the economic well being
Term
consumer surplus
Definition

the measure of welfare of consumers.

 

the difference between the amount a buyer is willing to pay for a good and the amount actually paid for it.

 

 

CS= (willingness to pay)-(price)

Term
consumer surplus on a graph
Definition
thr area above the price and below the demand curve
Term

Consumer surplus-

 

price change: price decreases

Definition

-additional CS for buyers already in the market

 

- CS for buyers who enetered the market because new price equals or is less than WTP

Term
Producers Surplus
Definition

the measure of pruducers welfare.

 

the difference between the price the seller recieves for a good and the cost of producing it.

Term
Producers Surplus on the graph
Definition
the area between the price and the supply curve
Term

Producers Surplus-

 

Price change: Price increase

Definition

-Additional PS to sellers already in the market

 

-PS to sellers who have entered market because new price is less than costs

Term
Efficiency
Definition
total surplus is maximized
Term
Total Surplus
Definition
Consumer surplus + Producer Surplus
Term
Price Control
Definition
Price floor and Price cieling
Term
Price ceiling
Definition

a legal maximum on the price at which a good can be sold

 

EX. in 1970s price of oil high so governemnt imposed price ceiling on gas, rent control

Term
Non binding price ceiling
Definition

price placed above equilibrium

 

market will end up back at equilibrium

Term
binding price ceiling
Definition

price placed below P*

 

results in shortage

Term
Price Floor
Definition

a legal mimimum pon the price at which a good can be sold

 

EX. Minimum wage

Term
Non binding price floor
Definition

price placed below P*

 

results in equilibrium

Term
binding price floor
Definition

price above P*

 

results in surplus, prevents market from reaching equilibrium

Term
Government Policies
Definition

Price Control- ceilngs and floors

Taxes- on buyers and sellers

Term
Effects on supply curve when tax payed by seller
Definition
shifts supply curve in by the amount of the tax
Term

Effects on the market by taxing the seller-

 

(2)

Definition

1. Reduces market activity from Q* to Qtax

 

2. Creates a wedge of the price buyers pay and the price the sellers receive.

Term
Effects on demand curve when tax payed by buyer
Definition
shift demand curve in/left by the amount of the tax
Term

Effects on market when tax on buyer

 

(2)

Definition

1. Market activity decreses from Q* to Qtax

 

2. Tax creates a wedge between the price of buyers and price of sellers

Term
The effect of taxes
Definition
creates market distortion
Term
effect of taxes on buyers
Definition

the price the buyer payes with taxes is higher than P* so buyers consume less

 

Qtax < Q*

 

Term
Effect of taxes on seller
Definition

The price seller recieves is less than P*, sellers produce less

 

Qtax < Q*

Term
Dead Weight Loss
Definition
lost surplus do to price ceiling, floor, or tax
Term
incidence of a tax
Definition

how consumers and producers share the burden of the tax

 

difference between:

Pbuyer and P*

Pseller and P*

Term
Production and pricing decisions in Firm Behavior
Definition
costs are key determinant of how a firm chooses how much to produce
Term
objective of a firm
Definition
to make a profit
Term
equation for profit
Definition
profit= totl revenue- total cost
Term
total revenue
Definition

the amount of money the firm recieves from the sale of its output

 

TR= price x quantity

Term
total cost
Definition

the market value of inputs (labor, time, materials) a firm uses in production

 

opportunity costs

Term


explicit costs
Definition

requires an outlay of money by the firm

 

Ex. wages, price of materials, rent, interest paid

Term
implicit costs
Definition

DOES NOT require outlay of money

 

Ex. quit job earning $35/hr

 

forgone wages, opp cost of financial capital (lost interest of money pulled from bank)

Term
production function
Definition
the relationship between the quantity of inputs and the quantity of outouts of the good
Term
marginal product
Definition

the output produced from each additional worker

 

MP= (outp.2- outp.1)/ (workers2-workers1)

Term
diminishing marginal product
Definition

property whereby the marginal product of an input declines as quantity of the input increases

 

primary example of overcrowding of the workplace

Term
fixed cost
Definition

cost that does not vay with quantity of output produced

 

ex. rent for a shop

 

Term
variable cost
Definition

cost that does vary with the quantity of output produced

 

ex. wages

Term
how does the firm decide how much ouput to produce?
Definition
by comparing marginal revenue to marginal cost
Term
marginal revenue
Definition
additional revenue from producing/selling one additional unit of output
Term
marginal revenue equation
Definition
MR= (TR2- TR1)/ (Outp.2-Outp.1)
Term
marginal cost
Definition
additional cost from producing one more unit of output
Term
marginal cost equation
Definition
MC= (TC2-TC1)/(Outp.2-Outp.1)
Term
MC<MR
Definition
produce more
Term
MR<MC
Definition
produce less
Term
MR=MC
Definition
production/pricing decision is made
 
optimal level of output occurs here
 
aka profit maximizing level of output
Term
characteristics of a competitive firm
Definition

1. many buyers and sellers

2. identical product= results in buyers and sellers being price takers

3. free entry and exit 

Term
price taker
Definition
no influence over price
Term
how does a perfectly competitive firm choose how much to produce?
Definition
MR=MC
Term
marginal revenue under perfect competition
Definition
MR=P
Term
Profit equation
Definition
Q* x (P-ATC)
Term
What are the implications of a perfectly competitive market?
Definition
efficient because total surplus is maximized
Term
perfectly competitive firms and profit
Definition
in the long run have zero profit
Term
characteristics of a monopoly
Definition

1. one firm, many buyers

2. unique product- no close substitutes avaliable

3. price maker

4. high barriers to entry/exit

Term
price maker
Definition
the monopolist has control over price
Term
types of monopolies
Definition

1. monopoly resources-key resource is owned by one firm

2. government created monopolies- gov. gives one firm the exclusive right to produce some good

3. natural monopolies- cost of the reproduction are so high that it makes more sense to have single producer (utilities)

Term
the price a monopolist charges is limited by...
Definition
the demand curve
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