Three Rules and Four Models

Three Rules:

How to find the profit maximizing quantity:

A firm will maximize its profit (or minimize its losses) by producing that output at which marginal revenue and marginal cost are equal provided product price is equal to or greater than average variable cost.

(1) Find the quantity where: MR=MC

(2) produce this quantity if: AR > AVC

How to find the productively efficient quantity:

Society will achieve productive efficiency by producing that output at which the average total cost (ATC) is at a minimum.

minimum ATC, or

MC = ATC

How to find the allocatively efficient quantity:

Society will achieve allocative efficiency by producing that output at which price and marginal cost are equal.

P=MC

Four Product Market Models:

1. Competitive Market (Ch. 10)

Characteristics:
1. Number of firms:

2. Type of product:

3. Control over price:

4. Ease of entry:

5. Nonprice competition:

 

Examples:

 

Why is the D curve horizontal?

 

Why does P = MR?

 

Long-run equilibrium graph:

Why are there only normal profits?
What happens if there are short run profits?

What happens if there are short run losses?

 

Be able to find the:

  1. profit maximizing quantity
  2. profits
  3. allocatively efficient quantity
  4. productively efficient quantity

2. Monopoly (Ch. 11)

Characteristics:
1. Number of firms:

2. Type of product:

3. Control over price:

4. Ease of entry:

What are the barriers to enrty?

 

5. Nonprice competition:

 

Examples:

 

Why is the demand curve downward sloping?

 

Why is MR < P ?

 

Long-Run Equilibrium Graph

Why are there long run profits?

 

Be able to find the:

  1. profit maximizing quantity
  2. profits
  3. allocatively efficient quantity
  4. productively efficient quantity

 

Natural Monopoly

How can you tell from this graph that this is a natural monopoly?

 

What are some examples of natural monoplies?

 

Explain WHY it is more productively efficient for there to be only one producer"
(WHY are there natural monopolies?)

 

 

Be able to find the:

  1. profit maximizing quantity
  2. allocatively efficient quantity
  3. productively efficient quantity
  4. "fair-return" price and quantity

 

3. Monopolistic Competition (Ch. 12)

Characteristics:
1. Number of firms:

2. Type of product:

3. Control over price:

4. Ease of entry:

5. Nonprice competition:

Examples:

 

Define:

Concentration ratio:

 

(Is the concentration ratio HIGH or LOW for monoplistically competitive industries?)

Herfindahl index:

 

(Is the Herfindahl index HIGH or LOW for monoplistically competitive industries?)

 

Long-Run Equilibrium

Why are there only normal profits in the long run?
What happens if there are short run profits?

What happens if there are short run losses?

 

Be able to find the:

  1. profit maximizing quantity
  2. profits
  3. allocatively efficient quantity
  4. productively efficient quantity

 

4. Oligopoly (Ch. 12)

Characteristics
1. Number of firms:

2. Type of product:

3. Control over price:

4. Ease of entry:

5. Nonprice competition:

Examples:

 

Define:

Concentration ratio:

 

(Is the concentration ratio HIGH or LOW for oligopolistic industries?)

Herfindahl index:

 

(Is the Herfindahl index HIGH or LOW for oligopolistic industries?)

 

What are the three oligopoliy pricing models?

What are the assumptions behind the kinked demand curve?

 

 

Long-Run Equilibrium

 

Be able to find the:

  1. profrit maximizing quantity
  2. allocatively efficient quantity
  3. productively efficient quantity