660 likes | 801 Views
Economics EOCT Prep. Microeconomics. Markets. In a Market Economy, SUPPLY and DEMAND provide signals that trigger production and consumption of goods and services WE, as consumers , are the demanders WE, as producers , are also the suppliers. Circular Flow of Economic Activity.
E N D
Economics EOCT Prep Microeconomics
Markets • In a Market Economy, SUPPLY and DEMAND provide signals that trigger production and consumption of goods and services • WE, as consumers, are the demanders • WE, as producers, are also the suppliers
What is DEMAND? • The willingness and ability to purchase a good or service • The Law of Demand states: • Consumers will buy MORE of a good or service when its PRICE DECREASES • Consumers will buy LESS of a good or service when its PRICE INCREASES (DUH!!! – Right???)
Imagine a product… Let’s say SODA (from the school drink machine) How many would you buy a week if they cost: $1.00 ? $1.50 ? $2.00 ? $3.00 ? $ .50 ?
What might cause Demand to Shift? • INCOME – as income increases, consumers purchase more (exception = inferior goods!) • CONSUMER EXPECTATIONS – if we expect the price of a good to change in the future, it impacts our current demand for the good (example = gas) • POPULATION – changes in the number of people impact demand for goods/services • CONSUMER TASTES & ADVERTISING – influences trends so demand is impacted
Also… • Changes in the PRICE of RELATEDGOODS • Complements are two goods that are typically bought and used together (example = skis and ski boots) • Substitutes are goods used in place of one another (example = skis and snowboards)
What is ELASTICITY of DEMAND? • Elasticity of Demand is a measure of how consumers react to a change in the PRICE of a good/service (how flexible they are) • Demand for a good that consumers NEED tends to be INELASTIC (not flexible) • Demand for a good that consumers can do without (perhaps there are substitutes) tends to be ELASTIC (flexible)
Reviewing DEMAND • The law of demand states that • Consumers will buy more when a price increases • Price will not influence demand • Consumers will buy less when a price decreases • Consumers will buy more when a price decreases
If the price of a good rises and incomestays the same, what is the effect on demand? • The prices of other goods drop • Fewer goods are bought • More goods are bought • Demand stays the same
Which of the following statements is accurate? • When two goods are complementary, increased demand for one will cause decreased demand for the other. • When two goods are complementary, increased demand for one will cause increased demand for the other. • If two goods are substitutes, increased demand for one will cause increased demand for the other. • A drop in the price of one good will cause increased demand for its substitute.
What does elasticity of demand measure? • An increase in the quantity available • A decrease in the quantity demanded • How much buyers will cut back or increase their demand when prices rise or fall • The amount of time consumers need to change their demand for a good
What effect does the availability of many substitute goods have on the elasticity of demand for a good? • Demand is elastic • Demand is inelastic • Demand is unitary elastic • The availability of substitutes does not have an effect
Price As price increases… Supply Quantity supplied increases Price As price falls… Supply Quantity supplied falls What is SUPPLY? • According to the Law of Supply, suppliers will offer MORE of a good at a HIGHERPRICE.
Supply Curve Remember: If you are a PRODUCER, higher prices (as long as production costs remain constant) mean you make a bigger PROFIT!
What is ELASTICITY of SUPPLY? • Elasticity of Supply is a measure of the way QUANTITY SUPPLIED reacts to a CHANGE in PRICE. • If supply is not very responsive to changes in price (perhaps it takes a long time to make the good), it is considered INELASTIC. • An ELASTIC supply is very sensitive to changes in price (the supply can be increased or decreased fairly easily).
How do businesses determine how many people to hire? • They must know how the number of workers affects total production • The marginal product of labor is the change in output from hiring one additional worker
Changes in Supply • Any change in the COST of an input (like raw materials, machinery, or labor) will affect supply. • New technology can decrease costs and increase supply.
Reviewing SUPPLY: • What is the law of supply? • The lower the price, the larger the quantity supplied • The higher the price, the larger the quantity supplied • The higher the price, the smaller the quantity supplied • The lower the price, the more manufacturers will produce the good
What happens when the price of a good with elastic supply goes down? • Existing producers will expand and some new producers will enter the market • Some producers will produce less and others will drop out of the market • Existing firms will continue their usual output but will earn less • New firms will enter the market as older ones drop out
What are diminishing marginal returns of labor? • Some workers increase output but others have the opposite effect • Additional workers increase total output but at a decreasing rate • Only a few workers will have to wait their turn to be productive • Additional workers will be more productive
What affect does a rise in the costof raw materials have on the cost of a good? • It lowers the overall cost of production • The good becomes cheaper to produce • The good becomes more expensive to produce • This does not have any affect on the eventual price of a good
Combining Demand and Supply • The point at which quantity demanded and quantity supplied come together is known as equilibrium
Interactions between buyers and sellers will always push the market back toward EQUILIBRIUM.
Price Ceilings • In some cases, the government steps in to control prices. • A PRICE CEILING is a maximum price that can be legally charged for a good • An example is rentcontrol, a situation where the government sets a maximum amount that can be charged for rent in an area
Price ceilings create excessDEMAND. The difference between the artificial price and the equilibrium price is a SHORTAGE.
Price Floors • A PRICE FLOOR is a minimum price, set by the government, that must be paid for a good or service. • An example is the minimumwage, which sets a minimum price that an employer can pay a worker for an hour of labor.
Price floors create excess SUPPLY. The difference between the artificial price and the equilibrium price is a SURPLUS.
The Role of Prices • Prices provide a language for buyers (consumers/demanders) and sellers (producers/suppliers) • They act as an INCENTIVES – help indicate relative scarcity • They act as SIGNALS – like a traffic light • They are more FLEXIBLE than production
Reviewing D x S: • Equilibrium in a market is the point at which • Quantity supplied and quantity demanded are the same • Unsold goods begin to pile up • Suppliers begin to reduce prices • Prices fall below the cost of production
What happens when any market is in disequilibrium and prices are flexible? • Market forces push toward equilibrium • Sellers waste their resources • Excess demand is created • Unsold perishable goods are thrown out
What prompts efficientresourceallocation in a well-functioning market system? • Businesses working to earn a profit • Government regulation • The need for fair allocation of resources • The need to buy goods regardless of price
MARKET STRUCTURES • These are ways production of goods and services in particular markets are organized (they mainly differ in terms of the # of firms in the market) • Perfect Competition • Monopolistic Competition • Oligopoly • Monopoly
Perfect Competition • A market structure in which a LARGENUMBER of firms all produce the SAME product – this type of structure tends to be mostefficient • Manybuyers and sellers • Identical products • Informed buyers and sellers • Free market entry and exit
BARRIERS to ENTRY • These are factors that make it difficult for new firms to enter a market • START-UP COSTS – the $ a business must pay before the product reaches customers • TECHNOLOGY – some markets require a high degree of technological sophistication (knowledge that inhibits entrepreneurs from entering the market)
Monopolistic Competition • A market structure in which MANY companies compete to sell products which are SIMILAR but not identical. • Many firms • Few barriers to entry • Slight control over price • Differentiated product
Monopolistically Competitive Companies often use NON-PRICE Competition to attract customers: • Characteristics of the product – size, color, shape, taste, etc. • Location of the sale – busy corner versus isolated • Level of service – better customer service • Advertising image – to create apparent differences; use of celebrities or fads
Oligopoly • A market structure dominated by a FEW, LARGE, PROFITABLE firms. • Collusion may occur – when companies work together to set prices and production levels • Price-fixing – like Coke and Pepsi • Cartels may be established – producers formally coordinate prices and production
Monopoly • A market dominated by a SINGLE seller of a product or service • Monopolies form when barriers prevent firms from entering the market with a single supplier • Start-up costs are high • They can take advantage of their power and charge higherprices • Natural Monopolies – like power and water; we allow these because they are more efficient • Newtechnology can destroy the power of a monopoly
Government and Competition • Government policies keep firms from controlling the prices and supply of important goods. • Antitrustlawsencourage competition in the marketplace. • Regulates business practices • Breaks up monopolies • Blocks mergers • Preserves incentives
Reviewing Market Structures: • Which is NOT a condition for Perfect Competition? • Many buyers and sellers participate • Identical products are offered • Market barriers are high • Buyers and sellers are well-informed about goods and services
A monopoly is • A market dominated by a single seller • A license that gives the inventor of a new product the exclusive right to sell it for a certain amount of time • An industry that runs best when one firm produces all the output • An industry where the government provides all the output
An oligopoly is • An agreement among firms to charge one price for the same good • A formal organization of producers that agree to coordinate price and output • A way to attract customers without lowering the price • A market structure in which a few large firms dominate a market
The purpose of both deregulation and antitrust laws is to • Promote competition • Promote government control • Promote inefficient commerce • Prevent monopolies
BUSINESS ORGANIZATIONS • Businesses can be owned by individuals, families, or large groups of people. • Sole Proprietorship • Partnership • Corporation • Franchise