01:220:102 Chapter 4-7: 01:220:102 Chapter 4-: reading notes chapters 4 - 7

7) Indicate whether each of the following statements is true or false, and explain why.

A. Producer surplus tends to fall as the supply curve becomes more elastic.

B. Consumer surplus tends to rise as demand becomes more elastic.

C. The market demand curve indicates the minimum price buyers are willing to pay at each level of production.

D. The market supply curve indicates the minimum price required by sellers as a group to bring forth production.

E. Consumer surplus is the amount that consumers are willing to pay for a given good or service above and beyond the amount actually paid.

Under a binding price ceiling, what does the change in consumer surplus represent?
A) The gain in surplus for those buyers who can still purchase the product at the lower price.
B) The loss in surplus for those buyers who previously purchased some units of the good at the higher price, but these units are no longer produced at the lower price.
C) The loss in surplus for those buyers who would like the purchase the excess demand created by the price ceiling policy.
D) Both A and B are correct.
E) Both A and C are correct.

When the market price is held above the competitive level, the deadweight loss is composed of:

A) producer surplus losses associated with units that used to be traded on the market but are no longer exchanged.

B) consumer surplus losses associated with units that used to be traded on the market but are no longer exchanged.
C) producer and consumer surplus losses associated with units that used to be traded on the market but are no longer exchanged.
D) There is no deadweight loss if the government uses a price floor policy to increase the price.

Compared to a tariff, an import quota, which restricts imports to the same amount as the tariff, will leave the country as a whole
A) worse off than a comparable tariff.
B) not as bad off as a comparable tariff.

C) about the same as a comparable tariff.

D) Any of the above can be true.

What is the welfare impact of a subsidy policy?
A) Producer surplus increases, consumer surplus declines, and total welfare declines.
B) Producer and consumer surplus increase, and these gains are larger than the government cost.

C) Producer and consumer surplus increase, and these gains are smaller than the government cost.

D) Producer surplus increases, consumer surplus declines, and total welfare increases due to the subsidy program.

Why is there a deadweight loss associated with subsidy payments?
A) There is no deadweight loss from a subsidy.
B) Quantity supplied is less than the equilibrium amount, so consumers and producers lose surplus value on those units that are no longer produced.
C) Quantity supplied exceeds the equilibrium amount, and consumer willingness to pay for these additional units is smaller than the marginal cost of producing them.
D) The subsidy payment does not distort quantities in the market, but the government cost exceeds consumer willingness to pay for the quantity demanded.

17. Which of the following is a determinant of supply?

A. Tastes and preferences

B. Price of a complementary good

C. Consumer income

D. Technology

18. A market is in equilibrium:

A. provided there is no surplus of the product

B. at all prices above that shown by the intersection of the supply and demand curves

C. if the amount producers want to sell is equal to the amount consumers want to buy

D. whenever the demand curve is downsloping and the supply curve is upsloping.

19. If the market price is above the equilibrium price:

A. A shortage will occur and producers will produce more and lower prices

B. A surplus will occur and producers will produce less and lower prices

C. A surplus will result and consumers will bid prices up

D. Producers will make extremely high profits

20. The market system automatically corrects a surplus condition in a competitive market by:

A. Raising the price of the commodity in question while increasing the quantity demanded

B. Raising the price of the commodity in question while decreasing the quantity demanded

C. Reducing the price of the commodity in question while increasing the quantity demanded

D. Reducing the price of the commodity in question while decreasing the quantity demanded

21. The price elasticity of demand measures:

A. buyer responsiveness to price changes.

B. the extent to which demand curve shifts as incomes change.

C. the slope of the demand curve.

D. how far business executives can stretch their fixed costs

22. The elasticity of demand for a product is likely to be greater:

A. if the product is a necessity, rather than a luxury good.

B. the greater the amount of time over which buyers adjust to a price change

C. the smaller the proportion of one's income spent on the product.

D. the smaller the number of substitute products available.

23. Market failure is said to occur whenever:

A. private markets do not allocate resources in the most economically desirable way

B. prices rise

C. some consumers who want a good do not obtain it because the price is higher than they are willing to pay

D. government intervenes in the functioning of private markets.

24. A negative externality or spillover cost occurs when:

A. firms fail to achieve allocative efficiency.

B. firms fail to achieve productive efficiency.

C. the price of the good exceeds the marginal cost of producing it.

D. the total cost of producing a good exceeds the costs borne by the producer