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Adam Smith usually referred to as the father of Economics expounded the theory of free markets and opposed any form of concentration of economic power. He believed that any authority establishing a price that provided a fair price to the providers of the factors of production would distort the market's natural ability to determine prices and output levels. In general, he believed that competitive markets would allocate resources to their highest and best use. However, in recent times, we have seen the market mechanism fail and allocate too many or too few resources to the consumption or production of some goods and services.

-What are some of the reasons for this failure? -Has government intervention into competitive markets changed the efficiency of these markets? Why or why not?

-Was Smith correct or incorrect in his theories concerning the efficiency of the markets in the allocation of resources?

Support your answers with examples and references. Justify your choices with valid assumptions and logically driven arguments.

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Chika Ilonah
Chika IlonahLv10
28 Sep 2019

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Related questions

Adam Smith, usually referred to as the father of economics, expounded the theory of free markets and opposed any form of concentration of economic power. He believed that any authority establishing a price that provided a fair price to the providers of the factors of production would distort the market's natural ability to determine prices and output levels. In general, he believed that competitive markets would allocate resources to their highest and best use. However, in recent times, we have seen the market mechanism fail and allocate too many or too few resources to the consumption or production of some goods and services.

What are some of the reasons for this failure?

Has government intervention into competitive markets changed the efficiency of these markets? Why or why not?

Was Smith correct or incorrect in his theories concerning the efficiency of the markets in the allocation of resources? Support your answers with examples and references.

Justify your choices with valid assumptions and logically driven arguments. Cite any sources using APA format.

2.1 Adam Smith is often called the father of economics. His famous book, The Wealth of Nations, talks about an invisible hand which automatically allocates goods to the persons most able to put them to good use. The invisible hand operates through the price mechanism for goods and services, so that individuals who trade on the market, while seeking only their own good, are actually efficiently allocating society's resources.

His ideas, if applied to modern capital markets, imply that these markets would efficiently allocate investment capital to the firms that would use the capital most efficiently in producing goods and services for society. But this would happen only if markets were left to operate without state intervention.

Do you think modern governments should leave capital markets unregulated? Why or why not?

2.2 Consider a business firm, organized as a proprietorship, which has $100,000 invested in assets a bank loan of $80,000 and $20,000 personal capital invested by the proprietor. If the firm becomes insolvent, who is at risk? Why?

2.3 In the following situation, moral hazard or adverse selection may be present. Indicate which you think is present, if any, and explain your choice.

a. An investor is asking for a bank loan to support a new business she wants to operate. She is unwilling to submit to a credit check.

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

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