ECON 2100 Midterm: Midterm Review

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silvertortoise399

25 May 2016

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Document Summary

In every economic transaction, there is an exchange of property rights between the buyer and seller. Common property (land, fish, air) complicates this, as it is difficult to assign property rights to things that do not belong to anyone in particular. Restricting common property rights is one solution to the improper use of key resources such as air and water. Assigning private property rights to a resource is another way to ensure a more efficient use of natural resources resources. The fundamental reason the market does not work for environmental goods is due to the inability to assign private property rights to much of the natural environment. An externality is a cost that is not accounted for in economic activity but is nevertheless a real cost. It occurs because of the absence of property rights. The real cost of any economic activity is a combination of private costs plus externalities.

Related Questions

Question 1

An externality

		enhances market efficiency.
		is a private cost or benefit that results from the production or consumption of a good or service that is external to a market.
		is a benefit or cost that affects someone who is not directly involved in the production or consumption of a good or service.
		refers to production or consumption that occurs outdoors.

5 points

Question 2

Externalities can be produced by:

		the high price of goods and services
		individuals; firms
		market prices; market incomes
		oceans; streams

5 points

Question 3

When an external cost exists that is NOT taken into account in the production of a product,

		the level of output is too high, and the supply curve should shift to the left to account for the externality.
		the price of the product is too high, and production should be expanded to lower the price.
		the level of output is optimal, and there should be no change in the supply curve.
		the level of output is too low, and the supply curve should shift to the right to account for the externality.

5 points

Question 4

Which of the following is correct?

		MSC = MPC - MD
		MPC = MSC + MD
		MSC = MPC + MD
		MD = MSC + MPC

5 points

Question 5

If external costs (costs of cleaning up) are included and added to a firm's private costs, then

		the demand curve will shift to the left.
		the supply curve will shift to the right.
		the demand curve will shift to the right
		the supply curve will shift to the left.

5 points

Question 6

The Coase Theorem states that

		government intervention is always needed if externalities are present.
		assigning property rights is the only thing the government should do in a market economy.
		if transaction costs are low, private bargaining will result in an efficient solution to the problem of externalities.
		a free-market equilibrium is the best solution to address externalities.

5 points

Question 7

Buffalo in the United States almost became extinct while cattle, an animal that provides similar products, never have been close to extinction. The difference is due to

		the use of private property rights on cattle and common property rights on buffalo.
		the greater marginal value of a head of cattle relative to buffalo, leading to over-hunting of buffalo.
		cattle existing in Europe also while buffalo were specific to North America.
		the greater marginal value of a buffalo relative to a steer, leading to the overharvesting of buffalo.

5 points

Question 8

In theory, the Emissions Fee would

		cause firms to generate less pollution than their allowed limits.
		raise the production costs of all firms.
		cause firms to generate more pollution than their allowed limits.
		lower the production costs of all firms.

5 points

Question 9

A cap-and-trade policy

		has a set number of permits.
		allows polluters to trade permits.
		caps the total level of pollution allowed.
		all of the above.

Question 10

A Pigouvian tax corrects for

		market congestion.
		market losses.
		inefficient sales.
		low market prices.

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2. Which one of the following statements does not indicate an important difference between traditional economics and ecological economics?

Ecological economics places greater emphasis on the importance of energy resources

Ecological economics places greater emphasis on the carrying capacity of the environment

Ecological economics places greater emphasis on the scale of economic activity

Ecological economics places greater emphasis on the importance of natural laws

Ecological economics places greater emphasis on the flow of goods between households and firms

3. The ability of the environment to absorb and render harmless the by-products of human activity is called ...

Carrying capacity

The sink function

Depletion

Throughput

The source function

4. Which of the following is an example of the source function of the environment?

Trees absorb some of the carbon dioxide emitted by human activity

Wetlands reduce the pollution levels in water

Winds carry air pollution away from a city

Humans harvest fish from the oceans

Bacteria break down discarded wastes

5. Which one of the following relationships is not included in the standard circular flow model?

The flow of goods and services from firms to households

The flow of labor from households to firms

The flow of pollution from firms to households

The flow of money from households to firms

The flow of wages from firms to households

6. What statement below best describes how the environment is incorporated into the standard circular flow model?

The long-term availability of natural resources is considered

The pollution generated by firms and households is considered

The input of solar energy is considered

Natural resources are considered as inputs into the production process

The build-up of waste heat is considered

7. What is the primary external input into the broader ecological circular flow model?

Pollution

Solar energy

Fossil fuels

Geophysical cycles

Factors of production

8. What is the only net output of the broader ecological circular flow model?

Goods and services

Solar energy

Factors of production

Geophysical cycles

Waste heat

9. What is the standard economic technique used to compare present and future benefits and

costs?

Property rights

Microeconomics

Externalities

Macroeconomics

Discounting

10. Human activity is producing changes in which cycle that may lead to significant changes in the global climate?

Carbon cycle

Nitrogen cycle

Water cycle

Phosphorus cycle

Organic cycle

11. The Malthusian hypothesis ...

Has proven to be remarkably accurate

Is irrelevant for studying modern environmental problems

Has continuing implications for the debate on current environmental issues

Applies only to developing countries

Applies only to developed countries

12. What is the key to escaping the Malthusian trap?

Increasing productivity per capita

Increasing population

Increasing natural capital

Increasing population density

Definition of property rights

13. Real GNP per capita is defined as ...

GNP divided by population

GNP adjusted for inflation

GNP adjusted for capital depletion divided by population

GNP adjusted for inflation divided by population

GNP adjusted for depreciation divided by population

14. What two factors do standard economics consider as the most important in explaining productivity increases?

Increasing energy supplies and technological progress

Increasing capital stock and technological progress

Increasing energy supplies and increasing natural resources

Increasing capital stock and increasing energy supplies

Increasing capital stock and increasing natural resources

15. Which one of the following statements about sustainable development is false?

Sustainable development requires all energy to be derived from solar energy

Sustainable development considers the scale of the macro-economy

Sustainable development requires a population level below carrying capacity

Sustainable development combines modern and traditional agricultural techniques

Sustainable development requires some type of population policy

16. Which one of the following statements about sustainable development is false?

Some people have complained that sustainable development is a term devoid of specific content

Some people consider sustainable development just a slightly modified form of traditional economic growth

Sustainable development should provide for human needs without undermining the global ecosystem

Sustainable development would redefine economic goals

Sustainable development will require increased resource consumption

17. Which one of the following is an example of demand-side management?

Building a new nuclear power plant

Increasing oil exploration in the Arctic

Building a new solar energy plant

Replacing incandescent with compact fluorescent light bulbs

Increasing reliance on domestic oil sources rather than imports

18. The standard economic approach to pollution control

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