ECON 2100 Lecture Notes - Lecture 6: Price Ceiling, Price Floor, Economic Equilibrium

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14 Sep 2016

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Government policies that alter the private market outcome. A price ceiling above the equilibrium price is not binding- meaning has no effect on the market outcome. In the apartment example, the ceiling is a blinding constraint on the price of an apartment. With a shortage, sellers must ration the goods among buyers. Some rationing mechanisms: waiting in long lines, ration coupons that entitle people to buy a certain amount of a product: ex: when you buy two, get . 00 off. Black market- a market in which illegal trading takes place at market-determined prices. It is very difficult to stop the price system from operating, even with government efforts. A price floor below the equilibrium price is not binding- has no effect on the market outcome. If the equilibrium wage is , then it is below the floor at and is therefore illegal. The floor is a binding constraint on the wage, causes a surplus. (labor)

Related Questions

Question 1

During a crisis such as Hurricane Katrina, governments often make it illegal to raise the price of emergency items like flashlights and bottled water. In practice, this means that these items get sold on a first-come, first-served basis. If a person has a flashlight that she values at $5, but its price on the black market is $40, what gains from trade are lost if the government shuts down the black market?

		$30
		$35
		$40
		Indeterminant with the given information.

2 points

Question 2

Which of the following is an example of a price floor?

		A sale price with a limit on the quantity you can purchase.
		Rent-controlled apartments
		Predatory pricing designed to put a competitor out of business.
		The minimum wage

2 points

Question 3

Airline regulation of the 1970s produced a similar result to which of the following government interventions?

		The Affordable Care Act
		Minimum wage laws
		Rent control laws
		Communism

2 points

Question 4

Which of the following is a possible effect of a price ceiling?

		A surplus of the good.
		Increases in product quality.
		Increased gains from trade.
		People will waste time in lines waiting to purchase the good.

2 points

Question 5

What is a price ceiling?

		A minimum price consumers are willing to pay.
		A minimum price allowed by law.
		A maximum price allowed by law.
		A maximum price consumers are willing to pay.

2 points

Question 6

Why are the long lines generated by a shortage worse than paying a higher price in money?

		It is not better or worse. Paying in time and paying in money are essentially the same in a market economy.
		Paying with time reduces the value of money, and prevents valuable trades from occurring.
		Waiting in line is a waste of a valuable resource: time. Paying a price in money transfers the value of resources from one person to another, and maximizes the value of resources.
		Paying with time gives those who do not work an advantage over those who do.

2 points

Question 7

Which of the following is a possible effect of a price floor?

		The quantity supplied exceeds the quantity demanded.
		Increased gains from trade.
		Decreases in product quality.
		A shortage of the good.

Who bears the primary costs of a rent control program?

landlords

renters that get rent-controlled apartments

taxpayers

the wealthy

Assume the demand for sushi is Qd = 180 - 3P, where Qd is quantity demanded and P = price in dollars. The supply of sushi is Qs = 80 + 5P, where Qs is quantity supplied (and P is, again, price in dollars). A price of $20 would result in:

	A.	Excess supply of 60
	B.	Excess supply of 120
	C.	Excess supply of 140
	D.	Excess demand of 140

US agricultural price supports are politically popular because

They have no adverse impacts

The US would have food shortages without them

The benefits accrue to a large number of voters and the costs are paid by a small number of voters

The costs are spread out among millions of people

	A.	$15.50
	B.	$12.50
	C.	$10
	D.	$15

Price floors and ceiling prices:

cause the supply and demand curves to shift until equilibrium is established.

both cause surpluses.

interfere with the rationing function of prices.

A change in the price of a good leads to a change in ________, which leads to a ___________

quantity supplied; shift of the supply curve

supply; shift of the supply curve

quantity supplied; movement along the supply curve

When the supply of a product increases, this implies that

the price of the product first declined

more will be purchased at the same price

producers will be willing to accept a lower price for each unit sold

demand for the good must have increased

producers will offer less for sale at each possible price

If there is a excess demand for product X:

fewer resources will be allocated to the production of this good.

the price of the product will rise.

the supply curve will shift to the left and the demand curve to the right, eliminating the shortage.

the price of the product will decline.

Which of the following will occur when there is a simultaneous decrease in demand and a decrease in supply?

B and D both necessarily occur

An increase in equilibrium quantity

A and C both necessarily occur

An increase in price

A and D both necessarily occur

A decrease in price

A decrease in equilibrium quantity

Velcro is becoming more and more popular for a variety of uses, including as fasteners for shoes. What should happen to the equilibrium price and quantity for shoelaces as a result?

Both price and quantity should decrease.

Price should increase and quantity decrease.

Both price and quantity should increase.

Price should decrease and quantity increase.

Nothing.

If the government imposes a ceiling price on apartment rents, we would expect to observe all of the following except one. Which is the exception?

	A.	conversion of some apartment complexes to condos
	B.	a shortage
	C.	an increase in the number of new apartment complexes being built
	D.	lower maintenance of existing apartments
	E.	long waiting lists for apartment seekers

supply; movement along the supply curve

both cause shortages.

chocolatebadger640

1. Suppose that there is a tax of $1 per unit, and the elasticity of supply is 3 and the elasticity of demand is 2 (in absolute value). How much of the $1 tax is paid by sellers?

		$0.60
		$0.40
		$0.75
		$0.67

2. In Market X, the external benefit of consumption is $5. In Market Y, the external cost of consumption is $10. Efficiency in both markets could be achieved by:

		a tax of $5 in Market X and a subsidy of $10 in Market Y.
		subsidizing both markets.
		taxing Market Y and subsidizing Market X.
		taxing both markets.

3.Economic theory suggests that a natural monopoly should be:

		eliminated whenever it arises.
		regulated to take advantage of economies of scale.
		left alone to operate with excess capacity.
		taken over by the government.

4.When the size of the production is the most efficient:

		total cost is at the minimum.
		average cost is at the minimum.
		marginal cost is at the minimum.
		fixed cost is at the minimum.

5.A firm should exit the industry if which of the following conditions apply?

		TR > TC
		P < AC
		Lifetime expected profit is positive.
		Prices are low now but expected to rise.

6.Figure: Costs

Reference: Ref 11-6

(Figure: Costs) Use the figure. At a price of $20, the firm earns profit of:

		$75.
		$300.
		$225.
		$0, because P = MC at P = $20.

7.When external benefits are present, the market price is ________, however when external costs are present, the market price is ________.

		too low; too high
		equal to the efficient price; too low
		too high; too low
		equal to the efficient price; too high

8.Which of the following statements is TRUE?

I. The EPA's tradeable allowances program for sulfur dioxide establishes property rights to pollute and helps reduce transaction costs by distributing allowances, maintaining databases, and monitoring emissions.

II. One criticism of tradeable allowances is that they prohibit non-businesses and environmental groups from purchasing the allowances.

III. The tradeable allowances for sulfur dioxide have performed poorly because electricity output has increased, causing a rise in sulfur dioxide levels.

		I only
		II and III only
		I, II, and III
		III only

9.Price floors make it illegal to compete for more customers by lowering prices, so firms compete by offering customers:

		various options.
		more quantity.
		more discount.
		higher quality.

10.Figure: Government Price Controls

Reference: Ref 8-3

(Figure: Government Price Controls) Refer to the figure. If the government sets the price ceiling at $31, there will be:

		a shortage of 15 units.
		a surplus of 15 units.
		a supply of 20 units.
		no effect on the market.

11.In which of these instances does price function as a signal in the market?

		Suppliers invest more in exploration when the price of oil increases.
		Consumers complain of price gouging as the price of oil skyrockets.
		Government imposes price controls on the skyrocketing price of oil.
		All of the answers are correct.

12.Ethanol and sugar are both made from sugar cane, and ethanol can be used as substitute fuel for oil. Increasing oil prices cause the demand for ethanol to increase. This will cause the ______ sugar to ______ and its price to ______.

		demand for; decrease; decrease
		supply of; increase; increase
		supply of; decrease; increase
		demand for; increase; increase

13.Why do cotton growers spend billions of dollars to dam rivers and transport water hundreds of miles to grow cotton in California deserts?

		Cotton growers in California don't pay payroll taxes.
		The water used to grow California cotton is highly subsidized by the government.
		Cotton growers in California are mostly operated as nonprofit enterprises.
		The water used to grow California cotton is high in mineral contents, making for a bigger cotton yield.

14.Suppose that the equilibrium price in the market is $10. If the current market price is $7.50:

		the equilibrium price will fall to $7.50.
		competition among buyers will increase the current price.
		the current price will fall below $7.50 as sellers compete for market share.
		There is not enough information provided to answer the question.

15.Which of the following would increase the demand for beef?

		lower pork prices
		higher consumer income
		higher prices of feed grains used to feed beef cattle
		an increase in the price of beef

16.A change in quantity supplied is reflected by a movement along the same supply curve while a change in supply refers to a shift in the entire supply curve.

True

False

17.Table: Production in the United States and Germany

Labor units required to produce:

One Clock

One Sofa

United States		2	5
Germany		3	9

Reference: Ref 2-8

(Table: Production in the United States and Germany) According to the table, the opportunity cost of producing one sofa in the United States is _________, and the opportunity cost of producing one sofa in Germany is _______.

		two clocks; three clocks
		10 clocks; 27 clocks
		0.4 clocks; 0.33 clocks
		2.5 clocks; three clocks

18.Mark values his drum set at $800 and Ella values her guitar at $1,000. Suppose that Mark trades his drum set for Ella's guitar.

		This trade makes Ella worse off by $200.
		This trade makes Mark better off by $200.
		Mark must value Ella's guitar for at least $1,000, and Ella must value Mark's drum set for at least $800.
		This trade creates value by moving the guitar and drum set to people who value them more.

ECON 2100 Lecture Notes - Lecture 6: Price Ceiling, Price Floor, Economic Equilibrium

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