ECON 200 Chapter Notes - Chapter 16: Monopolistic Competition, Imperfect Competition, Demand Curve

1) A natural monopoly exists when:

a. A few firms collude to make one large firm

b. Firms enter the industry as a result of profit incentives

c. Economies of scale provide large cost advantages to having one firm produce the industry's output

d. Firms naturally maximize regardless of market structure

2) A(n) ____ is a single firm with ___, whereas a(n) ___ implies an industry with ____ firm(s) and ____ .

a. Monopoly; barriers to entry; oligopoly; few; no barriers to entry

b. Oligopoly; no barriers to entry; monopoly; many; easy entry and exit

c. Monopoly; barriers to entry; monopolistic competition; many; easy entry and exit

d. Monopolistic competitor; barriers to entry; monopoly; one; barriers to entry

3) In monopolistic competition:

a. Each firm produces a product identical to that of every other firm in the industry

b. Firms are aware of their strategic interdependence

c. Firms earn large economic profits in the long run

d. Firms earn zero economic profits in the long run

4) A monopolistically competitive industry, such as corn snack chips, and a perfectly competitive industry, like wheat farming, are alike in that:

a. There are many firms in each industry

b. Firms in both types of industries produce similar but not identical products

c. Barriers to entry in both industries are large

d. Firms in both types of industries produce identical products

1. if the government attempts to break up a natural monopoly to enforce competition in an industry

A. the average cost of producing the good will increase

B. the smallest firm will have a significant cost advantage over the larger, less efficient firms

C. the average cost of producing the good will decrease

D. the price paid by consumers will be expected to remain the same.

2. which statement is true?

A. the monopolistic competitor always makes a profit in the short run

B. the monopolistic competitor operates at peak efficiency

C. product differentiation takes place in the minds of the buyers

D. none of these statements is true

3. Price discrimination

A. occurs when a good or service is resold

B. is prohibited by law

C. occurs when a seller charges two or more prices for the same good or service

D. occurs when the seller charges different prices for different quality products

4. Monopolistic competition may lead to each of the following except

A. inefficiency

B. overdifferentiation

C. overcapacity

D. monopoly profits

5. In the long run in monopolistic competition

A. most firms are making a profit

B. the absence of entry barriers ensures that there are no profits

C. economies of scale ensure that there are no profits

D. most firms are losing money

6. Price discrimination means

A. charging different prices for identical goods that have identical production costs

B. paying wages according to race or sex rather than productivity

C. exploiting the working masses by charging the highest single price possible.

D. eliminating all costs so that only pure profits are realized

7. The definition of monopolistic competition includes

A. few firms and ease of entry and exit

B. few firms and barrieres to entry and exit

C. many firms and barriers to entry and exit

D. many firms and ease of entry and exit

8. Which statement is true?

A. there are many firms in a monopolistically competitive industry.

B. monopolistic competitors produce an identical product

C. in order for product differentiation to take place, there must be clear physical differences amont the products sold

D. none is true

9. Long-run equilibrium for firms in monopolistically competitive industries is similar to that for firms in perfect competition in that

A. price equals minimum possible average total cost

B. price equals marginal cost

C. marginal revenue equals average total cost

D. price equals average total cost

10. Which statement is false?

A. Oligopolies are illegal in most states

B. most oligopolies engage in outright collusion

C. Ford motor company is an oligopoly

D. none of these statements is false

If I were to open a business, I would choose the monopolistic competitive market.

Under monopolistic competition, with low barriers to entry and low capital requirements, firms are free to enter into or exit from the industry at any time. In addition, in monopolistic competition, large numbers of sellers offer closely related but not homogeneous products. This is the reason why each firm has a limited share of the market and has limited control over the market price. Thus, changes in one firm’s output have only a slight impact on market price or it also means that firms in monopolistic competition are price setters rather than price takers. In the short run, firms can make excess economic profits. However, as barriers to entry are low, other firms have an incentive to enter the market, increasing the competition, until overall economic profit is zero.

In order to yield the greatest profit, a firm engaged in monopolistic competition will focus on product quality, location, service, and advertising, since the major tool of competition is product differentiation. For example, if I opened a restaurant, the restaurant would have a menu with different dishes and different prices to other restaurants nearby and the prices of the dishes also would depend on its location, the food ingredients, the food quality, and the speed of service. With the purpose of gaining profit for the restaurant, I would try to be dynamically efficient, innovative and develop new ways to attract and retain local custom as well as maintain cost efficiency, which could keep the cost below the average profit.

I need a peer reply for this discussion and it should be 250 at least