Econ Exams and Quizzes – Flashcards
Unlock all answers in this set
Unlock answersquestion
Suppose that you prefer reading a book you already own to watching TV and that you prefer watching TV to listening to music. If these are your only three choices, what is the opportunity cost of reading?
answer
watching TV
question
Margo spends $10,000 on one year's college tuition. The opportunity cost of spending one year in college for Margo is:
answer
whatever she would have purchased with the $10,000 and whatever she would have earned had she not been in college.
question
A statement that says that the minimum wage should be increased is a(n):
answer
normative statement.
question
A normative statement deals with:
answer
what ought to be.
question
When building a model, economists:
answer
simplify reality in order to highlight what really matters.
question
Which of the following is true? The simple circular-flow diagram I. includes only the factor markets. II. is a simplified representation of the macroeconomy. III. inclues only the product markets.
answer
II only
question
Within the circular-flow diagram, the factor market is the place where:
answer
firms buy the resources they need for the production of goods and services.
question
In the circular-flow diagram, firms spend money to buy:
answer
resources in the factor market.
question
Suppose small business owners decide to spend less. How will this affect an economy?
answer
It will decrease the level of income of other people, because one person's spending becomes someone else's income.
question
An economic model:
answer
is a simplified version of reality used to understand real-world economic conditions.
question
For this economy, an increase in the quantity of capital goods produced without a corresponding decrease in the quantity of consumer goods produced:
answer
is represented by a movment from point E to point B.
question
Increases in resources or improvements in technology will tend to cause a society's production possibility frontier to:
answer
shift outward to the right.
question
(Table: Production Possibilities Schedule II) Examine the table Production Possibilities Schedule II. If the economy is producing at alternative X, the opportunity cost of producing at Y instead of X is _____ units of consumer goods per period.
answer
6
question
(Figure: Guns and Butter) Examine the figure Guns and Butter. On this figure, points A, B, E, and F:
answer
indicate combinations of guns and butter that society can produce using all of its factors efficiently.
question
The _____ illustrates the trade-offs facing an economy that produces only two goods.
answer
production possibility frontier
question
If the two countries specialize and trade, which of the choices below describes the countries' imports?
answer
Country B imports wheat. AND Country A imports textiles.
question
An economy is said to have a comparative advantage in the production of one good if it:
answer
has the lowest opportunity cost for producing a particular good.
question
Scenario: Countries A and B Two countries, A and B, produce two goods, wheat (W) and steel (S). Each has a linear production possibility frontier in both goods. If country A spends all of its available resources to produce wheat, it can produce 500 tons of wheat and 0 tons of steel. If it uses all of its resources to produce steel, it can produce 250 tons of steel and 0 tons of wheat. If country B spends all of its available resources producing wheat, it can produce 400 tons of wheat, and if it spends all of its resources on the production of steel, it can produce 400 tons of steel.(Scenario: Countries A and B) Examine the scenario Countries A and B. If each country devotes half of its resources to the production of wheat and half to the production of steel, then their combined production of wheat would be _____ and their combined production of steel would be _____.
answer
450; 325
question
(Table: Fish and Coconut Production Possibilities) Examine the table Fish and Coconut Production Possibilities. The table shows the maximum amount of fish and coconuts that Tom and Hank can produce if they produce only one good. Tom produces and consumes 9 fish and 2 coconuts, and Hank produces and consumes 3 fish and 2 coconuts. Now they decide to engage in trade. Which statement is incorrect?
answer
For both to become better off, each should specialize in the production of some good. However, because Hank is equally productive in both goods, it doesn't matter which good each specializes in.
question
Because of trade, a country may:
answer
consume outside its production possibility frontier.
question
If the slope is not the same between every pair of points, it is a _____.
answer
nonlinear curve
question
In a causal relationship, the value taken by the _____ directly influences or determines the value of the dependent variable.
answer
independent variable
question
The line along which values of the x-variable are measured is called the _____.
answer
horizontal axis or x-axis
question
The value of a negative number without the minus sign is called the _____.
answer
absolute value
question
Scarcity in economics means:
answer
we do not have sufficient resources to produce all of the goods and services we want.
question
The importance of an economic model is that it allows us to:
answer
focus on the effects of only one change at a time.
question
Keynesian economics stressed:
answer
the importance of total spending.
question
We have to make choices because:
answer
resources are scarce.
question
Alison is offered two jobs: one pays a salary of $45,000 per year and offers three weeks of vacation, while the other offer provides two weeks of vacation and a salary of $54,000. What is the opportunity cost for Alison if she chooses the job offer of $54,000?
answer
one week of vacation
question
Economists use models to explain real-life situations because:
answer
simplifications and assumptions often yield results that can help to explain the more difficult real-life situations.
question
Within the circular-flow diagram, the market for goods and services is the place where
answer
households buy the products they want.
question
A local grocery store benefits when a new furniture factory moves to town and hires workers because:
answer
the new jobs at the new factory will increase local incomes, some of which will be spent at the local grocery store.
question
Which statement is FALSE concerning the circular-flow diagram?
answer
Money flows from households to firms in exchange for the factors of production that households offer for sale.
question
In the circular-flow diagram:
answer
the flow of money going into each sector or market is equal to the flow of money coming out of that market or sector.
question
(Table: Production of Good Z and Good X in Urbanville) Examine the table Production of Good Z and Good X in Urbanville. If this represents the production possibility frontier and Urbanville is producing at combination C and moves to combination D, what is its opportunity cost of this move?
answer
15 of X
question
(Table: Production Possibilities Schedule I) Examine the table Production Possibilities Schedule I. The opportunity cost of producing the fourth unit of consumer goods is _____ units of capital goods.
answer
8
question
Assume an economy is operating on its production possibility frontier, which shows the production of military and civilian goods. If the output of military goods is increased, the output of civilian goods:
answer
must decrease.
question
If Farmer Sam MacDonald can produce 200 pounds of cabbages and 0 pounds of potatoes or 0 pounds of cabbages and 100 pounds of potatoes and he faces a linear production possibility frontier for his farm, the opportunity cost of producing an additional pound of potatoes is _____ pound(s) of cabbage.
answer
2
question
(Figure: Production Possibilities and Circular-Flow Diagram) Examine the figure Production Possibilities and Circular-Flow Diagram. Assume the two figures represent the same economy. Suppose that in the circular-flow diagram a significant increase in productivity occurs inside most of the firms. This results in a significant increase in the output of both coconuts and fish. If all other variables remain unchanged, then the adjustment in this economy would be best represented in the production possibilities figure by a movement from point A toward:
answer
point D (an outward shift of the entire curve).
question
Mark and Julie are going to sell brownies and cookies for their third annual fundraiser bake sale. In one day, Mark can make 40 brownies or 20 cookies, and Julie can make 15 brownies or 15 cookies. What is Mark's opportunity cost to produce one brownie?
answer
1/2 of a cookie
question
If countries engage in international trade:
answer
they will be consuming outside their production possibility frontiers.
question
Two countries, A and B, produce two goods, wheat (W) and steel (S). Each has a linear production possibility frontier in both goods. If country A spends all of its available resources to produce wheat, it can produce 500 tons of wheat and 0 tons of steel. If it uses all of its resources to produce steel, it can produce 250 tons of steel and 0 tons of wheat. If country B spends all of its available resources producing wheat, it can produce 400 tons of wheat, and if it spends all of its resources on the production of steel, it can produce 400 tons of steel. (Scenario: Countries A and B) Examine the scenario Countries A and B. If country B produces 300 tons of steel, how many tons of wheat can it produce?
answer
100
question
(Table: Comparative Advantage I) Examine the table Comparative Advantage I. Finland has a comparative advantage in producing:
answer
cell phones only.
question
Because of trade, a country may:
answer
consume outside its production possibility frontier.
question
The other things equal assumption allows economists to
answer
focus on the effects of only one change at a time.
question
A decrease in the price of butter would most likely decrease the demand for
answer
margarine.
question
(Table: The Demand for Chocolate-Covered Peanuts) Examine the table The Demand for Chocolate-Covered Peanuts. If George, Barbara, and Dan are the only three buyers in the market and the price of a bag of chocolate-covered peanuts is $0.50, the total market quantity demanded is _____ bags per month.
answer
210
question
A negative relationship between the quantity demanded of a good and its price is called the law of:
answer
demand.
question
Which statement will NOT cause an increase in demand for good X?
answer
a decrease in the price of good X
question
If the price of hamburger decreased, it would probably result in _____ in the demand for hamburger buns.
answer
an increase
question
An increase in the demand for steak will lead to an increase in which of the following?
answer
the supply of leather (a complement in production)
question
(Table: Supply of Lemonade) Examine the table Supply of Lemonade. If the price of lemonade is $1 per cup, the total quantity of lemonade supplied will be:
answer
90 cups.
question
If the price of mozzarella cheese (an ingredient in pizza) declines, there would be:
answer
an increase in the supply of pizza.
question
A technological advance in the production of automobiles will:
answer
increase the supply of automobiles.
question
(Table: The Market for Chocolate-Covered Peanuts) Examine the table The Market for Chocolate-Covered Peanuts. If the price of chocolate-covered peanuts is $0.60, the price will:
answer
not change.
question
Which of the following is certainly true if demand and supply increase at the same time?
answer
The equilibrium quantity will increase.
question
Consider two competing motorcycle manufacturers: Harley-Davidson and Honda. If Harley-Davidson raises the price of its motorcycles, one would expect to see:
answer
a shift to the right in the demand curve for Hondas and higher prices for Hondas.
question
Consider gas stations where customers pay inside before they pump gasoline. If they introduce a new technology where customers pay at the pump, thus decreasing production costs, there will be:
answer
a shift to the right in the supply curve and lower gas prices.
question
If tortilla chips are a normal good, what happens to equilibrium price and quantity when there is an increase in income?
answer
Equilibrium price increases and equilibrium quantity increases.
question
(Figure: Shifts in Demand and Supply II) Examine the figure Shifts in Demand and Supply II. The graph shows how supply and demand might shift in response to specific events. Suppose a drought destroys one-third of the nation's peanut crop. Which panel best describes how this will affect the market for peanuts?
answer
Panel C
question
The problem of determining what goods and services society should produce:
answer
exists because there are not enough resources to provide all of the goods and services that people want to purchase.
question
Keynesians argue that low levels of spending:
answer
can lead to prolonged recessions.
question
"Many economists agree that income taxes should be increased for rich people" is a positive statement.
answer
False
question
In the circular-flow diagram, an organization that produces goods or services for sale is a:
answer
Firm
question
The assumption that all factors remain constant except for the variables being studied is called:
answer
ceteris paribus.
question
A simplified version of reality that is used to understand economic situations is called a(n):
answer
model
question
(Table: Production Possibilities Schedule II) Examine the figure Production Possibilities Schedule II. The production of 14 units of consumer goods and 1 unit of capital goods per period would:
answer
result in some unused or inefficiently used resources.
question
If the production possibility frontier is a straight line, which statement is true?
answer
Opportunity costs are constant.
question
If Farmer Sam MacDonald can produce 200 pounds of cabbages and 0 pounds of potatoes or 0 pounds of cabbages and 100 pounds of potatoes and he faces a linear production possibility frontier for his farm, the opportunity cost of producing an additional pound of cabbage is _____ pound(s) of potatoes.
answer
1/2
question
If they spend all night writing computer programs, Laurence can write 10 programs whereas Carrie Anne can write 5. If they spend all night making sunglasses, Laurence can make 6 whereas Carrie Anne can make 4. Therefore:
answer
Laurence's opportunity cost of writing programs is less than that of Carrie Anne.
question
As long as individuals know that they can find the goods and services that they want in the market, they are willing to forgo being self-sufficient and are willing to specialize.
answer
True.
question
Which example illustrates the law of demand?
answer
Consumers buy more personal computers because prices have fallen.
question
Which statement best describes demand?
answer
A change in quantity demanded is a movement along the demand curve, and a change in demand is a shift in the demand curve.
question
Which statement will NOT cause an increase in demand for good X?
answer
a decrease in the price of good X
question
Assuming that pretzels are a substitute for popcorn, which statement would cause a decrease in the demand for pretzels?
answer
A higher price of popcorn
question
A farmer finds that when he produces more corn, he also has more corn stalks that he can sell as decorations. To the farmer, corn and corn stalks are:
answer
complements in production.
question
A decrease in supply can result from:
answer
an increase in the price of goods that are used in production.
question
Suppose the equilibrium price of good X is $25 and the equilibrium quantity is 124 units. If the price of good X is $2:
answer
there will be excess demand for good X.
question
An increase in the price of contact lenses will increase the supply of contact lenses.
answer
False
question
A shift of a demand curve to the right, all other things unchanged, will:
answer
increase equilibrium price and quantity.
question
A decrease in demand, with no change in supply, will lead to a(n) _____ in equilibrium quantity and a(n) _____ in equilibrium price.
answer
decrease; decrease
question
A new wonder diet that results in a dramatic weight loss sweeps through America. The key to the diet is to eat unlimited amounts of red meat (beef) but no poultry or carbohydrate-rich foods. As millions of Americans switch to the new diet, one would expect to see:
answer
an increase in the demand for beef, leading to a shift to the right in the demand curve for beef and higher beef prices.
question
Given a supply curve that is positively sloped and a demand curve for a normal good that is negatively sloped, an increase in income will most likely result in:
answer
an increase in equilibrium price and quantity.
question
For consumers, pizza and hamburgers are substitutes. A rise in the price of a pizza causes a _____ in the equilibrium price of a hamburger and a _____ in the equilibrium quantity of hamburgers.
answer
rise; rise
question
An increase in the demand for steak will lead to an increase in which of the following?
answer
the supply of leather (a complement in production)
question
The equilibrium price will rise, but equilibrium quantity may increase, descrease, or stay the same if
answer
demand increases and supply decreases.
question
An increase in the number of buyers and a technological advance will cause
answer
demand to increase and supply to increase.
question
Which of the following is true at equillibrium?
answer
The quantity demanded is the same as the quantity supplied.
question
A perfectly elastic demand curve is
answer
horizontal.
question
The demand for strawberry ice cream tends to be relatively price-elastic because:
answer
for most people there are many close substitutes for strawberry ice cream.
question
The price elasticity of demand along a demand curve with a constant slope:
answer
decreases in absolute value as quantity demanded rises.
question
The price elasticity of demand along a demand curve with a constant slope:
answer
increases in absolute value as the price rises.
question
If someone did not regard health care as very important, often using home remedies and other substitutes, compared to other people and holding all other things equal, his or her demand curve for health care would most likely be _____ over the relevant range of prices for health care.
answer
more price-elastic
question
If Kylie buys 200 units of good X when her income is $200,000 and 300 units of good X when her income increases up to $25,000, her income elasticity of demand, using the midpoint method is
answer
1.8
question
Disposable income refers to:
answer
household income and government transfers less taxes paid to the government.
question
A decrease in inventories is:
answer
a fall in investment spending that will lead to a drop in future sales.
question
Economists use models to explain real-life situations because:
answer
simplifications and assumptions often yield results that can help to explain the more difficult real-life situations.
question
Economic models often:
answer
vary greatly in assumptions and simplifications.
question
If the price of DVD players falls and the quantity of DVD players sold increases, which statement may have caused this change?
answer
Supply of DVD players shifts to the right.
question
An increase in demand for good X could be caused by a decrease in the price of X.
answer
False
question
If the price of hamburger decreased, it would probably result in _____ in the demand for hamburger buns.
answer
an increase
question
If the quantity of housing supplied in a community is greater than the quantity of houses demanded, the existing price:
answer
is above the market equilibrium price.
question
Suppose the price of e-Books is initially $20 but then decreases to $15. The absolute value of the percentage change in price (using the midpoint method) is approximately:
answer
28%
question
Suppose at a price of $10 the quantity demanded is 100. When the price falls to $8, the quantity demanded increases to 130. The price elasticity of demand between the prices of $10 and $8, using the midpoint method, is approximately:
answer
1.17
question
The substitution effect always involves a change in consumption in the _____ the _____ change.
answer
opposite direction to; price
question
Suppose the price of gasoline increases 10% and quantity of gasoline demanded in Orlando drops 5% per day. Demand for gasoline in Orlando is:
answer
price inelastic.
question
The price elasticity of demand for cabbage has been estimated to be 0.25. If an insect infestation destroys 20% of the nation's cabbage crop (and thus reduces supply), how will that affect total expenditures on cabbage, all other things equal?
answer
Total expenditures will rise.
question
Demand for Wendy's hamburgers is more inelastic than the demand for all fast food.
answer
False.
question
An example of a government transfer is a(n):
answer
Social Security payment.
question
Which is NOT included in investment spending in the national income accounts?
answer
the purchase of stocks and bonds by a business
question
A stock in a company is:
answer
a share of ownership of a company held by a shareholder.
question
The total income households have after paying taxes and receiving government transfers is called:
answer
disposable income.
question
If a dcrease in price from $2 to $1 causes an increase in quantity demanded from 100 to 120, using the midpoint method, price elasticity of demand equals
answer
0.27
question
Which of the following is likely to have the highest price elasticity of demand?
answer
Foreign travel
question
Total revenue is maximized when demand is
answer
unit-elastic
question
Despite the fact that some people are irrational, why do economists continue to assume that people behave rationally?
answer
Because people will behave rationally in most markets
question
The tendency for people to be overconfident explains why:
answer
they tend to procrastinate.
question
Joshua is tired of school and his part-time job and decides on the spur of the moment to take a weekend trip to Cabo San Lucas. He pays for it with his credit card rather than with money from his checking account. Which type of irrational behavior does this best represent?
answer
mental accounting
question
If a person engages in mental accounting, he or she:
answer
values some dollars more than others.
question
The process of assigning different values to dollars in different accounts is known as:
answer
mental accounting.
question
The optimal consumption bundle is always represented by a point
answer
on the consumer's budget line.
question
Which statement is true?
answer
Utility maximization requires seeking the most utility from a given budget.
question
The amount by which total utility rises when an additional slice of pie is consumed is called:
answer
marginal utility.
question
Resources are being used efficiently when:
answer
every opportunity to make people better off without making others worse off has been utilized.
question
Which is an example of a positive statement?
answer
The federal government pays for 46% of U.S. health care costs.
question
The circular-flow diagram illustrates how firms _____ goods and services and _____ factors of production.
answer
sell; buy
question
Technological improvements will:
answer
shift the production possibility frontier outward.
question
An ambiguous change in price and a decrease in quantity are most likely caused by:
answer
a shift to the left in supply and a shift to the left in demand.
question
If peanut butter is an inferior good, what would happen to the price and quantity sold of peanut butter as incomes fall during an economic recession?
answer
The price and quantity would both increase.
question
If goods A and B are substitutes, a decrease in the price of good B will:
answer
decrease the demand for good A.
question
The demand for meals at a local Applebee's will shift to the left if:
answer
the Olive Garden offers a 10% discount coupon in the local newspaper.
question
The price elasticity of demand for gasoline in the short run has been estimated to be 0.4. If a war in the Middle East causes the price of oil (from which gasoline is made) to increase, how will that affect total revenue from gasoline in the short run, all other things unchanged?
answer
Quantity demanded will decrease; total revenue will rise.
question
If a good is a luxury item that looms large in the household budget, then, all else equal, demand will tend to:
answer
be more price-elastic.
question
Private saving by households is:
answer
the portion of disposable income not spent on goods and services.
question
Learning effects often result in _____ marginal costs.
answer
decreasing
question
If at a given quantity _____, the decision maker should do _____ of the activity.
answer
MB ; MC; less
question
Whenever marginal benefit is less than marginal cost, the decision maker should do _____ of the activity.
answer
less.
question
Marginal analysis is relevant for:
answer
only "how much" decisions.
question
A person with loss aversion:
answer
has a hard time recognizing "losing" investments and moving on.
question
Lucy bought some stock 10 years ago that has been priced at half of her purchase price for the past 5 years. However, Lucy refuses to sell the stock, thinking that if she waits long enough, she will recover her investment. What type of irrational behavior does this represent?
answer
loss aversion
question
Status quo bias is the tendency to avoid making a decision and sticking with the status quo.
answer
True.
question
Which statement is an example of bounded rationality?
answer
Tim studies only an hour on the morning of his economics exam because he is satisfied just to make a passing grade.
question
The tendency to avoid making a decision is:
answer
status quo bias.
question
Brad spends all of his income on two goods: cameras and coffee. He is purchasing the optimal consumption bundle that maximizes his utility given his budget constraint. At the optimal consumption bundle, which statement is correct?
answer
If the price of cameras is equal to the price of coffee, then the marginal utility of cameras is equal to the marginal utility of coffee.
question
As Jake consumes more turkey relative to mashed potatoes, the _____ of turkey eventually decreases.
answer
marginal utility
question
Scenario: Tom's Budget Constraint Tom is trying to decide how to allocate his $50 budget for music downloads and online movie streaming when the price of a music download is $1 and the price of a movie is $5.(Scenario: Tom's Budget Constraint) Examine the scenario Tom's Budget Constraint. Which combination of music downloads and movies lies OUTSIDE Tom's budget line?
answer
50 music downloads and 10 movies
question
Why would decision makers choose an option that doesn't give them the best possible economic payoff?
answer
All of the above
question
Generally, each successive unit of a good consumed will cause marginal utility to
answer
decrease.
question
Which of the following would be an expample of irrational behavior?
answer
Ignoring opportunity cost in your calculation of economic cost
question
Kookie's friends give her gift cards that she forgets to use before they expire. Howerever, she is very careful about how she spends her cash. Kookie has made which of the following mistakes in economic decision making?
answer
Counting dollars unequally
question
Allocating kidneys to those with the highest net benefit (where net benefit is measured as the expected increase in life span from transplant) is an attempt to maximize
answer
consumer surplus.
question
The total producer surplus for a good can be calculated by all of these calculations EXCEPT:
answer
the area below the supply curve for the good up to the quantity of the good sold
question
Which of the follwing is true regarding equity and efficiency in competitive markets?
answer
There is often a trade-off between equity and efficiency.
question
The lack of property rights and inaccuracy of prices as economic signals often lead to:
answer
market failure.
question
The opportunity cost of something is:
answer
what is given up to acquire it.
question
Which is an example of a positive statement?
answer
The federal government pays for 46% of U.S. health care costs.
question
If macroeconomic policy has been successful over time, it is likely that the economy has not seen:
answer
any severe recessions
question
Economic models often:
answer
vary greatly in assumptions and simplifications.
question
A decrease in supply means:
answer
a shift to the left of the entire supply curve.
question
Equilibrium quantity will always increase if:
answer
supply and demand both increase.
question
Assuming that hardcover books are a normal good, which statement could cause a decrease in demand for hardcover books?
answer
A decrease in incomes
question
Assuming that ice cream is a normal good, which statement could cause an increase in the demand for ice cream?
answer
An increase in the price of substitutes for ice cream, such as frozen yogurt
question
Suppose at a price of $10 the quantity demanded is 100. When the price falls to $8, the quantity demanded increases to 130. The price elasticity of demand (using the midpoint formula) between the prices of $10 and $8 is approximately:
answer
1.17
question
On a linear demand curve, demand at lower prices will be:
answer
price-inelastic.
question
The demand for agricultural output is price inelastic. This means that if farmers, taken collectively, have a bumper crop, they will experience:
answer
lower prices, greater quantities sold, and lower incomes.
question
Juan spends all of his income on baseball cards and candy. At his current consumption bundle, the marginal utility of baseball cards is 20 and the marginal utility of candy is 10. Assuming that diminishing marginal utility applies to both goods, the price of baseball cards is $10, and the price of candy is $2:
answer
Juan should increase his consumption of candy and decrease his consumption of baseball cards.
question
The amount by which an additional unit of an activity increases total benefit is:
answer
marginal benefit.
question
Equilibrium in the market for peanut butter is disturbed by an increase in the price of peanuts. Producer surplus in the peanut butter market:
answer
may change, but it is impossible to tell if it will increase or decrease.
question
Gehrig is willing to pay $90 for a cap made of raccoon skin. Suppose he finds such a cap for $71 on eBay. If Gehrig buys the cap for $71, he will have an individual consumer surplus of $71.
answer
False.
question
Suppose a competitive market has a downward-sloping demand curve and a horizontal supply curve. If the supply curve shifts downward, what will happen to equilibrium price, equilibrium quantity, consumer surplus, and producer surplus?
answer
decrease, increase, increase, no change
question
Total surplus is the excess of consumer surplus over producer surplus.
answer
False
question
Externalities are side effects on the welfare of others not involved in the production or consumption of a good or service that markets don't take into account.
answer
True
question
Which statement would cause total surplus to fall with certainty?
answer
There was a decrease in demand or a decrease in supply.
question
At market equilibrium in a competitive market, which of the follow is necessarily true? I. Consumer surplus is maximized. II. Producer surplus is maximized. III. Total surplus is maximized.
answer
III Only
question
Which of the folowing is an example of the failure of a system of property rights to assign ownership to the appropriate party? I. The ability of one student to sell a used textbook to another student. II. The ability of some fishermen to fish as much as they wish in open waters. III. The ability of a car salesman to make a sale to an interestd buyer.
answer
III Only
question
Allocating kidneys to those with the highest net benefit (where net benefit is measured as the expected increase in life span from transplant) is an attempt to maximize
answer
consumer surplus.
question
Which of the following defines the short run?
answer
when at least one input is fixed
question
In the long run:
answer
the firm has time to change the level of all inputs.
question
The marginal product of labor is the change in:
answer
total output divided by the change in the quantity of labor.
question
There are diminishing returns to an input when:
answer
an increase in the quantity of the input used, holding other factors constant, leads to a decline in its marginal product.
question
Which of the following is correct?
answer
AVC= ATC-AFC
question
If ATC is equal to MC, then the firm is operating:
answer
at the minimum point of ATC.
question
The curve that shows the additional cost of each additional unit of output is called the:
answer
marginal cost curve.
question
A firm is at the minimum of its short run average cost curve, but also experiencing diseconomies of scale. A permanent increase in output will:
answer
increase average total cost in the long run.
question
A firm finds that its long-run average total costs increase as it produces more output. This firm is experiencing:
answer
diseconomies of scale.
question
When long-run average total cost is constant as output increases, the firm is experiencing constant returns to scale.
answer
True
question
A firm that has diminishing returns in the management's ability to use and disseminate information as it increases production in the long run best represents:
answer
diseconomies of scale.
question
If the value of homes in University City increases, and as a result, the people of University City spend more, incomes in University City will:
answer
increase.
question
Suppose Indiana produces only steel and corn, with fixed amounts of land, labor, and capital resources. Which situation best creates potential economic growth?
answer
The percentage of Indiana residents with a college degree rises from 25% to 30%.
question
The demand curve for running shoes has shifted to the right. What could have caused it?
answer
an increase in the income of buyers of running shoes
question
Good X and good Y are related goods. If the price of good X increases and the demand curve for good Y shifts left, these goods are:
answer
complements.
question
A share in the ownership of a company held by a shareholder is considered a(n):
answer
stock
question
A Giffen good is NOT correctly described by which statement?
answer
A Giffen good must be such that the substitution effect outweighs the income effect for an inferior good.
question
Suzy knows she has maximized her utility, because she is on her budget constraint and:
answer
MUCameras/PCameras = MUCoffee/PCoffee.
question
Which good is most likely to display increasing marginal utility over some range?
answer
paint, because you need it in an amount sufficient to paint at least one entire room
question
Tara notices that studying for one hour after class increases her economics grade by 11 points. The second hour yields a 7-point gain, the third hour yields a 4-point gain, and the fourth hour yields only a 1-point gain. This means that the marginal _____ of studying decreases with study hours.
answer
benefit.
question
Equilibrium in the market for peanut butter is disturbed by an increase in the price of peanuts. Producer surplus in the peanut butter market:
answer
may change, but it is impossible to tell if it will increase or decrease.
question
Christine has a linear demand curve for candy. If she wants to see her consumer surplus _____, she would like to see a _____ in the market price of candy.
answer
increase; decrease
question
Diminishing marginal returns means that:
answer
each additional unit of an input used will increase output, but by smaller and smaller amounts.
question
A factor of production whose quantity can be changed during the short run is a(n):
answer
variable factor of production.
question
The short run is the period of time in which:
answer
at least one input is fixed.
question
The total product curve:
answer
will become flatter as output increases if there are diminishing returns to the variable input.
question
If two firms are identical in all respects except that one has more fixed input capital than another, the marginal product curve for the firm with more capital:
answer
will lie above the marginal product curve for the firm with less capital.
question
In some complex production processes (such as nuclear power plants), some inputs have to be treated as being fixed even in the long run.
answer
False
question
In the short run, when a firm adds physical capital, labor will become more productive.
answer
True
question
In the long run, when a firm adds physical capital, its variable cost will decrease.
answer
True
question
If a firm has to increase output suddenly to meet an increase in demand, its average total cost will decrease in the short run until it has time to add physical capital.
answer
False
question
The slope of the total product curve is also known as
answer
marginal product.
question
Historically, the limits imposed by diminishing returns have been alleviated by
answer
investment in capital.
question
The slope of the total cost curve equals
answer
Marginal cost.
question
Which of the following is an example of physical capital?
answer
welding equipment
question
When a firm is a perfect competitor in the product market, its demand curve for labor will _____ as the _____ declines as additional workers are hired.
answer
slope downward; marginal product
question
Using standard economic theory, Scientific Superconductors should continue hiring workers until:
answer
MPL × P = wage.
question
Derived demand for a factor means:
answer
the demand for factors depends on what the factor can produce.
question
Which group of U.S. workers had the highest median earnings in 2011?
answer
White Males
question
The equilibrium value of the marginal product of a factor is the additional value produced by the _____ unit of that factor employed in the factor market as a whole.
answer
last.
question
People who have higher levels of human capital will tend to:
answer
receive higher salaries than those who have lower levels of human capital.
question
Actual wage differentials can be partially explained by which example?
answer
differences in talent, different amounts of human capital, and compensating differentials
question
One reason that wage discrimination based on gender or ethnicity could continue is:
answer
the existence of higher than equilibrium wages due to market interference or market failure.
question
An increase in the wage rate will
answer
cause an upward movement along the labor supply curve.
question
A lower wage:
answer
has an income effect that is always negative with respect to the quantity of labor supplied.
question
The _____ effect of a _____ wage causes individuals to substitute _____.
answer
substitution, higher; labor for leisure
question
Leisure is considered a normal good, because people:
answer
consume more of it when their incomes rise.
question
Jim being paid $7.25 an hour to work at a restaurant is an example in the circular flow of a:
answer
household selling a resource in the factor market.
question
The economy's factors of production are not equally suitable for producing different types of goods. This notion generates:
answer
the law of increasing opportunity cost.
question
Assuming that yarn and knitting needles are complements, which statement would cause an increase in the demand for yarn?
answer
A lower price of knitting needles
question
An increase in the price of wheat, an important ingredient in the production of bread, combined with an increase in the number of people consuming bread, will result in which change in the bread market?
answer
Equilibrium price will increase, but equilibrium quantity may decrease, increase, or stay the same.
question
The person who is usually credited with developing national income accounts is:
answer
Simon Kuznets.
question
If the price of burritos increases from $4 to $6 and customers decrease their consumption from 20 to 10 burritos, what is the price elasticity of demand (using the midpoint method)?
answer
5/3
question
Costs that are included in the economic concept of cost but that are not explicit costs are:
answer
implicit costs.
question
Economists' and psychologists' attempts to understand and explain why people make decisions that appear to be irrational is the field of study called:
answer
behavioral economics.
question
If the technology of producing peanuts improves and the demand for peanuts is downward sloping, total surplus in the peanut butter market:
answer
will increase.
question
Maximum total surplus in the market for chocolate occurs when:
answer
the market is in equilibrium.
question
When marginal cost is below average variable cost, average variable cost must be:
answer
falling.
question
In economics, the short run is defined as:
answer
the period in which some inputs are considered to be fixed in quantity.
question
The Bountiful Bakery is considering hiring another pastry chef. The bakery knows the average product of its chefs is 15 dozen croissants per day. It also believes that the next chef hired will produce an extra 12 dozen croissants per day. A dozen croissants sell for $30. The bakery should hire another worker:
answer
only if the new chef's daily wage is $360 or less.
question
Although horses were once a very important factor of production, the development of automobiles and other machinery reduced the demand for their use. This is an example of:
answer
technological progress shifting the demand for horses to the left.
question
The marginal productivity theory of income distribution says that:
answer
each factor is paid the equilibrium value of the output generated by the last unit of that factor employed in the factor market as a whole.
question
Sam and Bob are both policemen with the same educational background. Both have been policemen in Memphis for 10 years. Sam works from 11 at night until 7 in the morning, and Bob works from 7 in the morning until 3 in the afternoon. Sam's salary as a policeman is $800 per month higher than Bob's salary. This is an example of a wage disparity due to:
answer
compensating differentials.
question
Wage differences across jobs that reflect the fact that some jobs are less pleasant than others are called compensating differentials.
answer
True.
question
One example of a situation in which employers can sometimes organize to pay lower wages is when:
answer
health maintenance organizations organize to get groups of doctors to work together at lower wages than they would earn on their own.
question
An important assumption underlying the marginal productivity theory of income distribution is that:
answer
factor markets are perfectly competitive.
question
Assume that Stan just received a promotion and raise. In terms of labor supply, the substitution effect of a higher wage will:
answer
lead him to supply more hours of labor.
question
A labor market in which there is only one firm hiring labor is called an oligopoly.
answer
false.
question
Which of the following sources of wage differences is/are consistent with the marginal productivity theory of income distribution? I. talent II. discrimination III. efficiency wages
answer
I only.
question
Factor market demand is called derived demand because it
answer
is derived from the product market
question
An increase in the wage rate will
answer
cause an upward movement along the labor supply curve.
question
Which of the following will cause you to work more as your wage decreases? I. the income effect II. the substitution effect III. a desire for leisure
answer
I only
question
Which of the following is true for a perfectly competitive industry? I. There are many firms, each with a large market share. II. The firms in the industry produce a standardized product. III. There are barriers to entry and exit.
answer
II only
question
The market for soft drinks, which is dominated by Coca Cola and Pepsi, is best considered to be:
answer
an oligopoly.
question
The Herfindahl-Hirschman Index is a measure of concentration found by:
answer
squaring the percentage market share of each firm in the industry and then summing the squared market shares.
question
The market structure that is characterized by only a small number of producers is referred to as a(n):
answer
oligopoly.
question
Market structures are categorized by which two criteria?
answer
the number of firms and whether or not products are differentiated
question
Which of the following is correct for a perfectly competitive firm? I. The marginal revenue curve is the demand curve. II. The firm maximizes profit when price equals marginal cost. III. The demand curve is horizontal.
answer
I, II, and III
question
For a perfectly competitive firm in the short run, if the firm produces the quantity at which:
answer
P ; ATC, then the firm is profitable.
question
If the price is greater than average total cost at the profit-maximizing quantity of output in the short run, a perfectly competitive firm will:
answer
produce at a profit.
question
In the short run, if P ; ATC, a perfectly competitive firm:
answer
produces output and earns an economic profit.
question
In the short run, a perfectly competitive firm produces output and earns an economic profit if:
answer
P ; ATC.
question
A firm should continue to produce in the short run as long as price is at least equal to
answer
minimum ATC.
question
If the price is less than the average variable cost at the quantity of output where MR = MC, then in the short run, a perfectly competitive firm will:
answer
shut down production.
question
In the long run, a perfectly competitive firm will earn?
answer
zero econmomic profit.
question
In perfectly competitive long-run equilibrium:
answer
all firms produce at the minimum point of their average total cost curves.
question
When a perfectly competitive industry is in long-run equilibrium, its firms:
answer
allocate all of their resources efficiently.
question
Suppose that the market for candy canes operates under conditions of perfect competition, that it is initially in long-run equilibrium, that the price of each candy cane is $0.10, and that the market demand curve is downward sloping. Now suppose that the price of sugar rises, increasing the marginal and average total cost of producing candy canes by $0.05; there are no other changes in production costs. Based on the information given, once all of the adjustments to long-run equilibrium have been made, the price of candy canes will equal:
answer
$0.15
question
The long-run industry supply curve will:
answer
be more elastic than the short-run industry supply curve.
question
A college student is faced with a difficult decision of how to spend one hour tonight. She could babysit her professor's child at an hourly wage of $7, she could work at the college library at a wage of $6, or she could finish her economics homework assignment. If she chooses to complete her homework assignment, she has incurred an opportunity cost equal to:
answer
$7
question
Consider the supply curve for cotton shirts. An increase in the price of cotton will:
answer
decrease the supply of cotton shirts.
question
The price elasticity of demand is measured by:
answer
dividing the percentage change in quantity demanded by the percentage change in price.
question
Marginal cost can be calculated as:
answer
TC/Q, where TC is total cost and Q is output; VC/Q, where VC is variable cost and Q is output; and as the slope of the total cost curve.
question
In the United States in the early twenty-first century, 70% of total income, by far the largest share, took the form of:
answer
compensation of employees.
question
A firm's demand curve for labor is:
answer
the downward-sloping portion of its value of the marginal product curve.
question
To calculate the Herfindahl-Hirschman Index, one must:
answer
sum the squared market shares of all firms in the industry.
question
In a perfectly competitive industry, each firm:
answer
produces a standardized product.
question
A monopolistically competitive industry is characterized by a:
answer
large number of firms producing similar products, with relatively easy entry for firms.
question
A monopolistically competitive industry, such as corn snack chips, and a perfectly competitive industry, such as wheat farming, are alike in that:
answer
there are many firms in each industry.
question
An oligopoly may result from:
answer
increasing returns to scale in the industry.
question
In perfect competition:
answer
a firm's total revenue is found by multiplying the market price by the firm's quantity of output.
question
If a perfectly competitive firm is producing a quantity where P ; MC, then the firm can increase profit by:
answer
increasing production.
question
The marginal revenue received by a firm in a perfectly competitive market:
answer
is equal to its average revenue.
question
In the short run, if a perfectly competitive firm chooses to produce, then its profits are maximized by producing the quantity of output where marginal cost equals marginal revenue.
answer
True.
question
If a perfectly competitive firm is producing a quantity where P = MC, then profit:
answer
is maximized.
question
In the short run, a perfectly competitive firm produces output and incurs an economic loss if:
answer
AVC ; P ; ATC.
question
The horizontal sum of individual firms' MC curves is the:
answer
short-run industry supply curve.
question
In long-run equilibrium in a perfectly competitive market, all firms will be operating at the same level of marginal cost.
answer
True
question
In perfect competition, a change in fixed cost will:
answer
encourage entry or exit in the long run so that price will change enough to leave firms earning zero profits.
question
If firms are experiencing economic losses in the short run, firms will leave the industry, industry output will _____, and economic losses will _____ in the long run.
answer
fall; fall
question
A firm is profitable if
answer
ATC<P.
question
If a firm has a total cost of $200, its profic-maximizing level of output is 10 units, and it is breaking even (that is, earning a normal profit), what is the market price?
answer
$20
question
Which of the following is true for an oligopoly? I. There are a few firms, each with a large market share. II. The firms in the industry are interdependent. III. The industry experiences diseconomies of scale.
answer
I and II only
question
Because of monopoly, consumers experience _____ than with perfect competition.
answer
higher prices
question
If a monopolist is producing a quantity that generates MC = P, then profit:
answer
can be increased by decreasing production.
question
Which of the following is most likely to be higher for a regulated natural monopoly than for an unregulated natural monopoly?
answer
quantity
question
In an industry characterized by extensive economies of scale:
answer
large companies are more profitable than small companies.
question
If the regulation of a monopoly results in a price equal to marginal cost but the price is below average total cost:
answer
the firm will require subsidization or it will go out of business.
question
If a monopoly market structure was transformed into a perfectly competitive one, one would find that price would _____ and output would _____.
answer
fall; increase
question
Price discrimination
answer
can lead to increased efficiency in the market.
question
The city bus system charges lower fares to senior citizens than to other passengers. Assuming that this pricing strategy increases the profits of the bus system, one can conclude that senior citizens must have a _____ for bus service than other passengers.
answer
more elastic demand
question
Scenario: A Small-Town Monopolist A monopolist sells cable subscriptions in a small town and finds that it can sell 100 subscriptions when the price is $15 a week and an additional 75 subscriptions when the price is $10 a week. The MC for the provision of the cable is $5 a week. There are no fixed costs.(Scenario: A Small-Town Monopolist) Use the information from the scenario A Small-Town Monopolist. If the company is allowed to offer different prices for its good, what is the maximum amount of profit this company can earn?
answer
$1,375
question
The motivation for a monopolist to engage in price discrimination is to:
answer
enhance its profitability.
question
Alison has a linear production possibility frontier in the production of bracelets and necklaces. In one hour, she can produce 5 bracelets or 10 necklaces. What is the opportunity cost for her to make one necklace?
answer
1/2 bracelet
question
The market demand for singing dolls is initially made up of 50 buyers. Suppose the number of buyers decreases by 10. Holding everything else constant, one would expect the:
answer
quantity supplied to decrease.
question
If the price of corn rises, one would expect:
answer
the quantity of corn supplied to rise.
question
A rancher in Oklahoma decides to raise the price of her beef by 19% over the prevailing market price. If the demand for beef is perfectly elastic, this rancher's quantity demanded will:
answer
fall to 0.
question
Jane is a utility-maximizing consumer who is consuming the optimal quantity of wallets and eyeglasses and spending her entire budget. The price of wallets falls. Jane will:
answer
increase her consumption of wallets if wallets are a normal good, as the income effect reinforces the substitution effect.
question
Marginal benefit:
answer
is the addition to total benefit due to undertaking one more unit of an activity.
question
Mary goes ahead and buys a new car because she expects to receive a 10% increase in her salary next year. What type of irrational behavior does this best represent?
answer
overconfidence
question
Suppose Jon pays $8 to see Tom Cruise in his next movie. Suppose Mr. Cruise receives $21 million to work in this movie. This means that:
answer
Jon and Tom Cruise benefited from this transaction.
question
In the short run, the average total cost curve slopes upward because of:
answer
diminishing returns.
question
In the long run:
answer
the firm has time to change the level of all inputs.
question
When each factor is paid an amount equal to the value of the marginal product of the last unit of that factor employed in the factor market as a whole, this is referred to as:
answer
the marginal productivity theory of income distribution.
question
Lisa works 46 hours a week at a wage of $10 an hour. If her wage increases to $16.50, then:
answer
if leisure is a normal good, the income effect implies that she will work less.
question
Zoe's Bakery operates in a perfectly competitive industry and has standard shaped cost curves. The variable costs at Zoe's Bakery increase, so all of the cost curves (with the exception of fixed cost) shift upward. The demand for Zoe's pastries does not change, nor does the firm shut down. To maximize profits after the variable cost increase, Zoe's Bakery will _____ its price and _____ its level of production.
answer
do nothing to; decrease
question
A perfectly competitive firm will incur an economic loss but will continue to produce a positive quantity of output in the short run if the price is:
answer
greater than average variable cost and less than average total cost.
question
If a monopolist is producing a quantity that generates MC ; MR, then profit:
answer
can be increased by increasing production.
question
A monopolist responds to an increase in marginal cost by _____ price and _____ output.
answer
increasing; decreasing
question
A monopolist's marginal cost curve shifts up, but the firm's demand curve remains the same and the firm does not shut down. Compared to the condition before the increase in marginal costs, the monopolist will _____ its price and _____ its level of production.
answer
raise; decrease
question
A monopolist responds to an increase in demand by _____ price and _____ output.
answer
increasing; increasing
question
Because monopoly firms are price-setters, they:
answer
deadweight; reduced
question
When a monopolist practices price discrimination, the monopolist's profits will decrease compared to the monopolist's profits in a single-price monopoly.
answer
False
question
Price discrimination is the practice of:
answer
charging different prices to buyers of the same good.
question
Price discrimination can never occur in oligopoly.
answer
False
question
When a monopolist practices price discrimination, compared to a single-price monopolist, monopoly profits will:
answer
Increase.
question
Which of the following markets is an example of a regulated natural monopoly?
answer
local cable TV
question
A price discriminating monopolist will charge a higher price to consumers with
answer
a more inelastic demand
question
Which of the following government actions is the most common for a natural monopoly in the United States?
answer
use price regulation
question
Which strategy is a form of strategic behavior defined as behavior intended to influence the future actions of other players?
answer
tit-for-tat strategy
question
Based on your reading about oligopoly in this section, firms in which the following firms have been prosectued for creating illegal cartel?
answer
all of the above
question
Which characteristic makes an industry more conducive to collusive behavior?
answer
Firms in the industry are operating at a maximum productive capacity that cannot be easily altered in the short run.
question
Market power in the United States was often gained in the latter part of the nineteenth century by:
answer
forming trusts.
question
As a New York businessperson who does a lot of flying, Jared is keenly aware of even small changes in airfare from New York to Chicago. He has flown this route long enough to know that each airline is essentially a perfect substitute for the others. He notices that every time the largest airline changes the price, smaller airlines follow, but the smaller airlines are always priced slightly below the fare of the largest airline. This industry could best be described as one with:
answer
price leadership.
question
What makes it more difficult for oligopolistic firms to enforce tacit collusion?
answer
Having large enterprises as buyers of the products supplied by the oligopoly
question
In which of the following market structures will individual firms advertise? I. perfect competitionII. oilgopolyIII. monopolistic competition
answer
II and III only
question
Which statement is correct about celebrity spokespersons advertising products?
answer
Celebrity advertising signals consumers that the product is reliable, because the firm is willing to pay the high fees associated with hiring a celebrity.
question
Many customers will walk right past a diner that serves shade-grown coffee and go to Starbucks, where they pay more for a cup of shade grown java. For these customers, cups of coffee are differentiated by:
answer
quality.
question
Among the drawbacks of brand names is the fact that they:
answer
may encourage the consumption of expensive substitutes for generic items.
question
Budweiser is a brand name that many people recognize. During the Super Bowl each year, this beer company has many of the most successful ads. Which statement is true about advertising for Budweiser?
answer
It is designed to increase the demand for Budweiser.
question
The effect of a tremendous natural disaster can be shown by:
answer
an inward shift of the production possibility frontier.
question
Households derive income from all EXCEPT:
answer
imports.
question
In the long run, all of the firms in a perfectly competitive industry will:
answer
produce at an output level at which average total cost equals marginal cost.
question
In the short run, a firm will produce as long as the price is greater than its:
answer
AVC.
question
When firms price-discriminate, people with _____ price elasticity of demand will pay _____ prices relative to those purchasing the same product who have a _____ price elasticity of demand.
answer
lower; higher; higher
question
An extreme case of oligopoly in which firms collude to raise joint profits is known as a:
answer
cartel
question
A strategy of tit-for-tat involves playing cooperatively at first, then doing whatever the other player did the previous period.
answer
True
question
Across most industries, oligopoly is far more common than either perfect competition or monopoly.
answer
True
question
The law enacted in 1890 which was intended to prevent the creation of more monopolies and to break up existing ones in the United States was the:
answer
Sherman Antitrust Act.
question
If Coke is able to use price discrimination successfully, some customers may be willing to pay more for a Coke than another very similar soda.
answer
True
question
Tacit collusion is less likely to occur in an industry with 3 firms than in an industry with 10 firms.
answer
False
question
General Snacks is a typical firm in a market characterized by the model of monopolistic competition. If the market is in long-run equilibrium, then the price General Snacks charges for its snack goods would:
answer
equal average total cost.
question
Firms in monopolistic competition can acquire some market power:
answer
by using price competition.
question
All advertising is clearly a waste of resources.
answer
False
question
A monopolistically competitive firm is limited in the price it can set by the competition it faces from other existing and potential firms that produce close substitutes.
answer
True
question
Budweiser is a brand name that many people recognize. During the Super Bowl each year, this beer company has many of the most successful ads. Which statement is true about advertising for Budweiser?
answer
It is designed to increase the demand for Budweiser.
question
Which of the following best describes a monopolistic competitor's demand curve?
answer
downward sloping
question
An agreement among several producers to restrict output and increase profit is necessary for
answer
a cartel.
question
Based on your reading about oligopoly in this section, firms in which the following firms have been prosecuted for creating illegal cartel?
answer
all of the above
question
The Coase theorem asserts that, in the right circumstances, inefficiencies created by externalities can be dealt with through
answer
private bargaining
question
One example of a source of external benefits is
answer
technology spillover
question
In order to encourage consumption of a good that generates positive externalities, the best option for policymakers would be to: Answer
answer
provide a subsidy per unit of the good consumed in order to achieve the socially optimal level.
question
When an activity such as education generates a positive externality, the:
answer
market demand curve is below the marginal social benefit curve.
question
Which of the following types of goods are always nonviral in consumption?
answer
Public Goods
question
Although most citizens have access to police protection, they also take measures, such as putting locks on their doors, to protect themselves. For most citizens police protection is a(n) _____ good, whereas self-protection is a(n) _____ good.
answer
public; private
question
A characteristic of public goods is that:
answer
their benefits cannot be withheld from anyone, regardless of whether a person pays for them.
question
Bluefin tuna travel in schools throughout the world's oceans. Fishing boats from many nations harvest bluefin tuna as the schools migrate through their national waters. The schools of bluefin tuna are best described as a(n):
answer
a common resource.
question
An individual is MORE likely to be a free-rider when a good is:
answer
nonexcludable.
question
Which of the following is true of the U.S. poverty rate?
answer
It fell in the 1960's
question
A factor that has been associated with the increase in income inequality in the United States is:
answer
the growth in technology.
question
Food stamps, Medicaid, and housing subsidies are all examples of:
answer
in-kind transfers.
question
Unemployment insurance is a(n):
answer
monetary transfer that is not means-tested.
question
People may be uninsured for all of these reasons EXCEPT:
answer
they are too old to qualify for health insurance.
question
Trade can be beneficial to an economy because:
answer
more goods and services can be obtained at a lower opportunity cost.
question
The _____ tomatoes will decrease if fertilizer prices rise.
answer
supply of
question
The price of popcorn is $0.50 per box and the price of peanuts is $0.25 per bag, and Eddie has $10 to spend on both goods. The maximum number of bags of peanuts that he can purchase is:
answer
40
question
The long run is a planning period:
answer
over which a firm can consider all inputs as variable.
question
The broccoli market is perfectly competitive. This means that the price of broccoli is _____ than the price would be if the market were monopolistically competitive, and broccoli output is _____ than if it were monopolistically competitive.
answer
lower; greater
question
Monopolistically competitive firms produce less than the output at which average total cost is minimized in the long run. As a result, there is:
answer
excess capacity.
question
The marginal social benefit of pollution:
answer
is the benefit to society of one more unit of pollution.
question
A copper-mining operation discharges waste products into a river and causes higher costs and discomfort to downstream users of the water for which they are not compensated. In this case:
answer
too much of society's resources is being used to produce copper.
question
The marginal benefit from pollution _____ as the quantity of pollution emissions _____.
answer
decreases; increases
question
The Coase theorem states that in the presence of externalities, a market economy will:
answer
reach an efficient solution if transaction costs are sufficiently low and property rights are well defined.
question
Taxes are a more effective method of controlling pollution than environmental standards because:
answer
taxes encourage reducing pollution at the lowest possible cost.
question
The efficient way to reduce pollution is to impose strict environmental standards on all polluters.
answer
False
question
Which example illustrates a common resource?
answer
a public beach with free access
question
The efficient level of provision of a public good is the level at which its marginal social benefit is equal to the marginal social cost of its production.
answer
True
question
Scenario: Alexander and Vanessa Two individuals, Alexander and Vanessa, benefit from scientific research. Alexander's marginal private benefit from such research is given by the equation P = 200 - Q, where Q refers to the amount of research undertaken and P is the price Alexander is willing to pay for such research. Vanessa's marginal private benefit from such research is given by the equation P = 100 - Q. Suppose the marginal social cost of engaging in such research is constant at $100.(Scenario: Alexander and Vanessa) Examine the scenario Alexander and Vanessa. If Alexander and Vanessa are the only two individuals in a society, which equation correctly represents the marginal social benefit (MSB) of scientific research?
answer
MSB = 300 - 2Q
question
In 2011, most health care costs were paid for by:
answer
the government
question
A _____ program is one for which the recipient qualifies on the basis of _____.
answer
means-tested; income
question
A factor that has been associated with the increase in income inequality in the United States is:
answer
the growth in technology.
question
Children raised in poverty have a greater likelihood of living in poverty as adults than do those raised in nonpoor families, because low income is highly correlated with higher:
answer
high school dropout rates, risk of mental problems and behavioral disorders, and with higher rates of illness and hospitalization.
question
Given that the definition of poverty has not been adjusted to reflect the long-term rise in average incomes, one would expect _____ in the percentage of the population living below the poverty line.
answer
a decrease
question
Which of the following types of goods are always nonviral in consumption?
answer
Public goods
question
The Coase theorem asserts that, in the right circumstances, inefficiencies created by externalities can be dealt with through
answer
private bargaining
question
Programs designed to only help those with low incomes are called
answer
means-tested programs
question
Which of the following policy tools is inefficient even when correctly administered?
answer
enviromental standards
question
The most likely reason the government implements a _____ is because it feels the price is too high for _____.
answer
price ceiling; consumers
question
Which of the following would decrease the effect of a quota on a market? A(n)
answer
decrease in demand
question
If New York City had no medallion system for taxicabs, assuming that the supply curve of taxicab rides is upward sloping and the demand curve of taxicab rides is downward sloping, the price of a taxicab ride would:
answer
decrease.
question
Quota limits cause:
answer
the demand price to be greater than the supply price.
question
Assuming that American and French wines are substitutes in consumption, if the U.S. government imposes a quota on the amount of French wine allowed into the United States and the quota is set at a quantity below equilibrium, the price of French wine in the United States will ____ while the U.S.-produced wine will _____.
answer
increase; increase
question
An excise tax imposed on sellers in a market will result in which of the following? I. an upward shift of the supply curve II. a downward shift of the demand curve III. deadweight loss
answer
I and III only
question
A higher tax rate is more likely to increase tax revenue collected if the price elasticity of:
answer
demand and supply are both low.
question
Which does NOT distort incentives and is best at promoting economic efficiency?
answer
a lump-sum tax
question
If a tax system is poorly designed, it may be possible to increase:
answer
equity without causing inefficiency or increase efficiency without sacrificing equity
question
If a tax system is poorly designed, it may be possible to increase:
answer
equity without causing inefficiency or increase efficiency without sacrificing equity
question
If a tax system is poorly designed, it may be possible to increase:
answer
equity without causing inefficiency or increase efficiency without sacrificing equity