1.2 Flashcards
What are the assumptions of rational economic decision making?
- consumers aim to maximise utility
- firms aim to maximise profits.
What is a consumer’s utility?
the total satisfaction received from consuming a good or service.
What is demand?
the q of a good or service that consumers are able and willing to buy at a given price during a given time.
What causes movements along the demand curve?
- lower the price, more affordable the demand and so demand increases.
Expansion of demand (increase in quantity)
Contraction (decrease in demand)
ONLY price causes movement along
What factors shift the d curve?
P- population
I- income
R- related goods
A- advertising
T- tastes and fashions
E- expectations
S- seasons
What are the 3 types of demand?
Derived demand= demand for one good is linked with demand for another good.
composite demand= when a good demanded has more than one use. Example= milk.
- an increase in demand for cheese, means less butter is supplied.
Joint demand= when goods are bought together
Why is the demand curve downwards sloping?
the law of diminishing marginal utility.
As a extra unit of good is consumed (marginal utility), the benefit derived from consuming the good, falls. Therefore, consumers are willing to pay less for the good.
What is PED?
responsiveness of a change in demand to a change in price.
How do you calculate PED?
% CHANGE IN QD/ % CHANGE IN PRICE
What is a price elastic goods value?
- very responsive to a change in price.
- PED >1
What is a price inelastics goods value?
demand is relatively unresponsive to a change in price.
PED<1
What is a unitary elastic good?
a change in demand is equal to a change in price.
PED=1
a 1% decrease in price, leads to a 1% increase in QD.
Value for perfectly inelastic good?
0
Value for a perfectly elastic good?
infinity.
What are the factors that influence PED?
- necessity - inelastic
- substitutes- elastic if more substitutes available
- addictiveness- inelastic
- proportion of income spent on good- only inreases from £1 to £1.50= inelastic.
- peak or off peak demand- peak times= more inelastic
- durability of the good= a good which lasts a long time, will have elastic demand, consumers wait to buy another.
How does the burden of the indirect tax depend on the elasticity of the good?
- taxes shift supply, not demand.
- if a firm sells a good with inelastic demand, likely to put most of tax burden on the consumer, because a p increase won’t cause a huge change in demand.
- most effective for raising gov revenue.
- if firm sells good with elastic demand, most of tax burden will go to the producer.
- good for reducing the demand of a particular good.
How does the elasticity of the good affect subsidies?
- increases supply.
- opposite effect of a tax.
- the benefit of a subsidy can go to both the producer (increased revenue) or to the producer ( lower prices).
What is the relationship between ped and total revenue?
TR= P X Q
If a good is inelastic demand, firm can raise its price and increase total revenue.
What is income elasticity of demand YED?
responsiveness of a change in demand due to a change in income
formula for YED?
YED= % CHANGE IN QD/ % CHANGE IN INCOME