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Micro Economics (theme 1) > 1.2 > Flashcards

1.2 Flashcards

1
Q

1.2.1 - Rational Choice Theory

What are the roles for:

Individuals
Firms
Government

A

Individuals -

  • utility- satisfaction from consumption of products and services
  • assumption - consumers act to maximise utility

Firms:
- profit- the difference between revenue and cost
Producers act to maximise their profit

Government:
Improve economic and social welfare of citizens

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2
Q

What are rational agents

A

Agents who utilise theory to guide their decision making

People, government, firms, producers

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3
Q

How do agents make decisions?

A

A rational agent wants to maximise their utility

A rational consumer will want to consume something up to the point where marginal utility and price are equal

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4
Q

what is meant by demand

A

the amount of products that will be bought at a given price level

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5
Q

what does the demand curve show

A

how much will be consumed of a good at each and every price level

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6
Q

if the price is high then the demand is…?

if the price is low then the demand is…?

A

low
high
its a negative relationship between price and quantity

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7
Q

what does the law of demand state

A

that there is an inverse relationship between quantity demanded and the price of a good or service, ceteris paribus

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8
Q

what is the market demand curve

A

the summation of all the individual demand curves

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9
Q

what does a price change cause in a demand curve?

A

a movement along the demand curve

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10
Q

a price fall causes an_____ in demand

a price increase causes a ______ in demand

A

extension

contraction

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11
Q

an increase in demand causes a _____ in the demand curve

a decrease in demand causes an _________ ______in the demand curve

A

shift

inward shift

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12
Q

what is meant by price

A

what the buyer pays for a specific good or service

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13
Q

what is meant by quantity

A

the total number of units purchased at that price

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14
Q

what is meant by willingness to pay

A

desire to pay based on taste and preferences

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15
Q

what is meant by ability to pay

A

factors in a persons income, and whether or not they can afford the good or service

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16
Q

what is meant by subsitute goods

A

an increase in the price of one good will increase the demand of the other

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17
Q

what is meant by complement goods

A

an increase in the price of one good will cause a decrease in the quantity demanded of the other

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18
Q

what is the income effect

A

when prices fall, consumers can afford a greater quantity of goods/services (assuming income is fixed) so demand for these goods/services increases

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19
Q

what is the substitution effect

A

when the price of one good falls, consumers will buy more of the cheaper good/service and less of the more expensive ones, so demand increases for the cheaper goods and decreases for the costlier ones.

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20
Q

What is meant by diminishing marginal utility

A

the extra benefit to an individual of consuming a good or service

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21
Q

what does the law of diminishing marginal utility state

A

the more an individual consumes, the utility of the good/service decreases with every additional unit consumed

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22
Q

what causes demand to change

A

income
taste/preferences
time/seasons
advertising

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23
Q

what is meant by elasticities

A

used to look at the sensitivity of changes in one variable to changes in another

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24
Q

what is the Price Elasticity of Demand

A

a measure of the sensitivity of the quantity demanded to a change in the price of the good or service

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25
Q

what is the formula for PED

A

% change in price

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26
Q

what is meant by a perfectly inelastic supply

A

a situation in which firms can supply only a fixed quantity, so cannot increase or decrease the amount available: elasticity of supply is zero.

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27
Q

what is meant by a perfectly elastic supply

A

a situation in which firms will supply any quantity of a good at the going price: elasticity of supply is infinite

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28
Q

what is the formula for income elasticity of demand (YED)

A

% change in income

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29
Q

define income elasticity of demand

A

YED measures the responsiveness of demand to a change in income.

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30
Q

define cross elasticity of demand - XED

A

XED measures the responsiveness of demand to a change in price of another good.

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31
Q

define normal good and link this to income elasticity

A

a normal good is one where demand increases if income increases. it has a positive YED

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32
Q

define inferior good and link this to income elasticity

A

one where demand decreases if income increases. it has a negative YED

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33
Q

define substitute and link this to cross elasticity

A

a good which is alternative to another good. it has a positive XED

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34
Q

define complement good and link this to cross elasticity

A

a good which is used with, or at the same time as another good. it has a negative XED

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35
Q

name four factors that affect the Price Elasticity of Demand for a good and explain how these factors affect elasticity.

A
  1. availability of substitutes:
    - if there are many close substitutes then PED will be more elastic as consumers can easily switch to an alternative product if the price of one product goes up
    - if there are few or no close substitutes then PED will be less elastic as consumers cannot easily switch
  2. necessity or luxury:
    - if the good is a necessity, then the PED tends to be less elastic, especially if there are few or no substitutes.
    - if the good is a luxury, then PED tends to be more elastic, especially if there are more substitutes.
  3. Proportion of income spent on the product:
    - if the proportion of income spent is high, then PED tends to be more elastic, as a rise in price will have more of an overall effect on that persons budget.
    - if the proportion of income spent is low, then PED will be less elastic, as a rise in price will not have a significant effect on that persons budget.
  4. Time:
    - the longer the time period the more elastic the PED will be. This is because it takes time for consumers to change their buying habits and identify substitute or alternative goods. if none are available, then over times some new products will be released which are substitutes, reducing PED over time.
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36
Q

if demand is inelastic and price increases, what effect will this have on the firm’s total revenue?

A

Inelastic is when PED is between 0 and -1. if price increases by 10% then quantity demanded will rise by than 10%. This means that total revenue will increaes
.

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37
Q

if demand is elastic and price increases, what effect will this have on the firms total revenue?

A

elastic is when PED is between -1 and -infinity. if price increases by 10% then quantity demanded will fall by more than 10%. this means that total revenue will fall

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38
Q

what is meant by supply

A

the quantity a producer is willing and able to supply onto the market at a given price, at a given time

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39
Q

what does a supply curve show

A

shows how much a producer would be willing to sell at each and every price

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40
Q

what are the main determinants for supply?

A 
price
costs of production 
natural disasters
technology
weather (for agricultural products)
41
Q

draw a supply curve

A

price on y axis
quantity on x axis
a line going upwards (positive)

42
Q

what does a point on the supply curve show

A

how much of a good will be produced at a price level

43
Q

what would cause a movement along the supply curve?

A

a change in price

44
Q

what would cause a shift in the supply curve?

A

a change in the conditions of supply

45
Q

what would cause a shift to the right of the supply curve for oil?

A

if supply increased

if technology improved which meant that oil could be extracted more efficiently

46
Q

what would cause a shift to the left of the supply curve for oil?

A

a shift to the left indicates a decrease in supply of oil

natural disaster

47
Q

what are the five main causes of shifts in the market supply curve

A
  1. Changes in the unit cost of production
  2. Advances in production technologies
  3. The entry of new producers into the market
  4. Favourable weather conditions (eg for agricultural products)
  5. Taxes, subsidies and government regulations
48
Q

what effect do taxes, subsidies and regulations have on the market supply curve

A
  • indirect tax causes an inward shift of supply
  • subsidies cause an outward shift of supply
  • regulations increase costs - causing an inward shift of supply
49
Q

what is meant by joint supply

A

joint supply is where an increase or decrease in the supply of one good will lead to an increase or decrease in the supply of a by-product.

50
Q

what is meant by price elasticity of supply

A

price elasticity of supply measures the responsiveness of a quantity supplied to changes in its price

51
Q

what range of values is there for price elasticity of supply and what does each value mean?

A

0 to +1 = inelastic
+1 to + infinity = elastic
+1 = unitary
+ infinity (perfectly elastic)

52
Q

what is the formula for calculating price elasticity of supply?

A

% change in price

53
Q

draw a diagram which shows a good that has inelastic/elastic/unitary price elasticity of supply.

A

inelastic - steep curve upwards
unitary - through origin
elastic - shallow curve upwards

54
Q

name four factors that affect the price elasticity of supply for a good and explain how these factors affect elasticity.
hint - PASTA

A
  1. availability of producer subsitutes
    - this is how easily a producer can switch to producing something else. the easier it is the higher the elasticity.
  2. time
    - the longer the time period, the easier it is for a firm to switch production to another good, so the higher the elasticity
  3. spare capacity
    - if a producer has spare capacity, it is easier for them to increase production quickly
  4. availability of stocks
    - if a product can be stored, then it is easier for supply to respond to price changes, as you can just pull products out of storage.
55
Q

draw a supply and demand curve, and mark on it the point of equilibrium price and quantity

A

P - y axis
Q - x axis
Supply curve going upwards, demand curve going downwards
point of equilibrium marked as P* and Q*, where both curves meet

56
Q

show on this diagram something that would cause the equilibrium price to rise/fall.

A

price will rise if demand rises, or supply falls.
price will fall if demand falls or supply rises
demand rises - d curve moves outwards
demand falls - d curve moves inwards
supply falls - s curve moves inwards
supply rises - s curve moves outwards

57
Q

what is meant by equilibrium

A

where price = quantity

58
Q

what is meant by excess supply

A

a situation in which the quantity of a good or service supplied is more than the quantity demanded, and the price is above the equilibrium level determined by supply and demand.

59
Q

what is meant be excess demand

A

Excess demand is the situation where the price is below its equilibrium price. The quantity supplied is lower than the quantity demanded by the consumers.

60
Q

draw a diagram to show excess supply and excess demand

A

excess supply - P1 is higher than P*
Q supplied is more than Q*
Q Demanded is less than Q*
bracket in between Qs and Qd - above
excess demand - P2 is lower than P*
Qs less than Q*
Qd more than Q*
bracket between Qs and Qd - below

61
Q

what is meant by the market clearing price?

A

the price at which quantity supplied equals the quantity demanded, where there is no excess supply or demand.

62
Q

in a competitive market, what effect would a new supplier entering the market have on supply?

A

a new supplier means supply rises so prices fall

63
Q

what is meant by joint demand/complimentary goods

A

complimentary goods are goods which are consumed together.
Joint demand is when the demand for one product is directly and positively related to market demand for a related good or service.

64
Q

give an example of two goods in joint demand

A

milk and cereal, phones and phone cases etc

65
Q

what is the impact on both products if the market price for one of the goods was to increase? (complimentary goods)

A

if there was an increase in the price for milk then there would be less demand for milk, and people consume cereal with milk so the demand for cereal would decrease as well.

66
Q

what is meant by a substitute?

A

an alternative good, a good that replaces another one

67
Q

give an example of a substitute good

A

ballpoint pen and fountain pen

68
Q

what is the impact on both products if the market price for one of the goods was to increase? (substitute goods)

A

if theres an increase in the price of ballpoint pens, then demand falls for this product. consumers will switch to the alternative product - fountain pens and therefore the demand for this product increases

69
Q

what is meant by composite demand

A

when one good is demanded for two or more reasons

70
Q

give an example of a product that is in composite demand

A

milk, it can be used for drinking, butter, yoghurt etc

71
Q

what is the impact on the product if there is an increase in the demand for one of the goods? (composite demand)

A

an increase in the demand for butter means there is there is less milk available so supply of yoghurt will decrease

72
Q

what is meant by derived demand

A

when the demand for a good is driven by the demand for another good

73
Q

give an example of a good whose demand for a good is derived by the demand for another good

A

the demand for oak wood is derived by the demand for oak furniture

74
Q

what is the impact of on both products if there is an increase in the market demand for one good? (derived demand)

A

if demand for oak furniture increases, more people will be buying oak furniture then demand for oak will also increase

75
Q

what is meant by joint supply

A

when one good is produced at the same time as another good

76
Q

name two products that are in joint supply

A

beef and leather

77
Q

what is the impact on both products if there is an increase in the supply for one of the goods? (joint supply)

A

for there to be more beef, more cows need to die, and killing cows produces leather, therefore the supply of leather will increase as well.

78
Q

what are the three functions of the price mechanism? explain each one

A
  1. Rationing function
    when there is a shortage of a product, price will rise and deter some customers from buying the product.
  2. Signalling function
    changes in price provides information to both producers and consumers about changes in the market condtions
  3. Incentive function
    changes in price provides incentives to producers to increase or decrease production
79
Q

define consumer surplus

A

its a measure of the welfare that peoplem gain from consuming goods and services

80
Q

define producer surplus

A

the difference between what the producer was prepared to sell the product at, and the price they receive.

81
Q

draw a supply and demand diagram and shade the area of consumer and producer surplus

A

producer surplus is below the price level at equilibrium

consumer surplus is above the price level at equilibrium

82
Q

show on the diagram what happens to consumer surplus if supply increases?

A

Supply shifts from S1-S2
Price falls from P1-P2
the consumer surplus is above the original triangle. Meets at the new equilibrium at P2, Q2

83
Q

show what happens to producer surplus if demand rises

A

demand rises from D1-D2
market prices increase from P1-P2
this increases producer surplus.
new triangle is

84
Q

define indirect tax

A

taxes on expenditure

85
Q

give two examples of indirect taxes

A

Ad Valorem Tax - e.g. VAT are percentage of the price of product or service
Specific taxes - a set amount per unit of the product - parallel shift to a supply curve

86
Q

show on a diagram the impact on supply of the increase of VAT

A

S1 increases to S2 - ad valorem tax labelled
P0 increases to P2 - Consumer tax benefit
P0 decreases to P1 - incidence of taxation on producer
Q0 decreases to Q1.

87
Q

show on a diagram the impact on supply of excise supply, and shade the area of producer and consumer incidence

A

inward shift of supply - S1 - S1+tax. (parallel lines)
Q1 decreases to Q1+tax.

the burden on the consumer is above the equilibrium
the burden on the producer is below the equilibrium (p1Q1)

88
Q

what is the tax revenue to the government

A

burden on consumer + burden on producer = total tax revenue to government

89
Q

what happens to producer incidence if demand is elastic and VAT increases?

A

the burden on taxation falls mainly on the producer, because consumers will not accept an increase in the price level, so price will not rise significantly following the increase in tax. but the tax must be paid, so the producer will pay it by cutting profit margins

90
Q

what happens to consumer incidence if demand is inelastic and VAT increases?

A

if demand is inelastic then the producer can pass more of the tax rise to the consumer, so the incidence on the consumer will rise. this is because producers know that consumers will not reduce consumption significantly following an increase in the price, so they will pass the tax on to the consumer with higher prices

91
Q

define subsidy

A

a grant from the government, financial or otherwise, with aims of reducing cost of production.

92
Q

show on a diagram the impact of a subsidy on supply, and shade the area showing benefit to producer and benefit to consumer

A

S curve shifts outwards to S+subsidy
P decreases to P1
Q increases to Q1

benefit to producer is above the equilibrium
benefit to consumer is below the equilibrium

93
Q

how are consumers affected by a subsidy?

A

price falls so consumers benefit, as there is a consumer surplus, as output has risen

94
Q

how are producers affected by a subsidy?

A

producer surplus rises because the price consumers pay + subsidy is higher than the price at the previous market equilibrium

95
Q

how is the government affect by a subsidy?

A

producer and consumer surplus rise. however the governnment must pay the size per unit subsidy x total output. governments must pay for subsidies using tax revenues or government borrowing

96
Q

how might other peoples behaviour alter a consumer’s choice?

A
  • social/peer pressure - e.g alcohol, legal highs
  • social norms - e.g becoming unacceptable to smoke
  • emotional factors - e.g. someone you know has a problem with a product, so you decrease consumption of that product
97
Q

how might habitual consumption be irrational?

A

an example is always buying the same meal at a restaurant. this may be irrational if there is an alternative to this meal available which may be better but you refuse to try out this meal/

98
Q

give an example of where a consumer cannot make a rational choice due to a lack of information, or a lack of computational skill

A

bounded rationality is where consumers are rational to a point, but are limited by a lack of information , so they will use rule of thumb instead to make decisions

99
Q

is giving to charity irrational?

A

it may seem irrational as it is a consumption choice which has no utility gain for the donator. this money could have been used to buy goods/services instead. it is only rational if you get pleasure from giving to others and this outweighs the benefit of spending it on yourself

Micro Economics (theme 1) (6 decks)

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