3.4.5 Monopoly Flashcards
What market share is needed for a monopoly?
25% or more
Market share
The proportion of total revenue a firm controls in a particular market.
What is a natural monopoly?
A market with only one firm in it. The firm has (close to) 100% market share.
Give an example of industries with a natural monopoly
Railways: Network Rail.
Water: United Utilities.
Why do natural monopolies exist?
It is more efficient for one firm to operate in a market.
Competition would decrease efficiency.
E.g. Competition in water industry would mean water companies would have to lay seperate pipes.
E.g. Competition in the railway industry would mean new tracks would have to be laid.
Are monopolies price makers?
Yes - firms can influence the price of a particular good on their own.
Why does monopoly power happen?
- High barriers to entry.
- Advertising and product differentiation.
- Few competitors in the market.
How do high barriers to entry cause monopoly power?
They prevent new competition entering a market to compete away large profits.
How does advertising and product differentiation cause monopoly power?
A firm may be able to act as a price maker if consumers think of its products as more desirable than those produced by other firms.
Example: Apple
How does a lack of competition cause monopoly power?
If a market is dominated by a small number of firms, these are likely to have some price-making power. They’ll also find it easier to differentiate their products.
What determines demand in a monopoly market?
Price - the higher the price, the lower the demand will be.
Do monopolies make supernormal profits?
Short term - Yes
Long term - Yes (because profits aren’t competed away - due to high barriers of entry).
Are monopolies productively efficient?
No - monopolies don’t operate at the lowest point on the AC curve.
Are monopolies allocatively efficient?
No - the price charged by the firm is greater than Marginal Cost. (Producers are being over-rewarded for the products they’re providing).
What leads to natural monopolies?
If an industry has high fixed costs and/or large economies of scale.