5.3 Perfect Competition Flashcards
Why does perfect competition not exist in the real world?
Because it is impossible to meet all six conditions of perfect competition simultaneously
What are the six conditions of perfect competition?
-large number of buyers and sellers
-perfect inflation
-no barriers to entry or exit in long run
-uniform produce
-price takers
-able to sell as much as they wish at the market price
What is a uniform product?
Offers the same price to all segments in the market
Why does perfect competition play a significant role in economic theory?
It provides a measure in which desirable and undesirable properties of real world markets can be measured
What do we use perfect information for in comparison to monopolies(2 asp)
-extent of which misallocation of resources
-judge whether a monopoly functions efficiently or inefficiently
When did Adam smith write his book of the nature and causes of wealth in nations?
1776
What ket thing does Adam Smith say in his book?
Individual doesn’t care about public interest, they only care about their own gain. They are led by the invisible hand of the market
What is Smith’s argument in his book?
The pursuit of individual self interest in the market leads to outcomes which are in the common good or public interest
What are competitive markets viewed as by economists?
Desirable
What are the desirable properties of a free competitive market?
-economic efficiency
-welfare maximisation
-consumer sovereignty
Does economic self interest apply in all types of markets?
Yep
Do consumers benefit from technical progress and why?
Yes because it creates lower prices
Is there abnormal profit in a free market economy?
Nope
What is the ruling price determined by in perfect competition?
The intersection the the supply and demand curves
In a monopoly what curve is the demand curve?
Average revenue curve
What is abnormal profit measured by?
TR-TC
In perfect competition can firms leave in the long run?
Yes
What happens to abnormal profits in the long run
They turn into normal profits as the ruling market price indicates to firms outside the market that normal profits can be made (incentive for firms to enter the market)
What happens if too many firms enter the market initially?
Supply curve shifts to the right