price determination Flashcards
market equilibrium, producer and consumer surplus, functions of price mechanism, indirect taxes and subsidies
what is the emphasis of free market (2)
individual freedom
and resource allocation
what are equilibrium price and quantity determined by
the intersection of the demand and supply curves
what is price mechanism used for?
to help disequilibrium go to equilibrium
what are the price mechanisms (ARSI)
allocating
rationing
signalling
incentive
effect of allocation mechanism of price
Prices signal the relative scarcity of goods and services. Higher prices indicate a good is relatively scarce, while lower prices suggest abundance
effect of rationing mechanism of price
When demand for a good or service exceeds supply at the prevailing price, a shortage arises. The price mechanism acts as a rationing tool in this situation, thus price rises
effect of signalling mechanism of price
a rising price might signal increasing demand or decreasing supply
a falling price might signal a decrease in demand or an increase in supply
effect of incentive function of price
basically assumptions of rationality. consumers are incentivized by the lowest prices, producers at highest
how to control excess demand
rise prices
what does raising/falling price do when controlling excess demand/supply (2)
signals excess/falling demand and need for resources
incentivizes producers to produce more/less
what happens to market when excess demand occurs
leads to competition among buyers
potentially driving the price up. continues until a new equilibrium is reached where quantity demanded equals quantity supplied.
how to control excess supply (4)
subsidies
export promotion
government can purchase
downward pressure, Price Reduction
what does equilibrium represent?
allocative efficiency
effect of price change on consumer surplus
if price rises, consumer surplus decreases
effect of price change on producer surplus
if price rises, producer surplus rises
limitations of price mechanisms (3
- does not take into account externalities
- can also lead to inequality. Those who have the ability to pay for goods and services can acquire them, while those who cannot afford them are left out.
- Market failure occurs when the market fails to allocate resources efficiently. This can happen when there is a lack of competition, externalities, or public goods.
what are the types of tax (2)
direct (like income tax) and indirect (VAT)
types of indirect tax (2)
- specific tax
- ad valorem tax
impact of indirect tax on consumers
consumers face higher cost of products
impact of indirect tax on producers
face higher cost and gain lesser profits.
impact of indirect tax on government
gains tax revenue
when does incidence/burden of tax fall entirely on consumers (2)
perfectly elastic supply
perfectly inelastic demand
why does incidence/burden of tax fall entirely on consumers when supply is perfectly elastic
When supply is perfectly elastic, producers have the power to adjust production to avoid absorbing the tax cost. They can raise prices with minimal impact on sales because consumers have alternatives
why does incidence/burden of tax fall entirely on consumers when demand is perfectly inelastic
with perfectly inelastic demand, consumers are stuck and can’t easily switch to avoid the price hike, so they shoulder the entire burden.