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Chapter 10
Monopolistic Competition and Oligopoly
Key Concepts Summary Practice Quiz
2000 South-Western College Publishing
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What does the demand curve for Monopolistic Competition look like?
It has a negative slope, But it is less elastic (steeper) than for a perfectly competitive firm and more elastic (flatter) than for a monopolist
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What are examples of Monopolistic Competition? grocery stores hair salons gas stations video rental stores restaurants
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P
Cost per unit
LRAC2 LRAC1
Without advertising
2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18
Q
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How does a firm decide what price to charge and how many units to produce?
MR = MC
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P
MC
MR=MC
ATC
Profit
AVC MR
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Q
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Monopolistic Competition
Minimum LRAC
MC
ATC
AVC MR
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Q
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Perfect Competition
Minimum MC LRAC LRAC
MR
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Q
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What is Oligopoly?
few sellers either homogeneous or a differential product difficult market entry
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What is a Cartel?
A group of firms formally agreeing to control the price and output of a product
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Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) International Telephone Cartel (CCITT) International Airline Cartel (IATA)
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Perfect competition and pure monopoly are uncommon in reality. Many monopolistically competitive firms exist. Oligopoly firms account for the largest share of the economys output.
Profits are zero in long-run equilibrium under perfect competition and monopolistic competition because of free entry and exit.
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MARKET FORM
Perfect competition Pure monopoly Monopolistic competition
FREQUENCY IN REALITY
Rare (if any) Rare Widespread Produces large share of GDP
ENTRY BARRIERS
None Likely to be high Minor
Oligopoly
Few
Varies
Varies
Varies
Vary
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Key Concepts
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Key Concepts
What is Imperfect Competition? What is Monopolistic Competition? What is Product Differentiation? What is Nonprice Competition? Why is a Monopolistic Competitive firm a price maker? How does a firm decide what price to charge and how many units to produce?
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Summary
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Imperfect competition is the market structure between the extremes of perfect competition and monopoly Monopolistic competition and oligopoly belong to the imperfect competition category.
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Monopolistic competition is a market structure characterized by (1) many small sellers, (2) a differentiated product, and (3) easy market entry and exit. Given these characteristics, firms in monopolistic competition have a negligible effect on the market price.
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Product differentiation is a key characteristic of monopolistic competition. It is the process of creating real or apparent differences between products.
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Nonprice competition includes advertising, packaging, product development, better quality, and better service. Under imperfect competition, firms may compete using nonprice competition, rather than price competition.
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Short-run equilibrium for a monopolistic competitor can yield economic losses, zero economic profits, or economic profits. In the long run, monopolistic competitors make zero economic profits.
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P
MC
MR=MC
ATC
Profit
AVC
MR
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Q
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Comparing monopolistic competition with perfect competition, we find that the monopolistic competitive firm does not achieve allocative efficiency,charges a higher price, restricts output, and does not produce where average costs are at a minimum.
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Monopolistic Competition
Minimum LRAC
MC ATC AVC
MR
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Q
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Perfect Competition
Minimum MC LRAC LRAC
MR
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Q
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Oligopoly is a market structure characterized by (1) few sellers, (2) a homogeneous or differentiated product, and (3) difficult market entry. Oligopolies are mutually interdependent because an action by one firm may cause a reaction on the part of other firms.
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The nonprice competition model is a theory that might explain oligopolistic behavior. Under this theory, firms use advertising and product differentiation, rather than price reductions, to compete.
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Price leadership is another theory of pricing behavior under oligopoly. When a dominant firm in an industry raises or lowers price, other firms follow suit.
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A cartel is a formal agreement among firms to set prices and output quotas. The goal is to maximize profits, but firms have an incentive to cheat, which is a constant threat to a cartel.
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Comparing oligopoly with perfect competition, we find that the oligopolist allocates resources inefficiently, charges a higher price, and restricts output so that price may exceed average cost.
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Chapter 10 Quiz
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1. An industry with many small sellers, a differentiated product, and easy entry would best be described as which of the following? a. Oligopoly. b. Monopolistic competition. c. Perfect competition. d. Monopoly. B. An oligopoly has only a few sellers. A monopoly only has one, and perfect competition has homogeneous products.
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2. Which of the following industries is the best example of monopolistic competition? a. Wheat. b. Restaurant. c. Automobile. d. Water service. B. Wheat would be in a perfectly competitive market. Automobiles would be an oligopoly. And the water service is an example of a regulated monopoly.
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3. Which of the following is not a characteristic of monopolistic competition? a. A large number of small firms. b. A differentiated product. c. Easy market entry. d. A homogeneous product. D. A characteristic of monopolistic competition is differentiated products.
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D. Both a monopolistically competitive firm and a perfectly competitive firm share these characteristics.
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5. The theory of monopolistic competition predicts that in long-run equilibrium a monopolistically competitive firm will a. produce the output level at which price equals long-run marginal cost. b. operate at minimum long-run average cost. c. overutilize its insufficient capacity. d. produce the output level at which price equals long-run average cost.
D
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Monopolistic Competition
Minimum LRAC
MC
ATC
AVC MR
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Q
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6. A monopolistically competitive firm is inefficient because the firm a. earns positive economic profit in the long run. b. is producing at an output where marginal cost equals price. c. in not maximizing its profit. d. produces an output where average total cost is not minimum.
D.
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Monopolistic Competition
Minimum LRAC
MC
ATC
AVC MR
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Q
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7. A monopolistically competitive firm in the long run earns the same economic profit as a a. perfectly competitive firm. b. monopolist. c. cartel. d. none of the above. A. In the long-run, a normal profit is made because of the ease of entry and exit. Once economic profits are made, more firms will enter the industry, driving price down. When losses are made, firms leave the industry, driving price up, restoring profits.
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8. One possible effect of advertising on a firms long-run average cost curve is to a. raise the curve. b. lower the curve. c. shift the curve rightward. d. shift the curve leftward. A. The ATC curve is raised because of the added expense of the advertising.
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9. Monopolistic competition is an inefficient market structure because a. firms earn zero profit in the long-run. b. marginal cost is less than price in the longrun. c. a wider variety of products is available compared to perfect competition. d. all of the above. B. In the long-run, marginal cost is less than price because of the downward sloping demand curve and a marginal revenue curve that is more steeply sloped beneath the demand curve.
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10. The Big Three U.S. automobile industry is described as a (an) a. monopoly. b. perfect competition. c. monopolistic competition. d. oligopoly. D. An oligopoly is a market form with only a few sellers.
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11. The cigarette industry in the United States is described as a (an) a. monopoly. b. perfect competition. c. monopolistic competition. d. oligopoly. D. The cigarette industry has only a few sellers.
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12. A characteristic of an oligopoly is a. mutual interdependence in pricing decisions. b. easy market entry. c. both (a) and (b). d. neither (a) nor (b). A. The distinguishing feature of an oligopoly is mutual interdependence. No one firm will make a decision without first considering the reaction of its competitors to its policy change.
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15. Which of the following is evidence that OPEC is a cartel? a. Agreement on price and output quotas by oil ministries. b. Ability to raise prices regardless of demand. c. Mutual interdependence in pricing and output decisions. d. Ability to completely control entry. A. A cartel is characterized by collusion, the coming together and agreeing to certain policies, for example, the level of prices.
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END
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