Economics 211 Principles of Microeconomics Dr. Greg Delemeester.
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Transcript of Economics 211 Principles of Microeconomics Dr. Greg Delemeester.
Economics 211Principles of
Microeconomics
Dr. Greg Delemeester
Economics Making choices under conditions of
scarcity How many hours should I study for
biology? What stocks should I buy for my
portfolio? How many cars should I steal? How many job interviews should I go
on?
Making choices under conditions of scarcity How many hours should I study for
biology? What stocks should I buy for my
portfolio? How many cars should I steal? How many job interviews should I go
on?
What Do Schoolteachers and Sumo Wrestlers Have in Common?
How Is the Ku Klux Klan Like a Group of Real-Estate Agents?
Why Do Drug Dealers Still Live with Their Moms?
Where Have All the Criminals Gone?
What Makes a Perfect Parent? Would a Roshanda by Any
Other Name Smell as Sweet?
Increasing Residual Wage Inequality: Composition Effects, Noisy Data, or Rising Demand for Skill?
Medium-Term Business Cycles Can Information Heterogeneity
Explain the Exchange Rate Determination Puzzle?
Media Frenzies in Markets for Financial Information
An Efficient Dynamic Auction for Heterogeneous Commodities
Paying Not to Go to the Gym
Economic Fundamentals Self Interest
Rationality Maximizing behavior Responding to incentives
Best Undergrad College Degrees by SalaryMajor Starting Median Salary Mid-Career Median Salary
Chemical Engineering $63,200 $107,000
Economics $50,100 $98,600
Physics $50,300 $97,300
Math $45,400 $92,400
Physician Assistant $74,300 $91,700
Finance $47,900 $88,300
MIS $49,200 $82,300
Chemistry $42,600 $79,900
Marketing $40,800 $79,600
Political Science $40,800 $78,200
Accounting $46,000 $77,100
Management $43,000 $72,100
History $39,200 $71,000
Journalism $35,600 $66,700
English $38,000 $64,700
Psychology $35,900 $60,400
Source: www.payscale.com
Mini Experiment
Incentives Matter! “There are no $5 bills laying on the ground.”
Economic Fundamentals
Self Interest Rationality Maximizing behavior Responding to incentives
TANSTAAFL Scarcity Opportunity costs
ThereAin’tNoSuchThingAsAFreeLunch
ThereAin’tNoSuchThingAsAFreeLunch
Economic Fundamentals
Self Interest Rationality Maximizing behavior Responding to incentives
TANSTAAFL Scarcity Opportunity costs
Marginal Analysis Behavior is modeled as if decisions were based on costs
and benefits at the margin
Space Mountain(Problem Set 1, #9)
You have waited 30 minutes in a line for the Space Mountain ride at Disneyworld. You see a sign that says, "From this point on your wait is 45 minutes." You must decide whether to continue in line or to move elsewhere.
On what basis do you make the decision?Do the 30 minutes you've already stood in line come into play?
Marginal Analysis ignores sunk costs!
William installs custom sound systems in cars. If he installs 7 per day, his total costs are $300. If he installs 8 per day, his total costs are $400. William will install only 8 sound systems per day if the 8th customer is willing to pay at least:
1 2 3 4 5
50 120 300 400
0% 0%0%0%
1. $502. $1203. $3004. $400
1. $502. $1203. $3004. $400
“I’d like to introduce you to Marty Thorndecker. He’s an economist but he’s really very nice.”
Greg Delemeester
Economic Fundamentals Unintended Consequences
CAFE standards 27.5 MPG fleet average Lighter + smaller cars = more dangerous cars ? National Academy of Sciences: 1300 to 2600 extra
highway deaths each year
Modes of Analysis Positive Analysis Normative Analysis
0.0
2.0
4.0
6.0
8.0
10.0
12.0
14.0
16.0
0.0 0.5 1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5 3.0
Guns Sold (Millions)
Gu
n-R
elat
ed M
urd
ers
(Th
ou
san
ds)
1965
1970
1975
1980
Correlation is not causation.
Economic Model of Crime
Decision Rule If MB > MC steal another car
Assumptions Resale value on car = $40,000 Income = $20,000 Jail term = 5 years Probability of Arrest = 20% Probability of Conviction = 90%
MB = $40,000
MC = (5)($20,000)(.20)(.90) = $18,000
Steal the car!
Policy Implications [How to deter crime?] Increase jail sentence Increase probability of arrest Increase probability of conviction Increase income
Economic Model of Crime
Which of the following will cause property crime to increase?
0% 0%0%0%
a) An increase in jail terms.b) A decrease in personal
incomes.c) An increase in the probability
of arrest.d) A decrease in the expected
benefit.
a) An increase in jail terms.b) A decrease in personal
incomes.c) An increase in the probability
of arrest.d) A decrease in the expected
benefit.
1 2 3 4 5
Applications(#3, Problem Set 1) A few years ago, Tina ranked three
available options as follows: 1st Choice: pay $21,000 tuition and finish a
Master's degree in fine arts at the Ohio State University.
2nd Choice: earn $19,000 working part-time managing a small local theater and spend her spare time pursuing her theater hobby as a volunteer director of small-theater plays.
3rd Choice: earn $44,000 working full-time reviewing yellow page advertisements for Ameritech.
a) $19,000b) $21,000c) $65,000d) $84,000
What is the minimum value of Tina’s opportunity cost for pursuing her first choice?
19000 21000 65000 84000
0% 0%0%0%
1 2 3 4 5
1st Choice: pay $21,000 tuition and finish a Master's degree in fine arts at the Ohio State University.2nd Choice: earn $19,000 working part-time managing a small local theater and spend her spare time pursuing her theater hobby as a volunteer director of small-theater plays.3rd Choice: earn $44,000 working full-time reviewing yellow page advertisements for Ameritech.
Production Possibilities Frontier
Shows tradeoffs facing an economy that produces two goods
Assumptions Resources are fixed
Land Labor Capital Entrepreneurship
Technology is fixed
Beer
Cars
A
B
CD
E
Unattainable
Inefficient
Assume a concave production possibility frontier. Suppose that the society decides to increase the production of beer by 20,000 kegs, and that as a result the output of cars falls by 1000. If a further increase of 20,000 kegs of beer is sought, we can expect that the output of cars will:
fall
by 10
00.
fall
by le
ss th
an...
fall
by m
ore th
an...
incr
ease
by
less
...
0% 0%0%0%
a) fall by 1000. b) fall by less than 1000. c) fall by more than 1000.d) increase by less than 1000.
a) fall by 1000. b) fall by less than 1000. c) fall by more than 1000.d) increase by less than 1000.
1 2 3 4 5
Beer
Cars
A
B
C
D
Δ Beer
- Δ Cars
Slope of PPF = - Δ Cars / Δ Beer
Concave PPF implies “law of increasing opportunity cost”
(measures the Opportunity Cost)
Shifts in the PPF are due to: Change in resources Change in technology
Shifts in the PPF are due to: Change in resources Change in technology
PPF and Economic GrowthEconomic Growth requires an expanding PPF
Examples Cars v. Beer: more efficient brewing process Houses v. Computers: immigration Jazz v. Shrimp: Hurricane Katrina Food v. Electronics: China’s Cultural Revolution
Production Possibilities Frontier
Consider the PPF depicted below. A reduction in the amount of unemployment could be described as the movement from:
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
0 2 4 6 8 10 12
Books
Mu
sic
CD
s
A
B
CD
E
0% 0%0%0%
a) A to Bb) B to Dc) D to Cd) B to E
a) A to Bb) B to Dc) D to Cd) B to E
1 2 3 4 5
All societies must answer basic questions: What will be produced? How will it be produced? For whom will it be produced?
Allocation Mechanisms Tradition Plan Market
Choices, choices, choices…
And now for a little humor…
Communism:
You have two cows. The government takes both of them and gives you part of the milk.
Socialism:
You have two cows. The government takes one and gives it to your neighbor.
Fascism:
You have two cows. The government takes both cows and sells you the milk.
Nazism:
You have two cows. The government takes both cows, then shoots you.
Bureaucracy:
You have two cows. The government takes both of them, shoots one, milks the other, then pours the milk down the drain.
Capitalism:
You have two cows. You sell one and buy a bull.
Gains From Trade
Trade implies mutually beneficial exchanges Not a zero-sum game!
Comparative Advantage David Ricardo Lowest opportunity cost producer Specialization and trade can allow individuals (and
countries) to expand their consumption beyond their PPF constraints
Trade implies mutually beneficial exchanges Not a zero-sum game!
Comparative Advantage David Ricardo Lowest opportunity cost producer Specialization and trade can allow individuals (and
countries) to expand their consumption beyond their PPF constraints
Pizza Pizza
Cars Cars100
400
50
600
50 25
200
300
∆C = 50
∆C = 25
∆P = -200
∆P = -300
Country A Country B
Opportunity cost of 1 Car is 4 Pizzas Opportunity cost of 1 Car is 12 Pizzas
slope = ∆P/ ∆ C = -200/50 = - 4/1
slope = ∆P/ ∆ C = -300/25 = - 12/1
Country A has the comparative advantage in producing cars.
Pizza
Cars100
400
50
200
Country A
Pizza
Cars50
600
25
300
Country B
No Trade With Trade
Pizza Cars Pizza Cars
A
B
World
200
0600
0 100
500 75
25300
50
100600
Production
Assume that Robinson and Crusoe live on a desert island. With a day’s labor, Robinson can produce 6 fish or 4 coconuts; Crusoe can produce 3 fish or 1 coconut. Robinson’s opportunity cost of producing 1 coconut is ____, and he should specialize in the production of ____.
1 2 3 4 5
1/4
fish
; coc.
..
1.5
fish
; coc.
..
3 fi
sh; f
ish
6 fi
sh; c
oconuts
0% 0%0%0%
a) 1/4 fish; coconutsb) 1.5 fish; coconutsc) 3 fish; fishd) 6 fish; coconuts
a) 1/4 fish; coconutsb) 1.5 fish; coconutsc) 3 fish; fishd) 6 fish; coconuts
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
0 5 10 15 20 25
Wine
Co
mp
ute
rs
No Trade With Trade
Computers Wine Computers Wine
Germany
Belgium
World
15 2
20 10
35 12
25 0
12 14
37 14
16
21
3
11
BelgiumGermany
Germany trades 3W for 9C
ΔW = - 3
ΔC = 9
Belgium: 1W : 5C Germany: 1W : 2C
Output per hour Opportunity cost of …
Country Tons of Steel
Bushels of Wheat
1 ton of steel
1 bushel of wheat
US 6 60
South Korea 3 6
US South Korea
Steel Wheat Steel Wheat
Production change -6 +60
Trade +10 -50
Consumption change
10 W
2 W
1/10 S
1/2 S
+12 -24
-10 +50
+4 +10 +2 +26
US switches 1 hour of labor from steel to wheat
SK switches 4 hours of labor from wheat to steel
Trade: 50 W for 10 S
Problem Set 1: #21
Corner offices in high-rise office buildings usually cost more to rent than other offices. This best illustrates the economic principle of:
Sca
rce
reso
urces
Mar
ginal
anal
ysis
Equili
brium
Oppo
rtunity
cost
s
0% 0%0%0%
a) Scarce resourcesb) Marginal analysisc) Equilibrium d) Opportunity costs
a) Scarce resourcesb) Marginal analysisc) Equilibrium d) Opportunity costs
1 2 3 4 5
a) Zero—the ticket is free.b) $15c) $55d) $40
a) Zero—the ticket is free.b) $15c) $55d) $40
A friend comes up to you and offers to give you a free ticket to the local professional team's baseball game that night. You decide to attend the game. It takes five hours to go to the game and costs you $15 for transportation. If you had not attended the game, you would have worked at your part-time job for $8 an hour. What is the cost of you attending the game?
Ze
ro—
the
tic
ke
t is
fre
e. 5
5
0% 0%0%0%
1 2 3 4 5
a) 10 million cups of teab) 5 million sconesc) 10 million scones
d) The answer is impossible to determine from the information given.
a) 10 million cups of teab) 5 million sconesc) 10 million scones
d) The answer is impossible to determine from the information given.
In the accompanying figure, Tealand is currently producing at point C on its production possibilities frontier. What is the opportunity cost in Tealand of increasing the production of tea from 20 million cups to 30 million cups?
0% 0%0%0%
1 2 3 4 5
a) International trade will increase the average income of Americans.
b) Higher expenditures on health care will reduce infant mortality rates.
c) We ought to reduce our dependence on oil imports in order to increase our national security.
d) Increased defense spending will lead to higher budget deficits.
a) International trade will increase the average income of Americans.
b) Higher expenditures on health care will reduce infant mortality rates.
c) We ought to reduce our dependence on oil imports in order to increase our national security.
d) Increased defense spending will lead to higher budget deficits.
Which of the following is a normative statement?
Inte
rnat
ional
tra.
.
Hig
her e
xpen
di...
We
ought t
o re...
Incr
ease
d def
en..
0% 0%0%0%
1 2 3 4 5
a) you will be better off if you eat one more slice.
b) the total cost of eating the pizza will be more than the total benefit of eating the pizza.
c) you will be worse off if you eat one more slice.
d) you will be no better off and no worse off from eating one more slice.
a) you will be better off if you eat one more slice.
b) the total cost of eating the pizza will be more than the total benefit of eating the pizza.
c) you will be worse off if you eat one more slice.
d) you will be no better off and no worse off from eating one more slice.
While eating pizza, you discover that the marginal benefit of eating one more slice is greater than the marginal cost of that slice. You then conclude:
0% 0%0%0%
1 2 3 4 5
Which of the graphs below shows the impact of scientists developing a more powerful fertilizer?
0% 0%0%0%
a) Figure Ab) Figure Bc) Figure Cd) Figure D
a) Figure Ab) Figure Bc) Figure Cd) Figure D
1 2 3 4 5
If they spend all night writing computer programs, Derek can write 10 programs while Tian can write 5. If they spend all night making sunglasses, Derek can make 6 while Tian can make 4. From this information we know that:
Tia
n’s
oppo...
Der
ek’s
op...
Tia
n’s
oppo...
Der
ek’s
op...
0% 0%0%0%
a) Tian’s opportunity cost of writing programs is less than that of Derek.
b) Derek’s opportunity cost of writing programs and of making sunglasses is less than that of Tian.
c) Tian’s opportunity cost of writing programs and of making sunglasses is less than that of Derek.
d) Derek’s opportunity cost of writing programs is less than that of Tian.
a) Tian’s opportunity cost of writing programs is less than that of Derek.
b) Derek’s opportunity cost of writing programs and of making sunglasses is less than that of Tian.
c) Tian’s opportunity cost of writing programs and of making sunglasses is less than that of Derek.
d) Derek’s opportunity cost of writing programs is less than that of Tian.
1 2 3 4 5
Problem Set 1: #14
Go to college
Tuition $17,000
Food + Rent $ 7,000
Parties $ 3,000
Books $ 600
Car $ 3,600
Don’t go to college
Job $19,000
Food + Rent $ 7,000
Parties $ 3,000
Car $ 3,600
Cost of going to college =$17,000 + $600 + $19,000 = $36,600
Sue Student