Definitions Flashcards
(122 cards)
Utility
the satisfaction that consumers obtain from using up a good or service
Law of diminishing marginal utility
as a consumer increases their consumption of a product there will be less extra utility derived from subsequent levels of consumption
Equi-marginal principle
consumers maximise their utility where their marginal valuation for each product is the same
Equi-marginal principle assumptions
- consumers have limited incomes
- consumers will always behave in a rational manner
- consumers seek to maximise utility
Optimal purchase rule
- A consumer will consume until the point where P = MU
- If P > MU the consumer will not buy the good as it is too expensive
- If P < MU the consumer will buy more as they seek to maximise utility
Utility theory
Consumer equilibrium occurs when a consumer maximises total utility
Equilibrium occurs where the law of equi-marginal returns is met
NB: TU is maximised when MU = 0
NB: A rational consumer will not consume past the optimal purchase rule, MU = P
Utility theory assumptions (4)
- Consumers are rational, sometimes consumers are irrational and make decisions based on non-price factors
- Utility may be measured and will stay static over time
- The law of diminishing returns always holds true (sometimes the 2nd or 3rd level of consumption has the most utility
- Consumers always have perfect information
Indifference analysis assumptions
- There are only 2 goods
- Your income is fixed
- Prices of the 2 goods are fixed
Rationality and slope of indifference curves
A rational consumer will opt for the highest utility curve
The slope of the indifference curve represents the extent to which the consumer is willing to substitute one good for another (MRS*)
*Marginal rate of substitution
Substitution effect
following a price change, a consumer will substitute the cheaper good for the one that is now relatively more expensive
Income effect
following a price change, a consumer has higher real income and will purchase more of this good
Limitations of the indifference curve model
- Consumers may choose between many more than 2 goods
- Consumers may express their wants in rank order or prefrence instead of indifference
- Indifference curves assume that consumers act rationally, this is not always true
Indifference curve
represents the same total utility for a different combination of 2 goods
Economic efficiency
optimal allocation and use of resources (allocative and productive efficiency)
Productive efficiency
producing goods in the most efficient manner with the lowest production costs
Allocative efficiency and the 3 types
Social
producing the right goods demanded by society in the right quantity
Allocative (private sector) - where every good is produced up to the point where the marginal utility for the last unit consumed is the marginal cost of it
Pareto, where it is not possible to make someone better off without making someone else worse off
Market failure
when the market fails to achieve economic efficiency, poor allocation of resources or goods produced in a poor manner
Types of market failure
- Fails to accommodate externalities
- Fails to provide public goods
- Subject to a lack of information or misinformation
- Existence of monopolies or a lack of competition
- A lack of property rights
Externalities
the positive/negative spillover effect on an innocent third party not involved in the production or consumption of the good for which they receive no compensation
External cost/benefit
the monetary value of a negative/positive externality
Dynamic efficiency
keeping up with the latest technologies to keep production as efficient and technologically possible
Effectiveness of a tax is dependent on.. (5)
- Degree of elasticities
- Size of tax
- International implementation?
- Enforceable?
- Support from other policies?
Tax adv. & disadv.
Adv.
1. Tax revenue
Disadv.
1. High tax may destroy industry (employment & economic growth)
2. Hurts small firms more than large firms
3. Indirect taxes are typically regressive
4. Difficult to measure external cost and calculate tax equal to this
Subsidy adv. (3) & disadv. (4)
Adv.
1. Market based decision
2. If large it is likely to be effective
3. Popular policy
Disadv.
1. Cost of subsidy (opp cost)
2. DWL
3. May lead to dependancy
4. Difficult to measure external benefit and calculate subsidy equal to this