PowerPoint Slides by Robert F. BrookerCopyright (c) 2001 by Harcourt, Inc. All rights reserved. Market Structure Perfect Competition Monopolistic Competition.

PowerPoint Slides by Robert F. Brooker Copyright (c) 2001 by Harcourt, Inc. All rights reserved.

Market Structure

Perfect Competition

Monopolistic Competition

Oligopoly

Monopoly

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PowerPoint Slides by Robert F. Brooker Copyright (c) 2001 by Harcourt, Inc. All rights reserved.

Perfect Competition

• Many buyers and sellers

• Buyers and sellers are price takers

• Product is homogeneous

• Perfect mobility of resources

• Economic agents have perfect knowledge

• Example: Stock Market

PowerPoint Slides by Robert F. Brooker Copyright (c) 2001 by Harcourt, Inc. All rights reserved.

Monopolistic Competition

• Many sellers and buyers

• Differentiated product

• Perfect mobility of resources

• Example: Fast-food outlets

PowerPoint Slides by Robert F. Brooker Copyright (c) 2001 by Harcourt, Inc. All rights reserved.

Oligopoly

• Few sellers and many buyers

• Product may be homogeneous or differentiated

• Barriers to resource mobility

• Example: Automobile manufacturers

PowerPoint Slides by Robert F. Brooker Copyright (c) 2001 by Harcourt, Inc. All rights reserved.

Monopoly

• Single seller and many buyers

• No close substitutes for product

• Significant barriers to resource mobility– Control of an essential input– Patents or copyrights– Economies of scale: Natural monopoly– Government franchise: Post office

PowerPoint Slides by Robert F. Brooker Copyright (c) 2001 by Harcourt, Inc. All rights reserved.

Perfect Competition:Price Determination

PowerPoint Slides by Robert F. Brooker Copyright (c) 2001 by Harcourt, Inc. All rights reserved.

Perfect Competition:Short-Run Equilibrium

Firm’s Demand Curve = Market Price

= Marginal Revenue

Firm’s Supply Curve = Marginal Cost

where Marginal Cost > Average Variable Cost

PowerPoint Slides by Robert F. Brooker Copyright (c) 2001 by Harcourt, Inc. All rights reserved.

Perfect Competition:Short-Run Equilibrium

PowerPoint Slides by Robert F. Brooker Copyright (c) 2001 by Harcourt, Inc. All rights reserved.

Perfect Competition:Long-Run Equilibrium

Price = Marginal Cost = Average Total Cost

Quantity is set by the firm so that short-run:

At the same quantity, long-run:

Price = Marginal Cost = Average Cost

Economic Profit = 0

PowerPoint Slides by Robert F. Brooker Copyright (c) 2001 by Harcourt, Inc. All rights reserved.

Perfect Competition:Long-Run Equilibrium

PowerPoint Slides by Robert F. Brooker Copyright (c) 2001 by Harcourt, Inc. All rights reserved.

Monopoly

• Single seller that produces a product with no close substitutes

• Sources of Monopoly– Control of an essential input to a product– Patents or copyrights– Economies of scale: Natural monopoly– Government franchise: Post office

PowerPoint Slides by Robert F. Brooker Copyright (c) 2001 by Harcourt, Inc. All rights reserved.

MonopolyShort-Run Equilibrium

• Demand curve for the firm is the market demand curve

• Firm produces a quantity (Q*) where marginal revenue (MR) is equal to marginal cost (MR)

• Exception: Q* = 0 if average variable cost (AVC) is above the demand curve at all levels of output

PowerPoint Slides by Robert F. Brooker Copyright (c) 2001 by Harcourt, Inc. All rights reserved.

MonopolyShort-Run Equilibrium

Q* = 500

P* = $11

PowerPoint Slides by Robert F. Brooker Copyright (c) 2001 by Harcourt, Inc. All rights reserved.

MonopolyLong-Run Equilibrium

Q* = 700

P* = $9

PowerPoint Slides by Robert F. Brooker Copyright (c) 2001 by Harcourt, Inc. All rights reserved.

Social Cost of Monopoly

PowerPoint Slides by Robert F. Brooker Copyright (c) 2001 by Harcourt, Inc. All rights reserved.

Monopolistic Competition

• Many sellers of differentiated (similar but not identical) products

• Limited monopoly power

• Downward-sloping demand curve

• Increase in market share by competitors causes decrease in demand for the firm’s product

PowerPoint Slides by Robert F. Brooker Copyright (c) 2001 by Harcourt, Inc. All rights reserved.

Monopolistic CompetitionShort-Run Equilibrium

PowerPoint Slides by Robert F. Brooker Copyright (c) 2001 by Harcourt, Inc. All rights reserved.

Monopolistic CompetitionLong-Run Equilibrium

Profit = 0

PowerPoint Slides by Robert F. Brooker Copyright (c) 2001 by Harcourt, Inc. All rights reserved.

Monopolistic CompetitionLong-Run Equilibrium

Cost without selling expenses

Cost with selling expenses