VMicroeconomics,V5thVedition l
ChapterV1
AnalyzingVEconomicVProblems
SolutionsVtoVReviewVQuestions
1. WhatVisVtheVdifferenceVbetweenVmicroeconomicsVandVmacroeconomics?
MicroeconomicsVstudiesVtheVeconomicVbehaviorVofVindividualVeconomicVdecisionVmakers,Vs
uchVasVaVconsumer,VaVworker,VaVfirm,VorVaVmanager.V MacroeconomicsVstudiesVhowVanVent
ireVnationalVeconomyVperforms,VexaminingVsuchVtopicsVasVtheVaggregateVlevelsVofVincomeV
andVemployment,VtheVlevelsVofVinterestVratesVandVprices,VtheVrateVofVinflation,VandVtheVnatu
reVofVbusinessVcycles.
2. WhyVisVeconomicsVoftenVdescribedVasVtheVscienceVofVconstrainedVchoice?
WhileVourVwantsVforVgoodsVandVservicesVareVunlimited,VtheVresourcesVnecessaryVtoVproduce
VthoseVgoodsVandVservices,VsuchVasVlabor,VmanagerialVtalent,Vcapital,VandVrawVmaterials,Var
eV“scarce”VbecauseVtheirVsupplyVisVlimited.V ThisVscarcityVimpliesVthatVweVareVconstrainedVi
nVtheVchoicesVweVcanVmakeVaboutVwhichVgoodsVandVservicesVtoVproduce.V Thus,Veconomics
VisVoftenVdescribedVasVtheVscienceVofVconstrainedVchoice.
3. HowVdoesVtheVtoolVofVconstrainedVoptimizationVhelpVdecisionVmakersVmakeVch
oices?VWhatVrolesVdoVtheVobjectiveVfunctionVandVconstraintsVplayVinVaVmodelVofVcon
strainedVoptimization?
ConstrainedVoptimizationVallowsVtheVdecisionVmakerVtoVselectVtheVbestV(optimal)Valternative
VwhileVaccountingVforVanyVpossibleVlimitationsVorVrestrictionsVonVtheVchoices.V TheVobjectiv
eVfunctionVrepresentsVtheVrelationshipVtoVbeVmaximizedVorVminimized.V ForVexample,VaVfirm
’sVprofitVmightVbeVtheVobjectiveVfunctionVandVallVchoicesVwillVbeVevaluatedVinVtheVprofitVfu
nctionVtoVdetermineVwhichVyieldsVtheVhighestVprofit.V TheVconstraintsVplaceVlimitationsVonVt
heVchoiceVtheVdecisionVmakerVcanVselectVandVdefinesVtheVsetVofValternativesVfromVwhichVth
eVbestVwillVbeVchosen.
4. SupposeVtheVmarketVforVwheatVisVcompetitive,VwithVanVupward-
slopingVsupplyVcurve,VaVdownward-
slopingVdemandVcurve,VandVanVequilibriumVpriceVofV$4.00VperVbushel.VWhyVwouldVaV
higherVpriceV(e.g.,V$5.00VperVbushel)VnotVbeVanVequilibriumVprice?VWhyVwouldVaVlow
erVpriceV(e.g.,V$2.50VperVbushel)VnotVbeVanVequilibriumVprice?
IfVtheVpriceVinVtheVmarketVwasVaboveVtheVequilibriumVprice,VconsumersVwouldVbeVwillingVt
oVpurchaseVfewerVunitsVthanVsuppliersVwouldVbeVwillingVtoVsell,VcreatingVanVexcessVsupply.
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VMicroeconomics,V5thVedition l
V AsVsuppliersVrealizeVtheyVareVnotVsellingVtheVunitsVtheyVhaveVmadeVavailable,VsellersVwill
VbidVdownVthe
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priceVtoVenticeVmoreVconsumersVtoVpurchaseVtheirVgoodsVorVservices.V ByVdefinition,Vequilib
riumVisVaVstateVthatVwillVremainVunchangedVasVlongVasVexogenousVfactorsVremainVunchange
d.V SinceVinVthisVcaseVsuppliersVwillVlowerVtheirVprice,VthisVhighVpriceVcannotVbeVanVequili
brium.
WhenVtheVpriceVisVbelowVtheVequilibriumVprice,VconsumersVwillVdemandVmoreVunitsVthanVs
uppliersVhaveVmadeVavailable.V ThisVexcessVdemandVwillVenticeVconsumersVtoVbidVupVtheVp
ricesVtoVpurchaseVtheVlimitedVunitsVavailable.V SinceVtheVpriceVwillVchange,VitVcannotVbeVan
Vequilibrium.
5. WhatVisVtheVdifferenceVbetweenVanVexogenousVvariableVandVanVendogenousVva
riableVinVanVeconomicVmodel?VWouldVitVeverVbeVusefulVtoVconstructVaVmodelVthatVc
ontainedVonlyVexogenousVvariablesV(andVnoVendogenousVvariables)?
ExogenousVvariablesVareVtakenVasVgivenVinVanVeconomicVmodel,Vi.e.,VtheyVareVdeterminedVb
yVsomeVprocessVoutsideVtheVmodel,VwhileVendogenousVvariablesVareVdeterminedVwithinVtheV
economicVmodelVbeingVstudied.
AnVeconomicVmodelVthatVcontainedVnoVendogenousVvariablesVwouldVnotVbeVveryVinteresting
.V WithVnoVendogenousVvariables,VnothingVwouldVbeVdeterminedVbyVtheVmodelVsoVitVwould
VnotVserveVmuchVpurpose.
6. WhyVdoVeconomistsVdoVcomparativeVstaticsVanalysis?VWhatVroleVdoVendog
enousVvariablesVandVexogenousVvariablesVplayVinVcomparativeVstaticsVanalysis?
ComparativeVstaticsVanalysesVareVperformedVtoVdetermineVhowVtheVlevelsVofVendogenousVva
riablesVchangeVasVsomeVexogenousVvariableVisVchanged.V ThisVtypeVofVanalysisVisVveryVimp
ortantVsinceVinVtheVrealVworldVtheVexogenousVvariables,VsuchVasVweather,VpolicyVtools,Vetc.
VareValwaysVchangingVandVitVisVusefulVtoVknowVhowVchangesVinVtheseVvariablesVaffectVtheV
levelsVofVother,Vendogenous,Vvariables.V AnVexampleVofVcomparativeVstaticsVanalysisVwould
VbeVaskingVtheVquestion:VIfVextraordinarilyVlowVrainfallV(anVexogenousVvariable)VcausesVaV3
0VpercentVreductionVinVcornVsupply,VbyVhowVmuchVwillVtheVmarketVpriceVforVcornV(anVend
ogenousVvariable)Vincrease?
7. WhatVisVtheVdifferenceVbetweenVpositiveVandVnormativeVanalysis?VWhichV
ofVtheVfollowingVquestionsVwouldVentailVpositiveVanalysis,VandVwhichVnormativeV
analysis?
a) WhatVeffectVwillVInternetVauctionVcompaniesVhaveVonVtheVprofitsVofVlocalVauto
mobileVdealerships?
b) ShouldVtheVgovernmentVimposeVspecialVtaxesVonVsalesVofVmerchandiseVmadeVov
erVtheVInternet?
PositiveVanalysisVattemptsVtoVexplainVhowVanVeconomicVsystemVworksVorVtoVpredictVhowVit
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VwillVchangeVoverVtimeVbyVaskingVexplanatoryVorVpredictiveVquestions.V NormativeVanalysis
VfocusesVonVwhatVshouldVbeVdoneVbyVaskingVprescriptiveVquestions.
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