1 chapter 7: efficiency and exchange market equilibrium and efficiency economic efficiency exists...

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1

Chapter 7: Efficiency and Exchange

Market Equilibrium and Efficiency

• Economic efficiency exists when no change could be made to benefit one party without harming the other– Sometimes called Pareto efficiency– Equilibrium price and quantity are efficient

• Prices above or below equilibrium are not

2

Price Below Equilibrium

• Suppose milk is $1 per gallon

2.50

Quantity (1,000s of gallons/day)

Pric

e ($

/gal

lon)

1 2 3 4 5

2.00

1.50

1.00

0.50

D

S

3

Price Below Equilibrium

• A buyer offers $1.25 per gallon

2.50

Quantity (1,000s of gallons/day)

Pric

e ($

/gal

lon)

1 2 3 4 5

2.00

1.50

1.00

0.50

D

S

1.25

4

Price above Equilibrium

2.50

Quantity (1,000s of gallons/day)1 2 3 4 5

2.00

1.50

1.00

0.50

D

S

1.75 Only equilibrium price is efficient

Pric

e ($

/gal

lon)

5

Efficiency Conditions

6

Heating Oil Market

D

S2.00

Quantity (1,000s of gallons/day)

Pric

e ($

/gal

lon)

1 2 3 4 5

1.60

1.20

1.00

.80

1.80

1.40

8

Producer surplus = $900/day

Consumer surplus = $900/day

7

Price Ceiling on Heating Oil

D

S

2.00

Quantity (1,000s of gallons/day)1 2 3 4 5

1.60

1.20

1.00

0.80

1.80

1.40

8

Consumer surplus = $900/ day

Producer surplus = $100/ day

Lost surplus = $800/ day

Pric

e ($

/gal

lon)

8

Price Subsidies for Bread

Quantity (millions of loaves/month)2 4 6

$3.00

$1.00

$4.00

8

$2.00

D

S

Price ($/loaf)

Consumer Surplus = $4 M/month

BUT…

S with subsidy

Consumer Surplus = $9 M/month

9

The Cost of the Subsidy

BUT … The government loses $1 on every loaf

Imports 6 million loaves for $2 per loaf Government losses are $6 million

The net benefit of the subsidy program Consumer surplus – government losses Net benefit = $3 million

10

Taxes on Sellers

• Tax program– Seller reports sales in units to government– Seller pays a fixed dollar amount per unit sold

• A tax on the seller shifts the supply curve up by the amount of the tax– Vertical interpretation of the supply curve

• For each level of output, seller charges his marginal cost PLUS the tax

11

Tax on Avocado Sellers

S + tax

2.50

3.50

2.5

6

Quantity (millions of pounds/month)

Pric

e ($

/pou

nd)

1 2 3 4 5

5

4

2

1D

S

3

12

Taxes and Perfectly Elastic Supply

Quantity (millions of cars/month)

Price ($/car)

D

S

2.0

$20,000

If supply is perfectly elastic, buyers pay all of the tax

1.9

S + $100$20,100

13

Tax on Avocado Sellers

6

Q

P

3

D

S

3

S + tax

3.50

6

2.5

1 DQ

P

After TaxConsumer surplus = $3.125 MProducer surplus = $3.125 M

Total surplus = $6.25 MLoss = $2.75 M

Before TaxConsumer surplus = $4.5 MProducer surplus = $4.5 M

14

Taxes and Price Elasticity of Demand

Q

P

19

2.40

1.40

S + T

D1

S

24

2.00

2.60

1.602.00

21

S + T

Q

D2

S

24

P

More Elastic Demand Less Elastic Demand

Consumers pay a smaller share of the tax when demand is more elastic

15

Taxes and Deadweight Loss

Q

P

19

2.40

1.40

S + T

D1

S

24

2.00

Deadweight loss

2.60

1.602.00

21

S + T

Q

D2

S

24

P Deadweight loss

More Elastic Demand Less Elastic Demand

Deadweight loss is larger when demand is relatively elastic

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