Economics 10/10/11 mrmilewski.com

• OBJECTIVE: Demonstration of Chapter#5 and begin examination of price. MCSS E-1.2.2

• I. Administrative Stuff-attendance & distribution of test

• II. Chapter#5 Test• III. Journal #19 pt.A

-Read “Business Week Newsclip” p.126

-Answer questions (1-2) p.126

• IV. Journal #19 pt.B-notes on prices

• V. Journal#19 pt.C Film: I Pencil• NOTICE: Journals 11-20 Due Wednesday!

How is price determined?• Price is determined

by the intersection of supply & demand.

Prices as Signals• Price – the monetary value of a product as

established by supply & demand.• Price is a signal that helps us make

economic decisions.• High prices are a signal for producers to

produce more and consumers to buy less.• Low prices are a signal for producers to

produce less and consumers to buy more.

Advantages of Prices• 1.) Prices in a competitive market favor

neither the producer nor the consumer.• 2.) Prices in a market economy are

flexible.• 3.) Prices have no administrative costs and

answer the questions WHAT, HOW, and for WHOM to produce.

• 4.) You have known it your entire life.

Life without prices?• Prices help allocate scarce resources, but

what if there was no such thing as price?• Rationing – the government determines

everyone’s “fair” share.• Problem with determining what is fair.• High administrative stuff (cost,

enforcement, etc)• No incentive to work hard.

I Pencil

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Questions on “I Pencil”• 1.) What does Milton Friedman mean by saying

there is nobody in the world who knows how to make a pencil?

• 2.) What kind of transaction makes a free market possible?

• 3.) What must be true for all parties in a voluntary transaction?

• 4.) What is the price system?• 5.) What is the zero-sum game philosophy?• 6.) What is meant by the invisible hand?

Economics 10/11/11 http://mrmilewski.com

• OBJECTIVE: Examine how change in demand can affect the prices of goods. MCSS E-1.3.3

• I. Journal #20 pt.A-Read “Profiles in Economics” p.141-Answer question #1 p.141

• II. Quiz#11• III. Return of Chapter#5 Test• IV. Journal#20 pt.B

-notes on how inelastic & elastic demand effects prices

• V. Journal#20 pt.C-Questions on NBR

NOTICE: Journals 11-20 Due Tomorrow!

How is price determined?• Price is determined by

the intersection of the supply and demand curves.

Inelastic Demand v. Elastic DemandFigure 6.3a Figure 6.3b

Changes in Demand• A change in demand, like a change in

supply, can also affect the price of a good or service.

• All of the factors we examined in Chapter 4–changes in income, tastes, prices of related products, expectations, and the number of consumers–affect the market demand for goods and services.

Demand for Gold• One example is the

demand for gold. Figure 6.4 shows why gold prices have changed so dramatically over a 20-year period.

Figure 6.4

Why Gold Prices Fell• Whenever economic conditions or political instability threatens,

people tend to increase their demand for gold and drive the price up.

• Whenever the supply of gold increases dramatically–as when a major holder of gold like the Bank of England sells half of its gold holdings–the supply of gold increases, driving the price down.

• Price of gold 10/26/06: $584.40

• Price of gold 10/6/08: $886.40

• Price of gold 1/20/09: $846.94

• Price of gold 10/13/09: $1066.07

• Price of gold 10/11/10: $1340.36

2 Year Gold Price

10 Year Gold

36 Year Gold

NBR – segments 6-7• 1.) Why did farmers adjust their milk

production following the holiday season of 1998?

• 2.) Why did Kodak cut jobs in 1999?• 3.) What does leaner & meaner mean?• 4.) What is the elasticity of vacation homes?• 5.) What is the elasticity of prescription

drugs?

Economics 10/12/11 http://mrmilewski.com

• OBJECTIVE: Examine the success of Wal-mart & its effect on the United States. MCSS E-1.2.2&E-2.1.9

• I. Administrative Stuff-Attendance

-Journals 11-20 Due!

• II. Frontline: “Is Wal-mart Good for America?”-questions on film about Wal-mart

• NOTICE: Chapter#6 Test Monday!

Economics 10/13/11 http://mrmilewski.com

• OBJECTIVE: Examine the price system at work. MCSS E-1.4.1

• I. Journal#21 pt.A-Read “The Global Economy” p.138

-Answer questions (1-2) p.138

• II. Journal#21 pt.B-notes on the price system at work

• III. Mindjogger-video quiz on price

Price Adjustment Process• “Because transactions in a market economy

are voluntary, the compromise that eventually takes place must be to the benefit of both parties, or the compromise would not occur in the first place.” p.142

Market Equilibrium• When prices are relatively stable, and the

quantity of goods and services supplied is equal to the quantity demanded.

Surplus & Shortage• Surplus – a situation in which the quantity

supplied is greater than the quantity demanded at a given price.

• Shortage – a situation in which the quantity demanded is greater than the quantity supplied at a given price.

The Price Adjustment Process

Explaining and Predicting Prices• Economists use market models to explain how

the world around us works and predict how certain events such as changes in prices might occur.

• A change in price is normally the result of a change in supply, a change in demand, or changes in both.

• Elasticity of demand is also important when predicting prices.

Inelastic Demand v. Elastic DemandFigure 6.3a Figure 6.3b

Economic goals• The seven broad economic and social goals we

examined in Chapter #2 often conflict with each other. This is why the government has been playing a larger role in the economy than someone like Adam Smith would have liked.

• One way the government tries to achieve equity and security is by setting prices at “socially desirable” levels.

• What does “socially desirable” mean?

Distorting Market Outcomes• Price ceiling – a maximum legal price that can be

charged for a product.• Price ceilings can be found in places like NYC

who put rent controls on housing in an attempt to make it affordable.

• Price floor – the lowest legal price that can be paid for a good or service.

• Minimum wage – the lowest legal wage that can be paid to most workers is an example of a price floor.

Rent control• For example, without rent controls the equilibrium price for

housing in NYC might be $900 per month. At this price, suppliers would be willing to provide 2 million units of housing.

• REMINDERS: Law of Demand – as price drops quantity demanded increases.

Law of Supply – as price drops quantity supplied decreases.

• If NYC were to put a price ceiling of $600 per month on rent, what would happen to quantity demanded? What about quantity supplied?

• What is it called when quantity demanded exceeds quantity supplied?

Rent control in NYC

Federal Minimum Wage

Economics 10/14/11 http://mrmilewski.com

• OBJECTIVE: Begin examination of taxes. MCSS E-1.4.3

• I. Journal #22 pt.A-Examine “Economics at a Glance” p.225

-Answer question #1 p.225

• II. Quiz#12

• III. Journal #22 pt.B-notes on taxes

• III. Tax Film

• NOTICE: Chapter#6 Test Monday!

Chapter#9

• We will cover sections (1-3)

• Section#4 can take a long walk off a short pier.

Why taxes?• An enormous amount of money is required to run

the federal, state, and local governments of the United States.

• Total revenue collections by all levels of government have grown dramatically over the years.

• Even when adjusted for inflation and population growth, these revenues increased by nearly 800% since 1940.

Growth of TaxesFigure 9.1

Economic Impact of Taxes• Taxes and other gov’t revenues influence the

economy.• It affects resource allocation, consumer behavior,

and the nation’s productivity and growth.• The burden of a tax does not always fall on the

party being taxed, because some of the tax can be transferred to others.

Types of TaxesFigure 9.3

Taxing Suppliers• A tax placed on a good or

service at the factory raises the cost of production, which shifts the supply curve to the left.

• If demand remains unchanged, the equilibrium price of the product goes up.

• People react to the higher price in a predictable manner–they buy less.

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Corporate Tax Rates

Criteria for Effective Taxes• Some taxes will

always be needed, so we want to make them as effective as

possible.• Taxes must meet

three criteria:• 1.) equitable• 2.) simple• 3.) efficient

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QuintilesMinimum household income

Lowest Quintile $0Second Quintile $17,900Middle Quintile $30,500Fourth Quintile $45,200Highest Quintile $67,400Top 1% $307,500

Simple v. Complex Taxes• Individual income

tax–the tax on people’s earnings–is a prime example of a complex tax.

• Sales tax–a general tax levied on most consumer purchases–is much simpler.

Sin Tax• Often taxes are used

to encourage or discourage certain types of activities.

• Sin taxes are designed to raise revenue and reduce consumption of a socially undesirable product.

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