BA4309, Fall 2002 - Test 2.                                                                                              Peter Lewin.

 

Please read the following carefully:

 

Multiple Choice -25 questions.  Please use a 50 question scantron (882-E or ES) with a pencil.  Hand in only the scantron (you may keep this question paper). 

 

This is a closed book exam.  Cheating will result in a zero (among other possible sanctions).

 

Among the possibilities given in each question select the best  alternative.

 

Solution and grade distribution at end.

 

1.        Licensure in the U.S. is

a.        confined just to a few professions like doctors and dentists

b.       affects only six professions

c.        affects only twelve professions

d.       affects a large number of professions and jobs

 

2.        Most occupational licensing boards are composed of

a.        disinterested lay people drawn from the general population

b.       licensed practitioners in the occupation that the board oversees

c.        licensed practitioners in another occupation than the one that the board oversees

d.       only those who have passed the civil service exam

e.        a and d of the above

 

3.        Of the various levels of occupational control which of the following is the most restrictive?

a.        no control

b.       registration

c.        certification

d.       licensing

 

4.        Given the choice, a single seller monopolist will operate in

a.        the elastic section of the demand curve

b.       the inelastic section of the demand curve

c.        where the elasticity of demand equals unity

d.       where the elasticity of demand equals zero

 

5.        For a perfectly competitive firm the MC curve above the AC curve can be used as the

a.        supply curve

b.       demand curve

c.        maximum profit curve

d.       minimum cost curve

 

 

6.        Which of the following characterized the recent California electricity crisis?

a.        wholesale electricity prices rose very sharply

b.       retail electric prices were controled by regulation

c.        utilities were prevented from using long term contracts

d.       all of the above

e.        only a and b of the above

 

 

 

7.        In the midst of California’s crisis, Governor Gray Davis said, “If I wanted to I could solve this problem in 20 minutes.” How?

a.        by subsidizing the production of electricity

b.       by taxing the utilities

c.        by using state money to buy sufficient electricity

d.       by allowing retail prices to rise to their market levels

 

8.        If a firm faces a horizontal demand curve it is a

a.        price taker

b.       price maker

c.        price searcher

d.       price nuisance

e.        none of the above

 

9.        For a firm in a long run perfectly competitive equilibrium

a.        average cost is at a minimum

b.       marginal cost is at a minimum

c.        total revenue is at a maximum

d.       all of the above

e.        a and b of the above

 

10.     For a perfectly competitive firm in short run, but not long run, equilibrium, which of the following may not be true?

a.        average cost is at a minimum

b.       marginal revenue equals marginal cost

c.        profits are maximized

d.       marginal revenue equals average revenue

e.        price equals average revenue

 

11.     For a single seller monopolist

a.        marginal revenue must always be equal to average revenue

b.       marginal revenue must always be above average revenue

c.        marginal revenue must always be below average revenue

d.       marginal revenue must always cross average revenue on the x axis

 

12.     If average cost is falling, marginal cost

a.        must also be falling

b.       must be below it

c.        must be rising

d.       a and b of the above

 

13.     Considered from a dynamic perspective being a single seller is

a.        a necessary condition for the possession of monopoly power

b.       a sufficient condition for the possession of monopoly power

c.        a sufficient and a necessary condition for the possession of monopoly power

d.       neither a sufficient nor a necessary condition for the possession of monopoly power

 

14.     Even a firm in an industry with a very small number of sellers may have minimal control over price because of

a.        the threat of competition from possible entrants

b.       competition among a small number of sellers may be quite vigorous

c.        both of the above

d.       none of the above – it will always have control over price

 

 

 

15.     For purposes of regulation and litigation which of the following is a reliable indicator of the presence of inefficient monopoly power?

a.        a high market share

b.       a low elasticity of demand

c.        a small number of competitors

d.       all of the above

e.        none of the above

 

16.     From the perspective of the traditional neoclassical model which of the following are considered social costs of monopoly?

a.        the profits earned by the monopolist

b.       the loss in consumer surplus that results from monopoly power

c.        both of the above

d.       none of the above

 

17.     Which of the following Acts concerns anti-trust?

a.        the McFadden

b.       the Glass-Stegall

c.        the Sherman

d.       the Smith

 

18.     Which of the following law cases concerned anti-trust?

a.        Standard Oil

b.       Robber Barron

c.        Rockefeller

d.       Carnegie

 

19.     The anti-trust case against Microsoft used which of the following ideas?

a.        Microsoft charged a price that was too high to be competitive

b.       Microsoft acted like a predator, trying to destroy its competition by temporarily changing low prices

c.        Microsoft illegally bundled high price products with low price products, thus forcing the consumer to buy both 

d.       b and c of the above

e.        none of the above

 

20.     According to Armentano, what constitutes a credible barrier to entry?

a.        government restrictions

b.       large size of the incumbent

c.        insufficient capital

d.       inability to advertise

e.        all of the above

 

21.    In the traditional theory a natural monopolist is identified by

a.        an average cost curve that slopes down over the relevant range of production

b.       substantial innovation

c.        a downward sloping marginal cost curve

d.       all of the above

e.        a and b of the above

 

22.    Most of the popular solutions for the high price of health care in the U.S. fail to address which of the following (consider only the alternatives that are indeed potential solutions)?

a.        how to decrease the demand for health care

b.       how to increase the supply of health care

c.        how to decrease the supply of health care

d.       how to increase the demand for health care

 

23.      Which of the following works to increase the demand for health care?

a.        the existence of medical insurance

b.       the cost of malpractice insurance

c.        the licensing of doctors

d.       the expensive technology

e.        a and b of the above

 

24.      A natural monopoly forced to operate at a point where price equals marginal cost

a.        would be operating a the lowest possible average cost

b.       would be operating efficiently

c.        would be making a loss

d.       would be maximizing profits

 

25.      Which of the following is a source of economies of scale?

a.        low fixed costs

b.       high fixed costs

c.        steep variable costs

d.       barriers to entry

e.        none of the above

 

Bonus question:

 

26.      Imagine a firm that is a single seller monopolist that produces a product in two separate markets (the markets are not connected in any way). Assume that the elasticity of demand in market 1 is less than the elasticity of demand in market 2. Assume that the firm acts to maximize profits. Which of the following is true?

a.        the price in market 1 will be higher than the price in market 2

b.       the price in market 1 will be lower than the price in market 2

c.        the marginal revenue in market 1 will be higher than the marginal revenue in market 2

d.       the marginal revenue in market 1 will equal the marginal revenue in market 2

e.        a and d of the above.

 


GRADE DISTRIBUTION:

 

If you score is greater than or equal to:       your grade is

18

A

17

B+

16

B

14

C+

ELSE

C

 

 

Solution:

 

1.        d

2.        b

3.        d

4.        a

5.        a

6.        d

7.        d

8.        a

9.        a

10.     a

11.     c

12.     b

13.     d

14.     c

15.     e

16.     b

17.     c

18.     a

19.     d

20.     a

21.     a

22.     b

23.     a

24.     c

25.     b

26.     e