Transcript (a) and (b).

Chapter 10
Practice Quiz
Monopolistic Competition
and Oligopoly
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1. An industry with many small sellers, a
differentiated product, and easy entry would
best be described as which of the following?
a. Oligopoly.
b. Monopolistic competition.
c. Perfect competition.
d. Monopoly.
B. An oligopoly has only a few sellers. A
monopoly only has one, and perfect
competition has homogeneous products.
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2. Which of the following industries is the best
example of monopolistic competition?
a. Wheat.
b. Restaurant.
c. Automobile.
d. Water service.
B. Wheat would be in a perfectly competitive
market. Automobiles would be an oligopoly.
And the water service is an example of a
regulated monopoly.
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3. Which of the following is not a
characteristic of monopolistic competition?
a. A large number of small firms.
b. A differentiated product.
c. Easy market entry.
d. A homogeneous product.
D. A characteristic of monopolistic
competition is differentiated products.
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4. A monopolistically competitive firm will
a. maximize profits by producing where MR = MC.
b. not earn an economic profit in the long run.
c. shut down if price is less than average variable
cost.
d. do all of the above.
D. Both a monopolistically competitive
firm and a perfectly competitive firm
share these characteristics.
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5. The theory of monopolistic competition predicts
that in long-run equilibrium a monopolistically
competitive firm will
a. produce the output level at which price
equals long-run marginal cost.
b. operate at minimum long-run average cost.
c. overutilize its insufficient capacity.
d. produce the output level at which price equals
long-run average cost.
D. In long-run equilirum, output occurs where
the price equals long-run average cost.
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6. A monopolistically competitive firm is inefficient
because the firm
a. earns positive economic profit in the long run.
b. is producing at an output where marginal cost
equals price.
c. is not maximizing its profit.
d. produces an output where average total cost is
not minimum.
D. Output occurs where average cost is not at a
minimum.
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7. A monopolistically competitive firm in the
long run earns the same economic profit as a
a. perfectly competitive firm.
b. monopolist.
c. cartel.
d. none of the above.
A. In the long-run, a normal profit is
made because of the ease of entry and
exit. Once economic profits are made,
more firms will enter the industry
driving the price down. When losses
are made, firms leave the industry,
driving the price up, restoring profits.
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8. One possible effect of advertising on a firm’s
long-run average cost curve is to
a. raise the curve.
b. lower the curve.
c. shift the curve rightward.
d. shift the curve leftward.
A. The ATC curve is raised because of
the added expense of the advertising.
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9. Monopolistic competition is an inefficient market
structure because
a. firms earn zero profit in the long-run.
b. marginal cost is less than price in the long-run.
c. a wider variety of products is available compared
to perfect competition.
d. all of the above.
B. In the long-run, marginal cost is less
than price because of the downward
sloping demand curve and a marginal
revenue curve that is more steeply
sloped beneath the demand curve.
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10. The “Big Three” U.S. automobile
industry is described as
a. a monopoly.
b. perfect competition.
c. monopolistic competition.
d. an oligopoly.
D. An oligopoly is a market form with
only a few sellers.
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11. The cigarette industry in the United
States is described as
a. a monopoly.
b. perfect competition.
c. monopolistic competition.
d. an oligopoly.
D. The cigarette industry has only a few sellers.
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12. A characteristic of an oligopoly is
a. mutual interdependence in pricing
decisions.
b. easy market entry.
c. both (a) and (b).
d. neither (a) nor (b).
A. The distinguishing feature of an oligopoly
is mutual interdependence. No one firm
will make a decision without first
considering the reaction of its competitors
to its policy change.
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13. The kinked demand curve theory attempts to
explain why an oligopolistic firm
a. has relatively large advertising expenditures.
b. fails to invest in research and development (R
and D).
c. infrequently changes its price.
d. engages in excessive brand proliferation.
C. Everything else being equal, if firm A raises
its price, other firms will not raise theirs,
and A will experience a big decline in sales.
If A lowers its price, other firms will follow
suit and A will not gain many sales.
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14. According to the kinked demand curve
theory, when one firm raises its price, other
firms will
a. also raise their prices.
b. refuse to follow.
c. increase their advertising expenditures.
d. exit the industry.
B. They will refuse to follow firm A because
they can gain more by charging a lower
price, their sales will increase because
fewer people will buy from firm A.
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15. Which of the following is evidence that OPEC is a
cartel?
a. Agreement on price and output quotas by oil
ministries.
b. Ability to raise prices regardless of demand.
c. Mutual interdependence in pricing and output
decisions.
d. Ability to completely control entry.
A. A cartel is characterized by collusion, the
coming together and agreeing to certain
policies, for example, the level of prices.
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Exhibit 10: A Two-Firm Payoff Matrix
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16. Assume costs are identical for the two firms in Exhibit 10. If
both firms were allowed to form a cartel and agree on their
prices, equilibrium would be established by
a. Zeba Oil charging $100 and Tucker Oil charging $100.
b. Zeba Oil charging $100 and Tucker Oil charging $50.
c. Zeba Oil charging $50 and Tucker Oil charging $50.
d. Zeba Oil charging $50 and Tucker Oil charging $100.
A. The collective interest is best served in cell A where
each firm charges the same high fare and makes the
maximum profit.
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17. Suppose costs are identical for the two firms in Exhibit 10. If
both firms assume the other will compete and charge a
lower price, equilibrium will be established by
a. Zeba Oil charging $100 and Tucker Oil charging $100.
b. Zeba Oil charging $100 and Tucker Oil charging $50.
c. Zebo Oil charging $50 and Tucker Oil charging $100.
d. Zeba Oil charging $50 and Tucker Oil charging $50.
D. Cell D is the result of each firm countering
with a low fare and both fear changing the
price and causing the other to counter.
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18. Suppose costs are identical for the two firms in Exhibit 10.
Each firm assumes without formal agreement that if it sets
the high price, its rival will not charge a lower price. Under
these tit-for-tat conditions, equilibrium will be established
by
a. Zeba Oil charging $100 and Tucker Oil charging $100.
b. Zeba Oil charging $100 and Tucker Oil charging $50.
c. Zeba Oil charging $50 and Tucker Oil charging $50.
d. Zeba Oil charging $50 and Tucker Oil charging $100.
A. The low fare outcome in cell D is avoided
under a tit for tat belief that a rival will do
what the other rival did last time.
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19. Which of the following is a game theory
strategy for oligopolists to avoid a low-price
outcome?
a. Tit for tat
b. Win-win
c. Last-in-first-out
d. Second best
A. Under the tit for tat approach, a player will
do whatever the other player did last time.
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20. Which of the following is a game theory
strategy for oligopolists to avoid a low-price
outcome?
a. Tit-for-tat
b. Price leadership
c. Cartel
d. All of the above
D. The payoff matrix demonstrates why a
competitive oligopoly would use one of these
strategies to avoid a low-price outcome.
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