I. Define Monopoly and describe how monopolistic maximize profits II. ...
I. Monopoly:
A monopoly is a market structure where there is only one seller of a particular product or service. This gives the monopolist significant market power, allowing them to set prices higher than in a competitive market. To maximize profits, a monopolist will typically produce at the quantity where marginal revenue equals marginal cost. This means they will produce less and charge a higher price than in a competitive market.
II. Efficiency of Monopoly:
A monopoly may not be efficient because it restricts output and charges higher prices than in a competitive market. This leads to deadweight loss, where some consumers who value the good more than the monopolist's cost are unable to purchase it at the monopoly price.
III. Monopolistic Competition:
Monopolistic competition is a market structure where there are many firms selling similar but differentiated products. Each firm has some degree of market power due to product differentiation. To maximize profits in monopolistic competition, firms will produce where marginal revenue equals marginal cost, just like in a monopoly. However, in the long run, profits will be driven to zero due to the ease of entry and exit in the market.
IV. Oligopoly:
An oligopoly is a market structure where a few large firms dominate the market. Under conditions of oligopoly, firms often engage in strategic behavior, taking into account the actions of their competitors when making decisions. This can lead to price wars, collusion, or other forms of non-price competition. Firms in an oligopoly may engage in price leadership, where one firm sets the price and others follow, or they may engage in tacit collusion to maintain high prices and profits. Overall, firm behavior in an oligopoly is complex and influenced by the actions of their competitors.
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