1. The Analysis of Competitive Markets
Chapter 9
The Analysis of Competitive Markets 1

2. Topics to be Discussed
Evaluating the Gains and Losses from Government Policies--Consumer and Producer Surplus
The Efficiency of a Competitive Market
Minimum Prices
Chapter 9 2

3. Topics to be Discussed Price Supports and Production Quotas
Import Quotas and Tariffs
The Impact of a Tax or Subsidy
Chapter 9 3

4. Evaluating the Gains and Losses from Government Policies--Consumer and Producer Surplus
Review
Consumer surplus is the total benefit or value that consumers receive beyond what they pay for the good.
Producer surplus is the total benefit or revenue that producers receive beyond what it cost to produce a good.
Chapter 9 5

5. Consumer and Producer Surplus
Price
Consumer
Surplus D 10 7
Consumer B
Consumer A
Between 0 and Q0
consumers A and B
receive a net gain from
buying the product--
consumer surplus S 5 Q0
Consumer C
Producer
Surplus
Between 0 and Q0
producers receive
a net gain from
selling each product--
producer surplus.
Quantity 9

6. Evaluating the Gains and Losses from Government Policies--Consumer and Producer Surplus
To determine the welfare effect of a governmental policy we can measure the gain or loss in consumer and producer surplus.
Welfare Effects
Gains and losses caused by government intervention in the market.
Chapter 9 10

7. Change in Consumer and Producer Surplus from Price Controls
Pmax Q1 Q2
Suppose the government
imposes a price ceiling Pmax
which is below the
market-clearing price P0.
Price S D
The loss to producers is
the sum of rectangle
A and triangle C. Triangle
B and C together measure
the deadweight loss. B A C
The gain to consumers is
the difference between
the rectangle A and the
triangle B.
Deadweight Loss P0 Q0
Chapter 9
Quantity 13

8. Change in Consumer and Producer Surplus from Price Controls
Observations:
The total loss is equal to area B + C.
The total change in surplus =
(A - B) + (-A - C) = -B - C
The deadweight loss is the inefficiency of the price controls or the loss of the producer surplus exceeds the gain from consumer surplus.
Chapter 9 14

9. Change in Consumer and Producer Surplus from Price Controls
Observation
Consumers can experience a net loss in consumer surplus when the demand is sufficiently inelastic
Chapter 9 15

10. Effect of Price Controls When Demand Is InelasticB A
Pmax C Q1
If demand is sufficiently
inelastic, triangle B can
be larger than rectangle
A and the consumer
suffers a net loss from
price controls.
Example
Oil price controls
and gasoline shortages
in 1979
Price S D P0 Q2
Quantity
Chapter 9 17

11. The Efficiency of a Competitive Market
When do competitive markets generate an inefficient allocation of resources or market failure?
1) Externalities
Costs or benefits that do not show up as part of the market price (e.g. pollution)
Chapter 9 30

12. The Efficiency of a Competitive Market
When do competitive markets generate an inefficient allocation of resources or market failure?
2) Lack of Information
Imperfect information prevents consumers from making utility- maximizing decisions.
Chapter 9 30

13. The Efficiency of a Competitive Market
Government intervention in these markets can increase efficiency.
Government intervention without a market failure creates inefficiency or deadweight loss.
Chapter 9 31

14. Welfare Loss When Price Is Held Below Market-Clearing LevelQ0 P1 Q1 A B C
When price is
regulated to be no
higher than P1, the deadweight loss given by triangles B and C results.
Chapter 9
Quantity 34

15. Welfare Loss When Price Is Held Above Market-Clearing LevelQ3 A B C Q2
What would the deadweight
loss be if QS = Q2?
When price is
regulated to be no
lower than P2 only Q3
will be demanded. The
deadweight loss is given
by triangles B and C
Price S D P0 Q0
Chapter 9
Quantity 37

16. Minimum Prices
Periodically government policy seeks to raise prices above market-clearing levels.
We will investigate this by looking at a price floor and the minimum wage.
Chapter 9 49

17. Price Minimum Pmin Q3 Q2 S D P0 Q0 If producers produce
Q2, the amount Q2 - Q3
will go unsold.
Price S D P0 Q0 B A
The change in producer
surplus will be
A - C - D. Producers
may be worse off. C D
Quantity
Chapter 9 52

18. Firms are not allowed to results in unemployment.
The Minimum Wage A
wmin L1 L2
Unemployment
Firms are not allowed to
pay less than wmin. This
results in unemployment. w S D w0 L0 B
The deadweight loss
is given by
triangles B and C. C L
Chapter 9 55

19. Price Supports and Production Quotas
Much of agricultural policy is based on a system of price supports.
This is support price is set above the equilibrium price and the government buys the surplus.
This is often combined with incentives to reduce or restrict production
Chapter 9 63

20. Price Supports S D P0 Q0 D + Qg Qg B D Ps Q2 Q1 PriceA
To maintain a price Ps
the government buys
quantity Qg . The change in
consumer surplus = -A - B,
and the change in producer
surplus is A + B + D Ps Q2 Q1
Quantity
Chapter 9 66

21. Price Supports D + Qg Qg S Ps P0 D Q1 Q0 Q2 The cost to the
government is the
speckled rectangle
Ps(Q2-Q1)
Price
D + Qg Qg S Ps
Total welfare loss
D-(Q2-Q1)ps A B D P0
Total
Welfare
Loss D Q1 Q0 Q2
Quantity
Chapter 9 66

22. Price Supports Question:
Is there a more efficient way to increase farmer’s income by A + B + D?
Chapter 9 68

23. Price Supports and Production Quotas
The government can also cause the price of a good to rise by reducing supply.
Chapter 9 69

24. Price Supports and Production Quotas
What is the impact of:
1) Controlling entry into the taxicab market?
2) Controlling the number of liquor licenses?
Chapter 9 69

25. Supply Restrictions PS S’ Q1 D P0 Q0 S Supply restricted to Q1 Price
Supply shifts to Q1
Price D P0 Q0 S B A
CS reduced by A + B
Change in PS = A - C
Deadweight loss = BC C D
Quantity
Chapter 9 71

26. Supply Restrictions PS S’ Q1 D P0 Q0 S Ps is maintained with Price
and incentive
Cost to government = B + C + D
Price D P0 Q0 S A B D C
Quantity
Chapter 9 71

27. Supply Restrictions = A - C + B + C + D = A + B + D.
The change in consumer and producer surplus is the same as with price supports.
= -A - B + A + B + D - B - C - D = -B - C. B A
Quantity
Price D P0 Q0 PS S S’ C
Chapter 9 73

28. Supply Restrictions Questions:
How could the government reduce the cost and still subsidize the farmer?
Which is more costly: supports or acreage limitations? B A
Quantity
Price D P0 Q0 PS S S’ C
Chapter 9 74

29. Import Tariff or Quota That Eliminates ImportsD P0 Q0 S
In a free market, the
domestic price equals the
world price PW.
Price QS QD PW
Imports A B C
By eliminating imports,
the price is increased to
PO. The gain is area A. The
loss to consumers A + B + C,
so the deadweight loss
is B + C.
How high would
a tariff have
to be to get the
same result?
Quantity
Chapter 9 92

30. Import Tariff or Quota (general case)
The increase in price can be achieved by a quota or a tariff.
Area A is again the gain to domestic producers.
The loss to consumers is A + B + C + D. D S
Price D C B QS QD
Q’S
Q’D A P* Pw
Quantity
Chapter 9 94

31. Import Tariff or Quota (general case)
If a tariff is used the government gains D, so the net domestic product loss is B + C.
If a quota is used instead, rectangle D becomes part of the profits of foreign producers, and the net domestic loss is B + C + D. D C B QS QD
Q’S
Q’D A P* Pw
Quantity S
Price
Chapter 9 94

32. Import Tariff or Quota (general case)
Question:
Would the U.S. be better off or worse off with a quota instead of a tariff? (e.g. Japanese import restrictions in the 1980s) D S
Price D C B QS QD
Q’S
Q’D A P* Pw
Quantity
Chapter 9 95

33. The Sugar Quota
The world price of sugar has been as low as 4 cents per pound, while in the U.S. the price has been cents per pound.
Chapter 9 96

34. The Sugar Quota The Impact of a Restricted Market (1997)
U.S. production = 15.6 billion pounds
U.S. consumption = 21.1 billion pounds
U.S. price = 22 cents/pound
World price = 11 cents/pound
Chapter 9 97

35. The Sugar Quota The Impact of a Restricted Market U.S. ES = 1.54
U.S. ED = -0.3
U.S. supply: QS = P
U.S. demand: QD = P
P = .23 and Q = 13.7 billion pounds
Chapter 9 98

36. Sugar Quota in 1997 SUS DUS D A B Price PW = 11 PUS = 21.9 C QS = 4.0
(cents/lb.)
PW = 11
PUS = 21.9 C D B
QS = 4.0
Q’S = 15.6
Q’d = 21.1
Qd = 24.2 A
The cost of the quotas
to consumers was
A + B + C + D, or $2.4b.
The gain to producers
was area A, or $1b. 20 16 11 8 4 5 10 15 20 25 30
Quantity
(billions of pounds)
100

37. Sugar Quota in 1997 SUS DUS D A B Price PW = 11 PUS = 21.9 C 20 16 11
(cents/lb.)
PW = 11
PUS = 21.9 B D C
Rectangle D was the
gain to foreign producers
who obtained quota
allotments, or $600 million.
Triangles B and C represent
the deadweight loss of
$800 million. 20 A 16 11 8 4
Qd = 24.2 5 10 15 20 25 30
Quantity
(billions of pounds)
QS = 4.0
Q’S = 15.6
Q’d = 21.1
100

38. The Impact of a Tax or Subsidy
The burden of a tax (or the benefit of a subsidy) falls partly on the consumer and partly on the producer.
We will consider a specific tax which is a tax of a certain amount of money per unit sold.
Chapter 9
103

39. Incidence of a SpecificTaxQ1 PS Pb t
Pb is the price (including
the tax) paid by buyers.
PS is the price sellers receive,
net of the tax. The burden
of the tax is split evenly.
Price D S B D A
Buyers lose A + B, and
sellers lose D + C, and
the government earns A + D
in revenue. The deadweight
loss is B + C. C P0 Q0
Quantity
Chapter 9
106

40. Incidence of a Specific Tax
Four conditions that must be satisfied after the tax is in place:
1) Quantity sold and Pb must be on the demand line: QD = QD(Pb)
2) Quantity sold and PS must be on the supply line: QS = QS(PS)
Chapter 9
107

41. Incidence of a Specific Tax
Four conditions that must be satisfied after the tax is in place:
3) QD = QS
4) Pb - PS = tax
Chapter 9
108

42. Impact of a Tax Depends on Elasticities of Supply and Demand
Burden on Buyer
Burden on Seller S D
Price
Price Q1 Pb PS t Q1 Pb PS t Q0 P0
Quantity
Quantity
110

43. The Impact of a Tax or Subsidy
Pass-through fraction
ES/(ES - Ed)
For example, when demand is perfectly inelastic (Ed = 0), the pass-through fraction is 1, and all the tax is borne by the consumer.
Chapter 9
111

44. The Effects of a Tax or Subsidy
A subsidy can be analyzed in much the same way as a tax.
It can be treated as a negative tax.
The seller’s price exceeds the buyer’s price.
Chapter 9
112

45. upon the elasticities of
Subsidy
Price D S Q1 PS Pb s
Like a tax, the benefit
of a subsidy is split
between buyers and
sellers, depending
upon the elasticities of
supply and demand. P0 Q0
Quantity
Chapter 9
114

46. Subsidy
With a subsidy (s), the selling price Pb is below the subsidized price PS so that:
s = PS - Pb
Chapter 9
115

47. Subsidy The benefit of the subsidy depends upon Ed /ES.
If the ratio is small, most of the benefit accrues to the consumer.
If the ratio is large, the producer benefits most.
Chapter 9
115

48. A Tax on Gasoline Measuring the Impact of a 50 Cent Gasoline Tax
Intermediate-run EP of demand = -0.5
QD = P
EP of supply = 0.4
QS = P
QS = QD at $1 and 100 billion gallons per year (bg/yr)
Chapter 9
116

49. A Tax on Gasoline With a 50 cent tax QD = 150 - 50Pb = 60 + 40PS = QS
(PS+ .50) = PS
PS = .72
Pb = .5 + PS
Pb = $1.22
Chapter 9
117

50. A Tax on Gasoline With a 50 cent tax Q = 150 -(50)(1.22) = 89 bg/yr
Q falls by 11%
Chapter 9
118

51. Impact of a 50 Cent Gasoline TaxD 60
Price
($ per
gallon)
1.50 D A
Lost Consumer
Surplus
Lost Producer
PS = .72
Pb = 1.22
The annual revenue
from the tax is .50(89)
or $44.5 billion. The buyer
pays 22 cents of the tax, and
the producer pays 28 cents. 89
t = 0.50 11
100
P0 = 1.00
.50
Quantity (billion
gallons per year) 50
150
Chapter 9
122

52. Impact of a 50 Cent Gasoline TaxD 60
Price
($ per
gallon)
1.50 D A
Lost Consumer
Surplus
Lost Producer
PS = .72
Pb = 1.22 89
t = 0.50 11
100
P0 = 1.00
Deadweight loss = $2.75 billion/yr
.50
Quantity (billion
gallons per year) 50
150
Chapter 9
122

53. Summary
Simple models of supply and demand can be used to analyze a wide variety of government policies.
In each case, consumer and producer surplus are used to evaluate the gains and losses to consumers and producers.
Chapter 9
123

54. Summary
When government imposes a tax or subsidy, price usually does not rise or fall by the full amount of the tax or subsidy.
Government intervention generally leads to a deadweight loss.
Chapter 9
124

55. Summary
Government intervention in a competitive market is not always a bad thing.
Chapter 9
124

56. The Analysis of Competitive Markets
End of Chapter 9
The Analysis of Competitive Markets 1