RATIONING and ALLOCATING RESOURCES Price Rationing
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Chapter 4 Demand and Supply Applications Prepared by: Fernando & Yvonn Quijano © 2007 Prentice Hall Business Publishing Principles of Economics 8e by Case and Fair Demand and Supply Applications 4 Chapter Outline The Price System: Rationing and Allocating Resources Price Rationing Constraints on the Market and Alternative Rationing Mechanisms Prices and the Allocation of Resources Price Floors Applications Supply and Demand Analysis: An Oil Import Fee Supply and Demand and Market Efficiency Consumer Surplus Producer Surplus Competitive Markets Maximize the Sum of Producer and Consumer Surplus Potential Causes of Deadweight CHAPTER 4: Demand and Supply and 4: Demand CHAPTER Loss from Under- and Overproduction Looking Ahead © 2007 Prentice Hall Business Publishing Principles of Economics 8e by Case and Fair 2 of 23 THE PRICE SYSTEM: RATIONING AND ALLOCATING RESOURCES price rationing The process by which the market system allocates goods and services to consumers when quantity demanded exceeds quantity supplied. Applications CHAPTER 4: Demand and Supply and 4: Demand CHAPTER © 2007 Prentice Hall Business Publishing Principles of Economics 8e by Case and Fair 3 of 23 THE PRICE SYSTEM: RATIONING AND ALLOCATING RESOURCES PRICE RATIONING Applications CHAPTER 4: Demand and Supply and 4: Demand CHAPTER FIGURE 4.1 The Market for Lobsters © 2007 Prentice Hall Business Publishing Principles of Economics 8e by Case and Fair 4 of 23 THE PRICE SYSTEM: RATIONING AND ALLOCATING RESOURCES When supply is fixed or something for sale is unique, its price is demand determined. Price is what the highest bidder is willing to pay. In 2004, the highest bidder was willing to pay $104.1 million for Picasso’s Boy Applications with a Pipe. The adjustment of price is the rationing mechanism in free markets. Price rationing means CHAPTER 4: Demand and Supply and 4: Demand CHAPTER that whenever there is a need to ration a good—that is, when a shortage exists—in a free market, the price of the good will rise until quantity supplied equals quantity demanded— that is, until the market clears. © 2007 Prentice Hall Business Publishing Principles of Economics 8e by Case and Fair 5 of 23 THE PRICE SYSTEM: RATIONING AND ALLOCATING RESOURCES Applications CHAPTER 4: Demand and Supply and 4: Demand CHAPTER FIGURE 4.2 Market for a Rare Painting © 2007 Prentice Hall Business Publishing Principles of Economics 8e by Case and Fair 6 of 23 THE PRICE SYSTEM: RATIONING AND ALLOCATING RESOURCES CONSTRAINTS ON THE MARKET AND ALTERNATIVE RATIONING MECHANISMS On occasion, both governments and private firms decide to use some mechanism other than the market system to ration an item for which there is excess demand at the current price. Applications Regardless of the rationale, two things are clear: 1. Attempts to bypass price rationing in the market and to use alternative rationing devices are much more difficult and costly than they would seem at first glance. 2. Very often, such attempts distribute costs and benefits CHAPTER 4: Demand and Supply and 4: Demand CHAPTER among households in unintended ways. © 2007 Prentice Hall Business Publishing Principles of Economics 8e by Case and Fair 7 of 23 THE PRICE SYSTEM: RATIONING AND ALLOCATING RESOURCES Oil, Gasoline, and OPEC price ceiling A maximum price that sellers may charge for a good, usually set by government. FIGURE 4.3 Excess Demand Applications (Shortage) Created by a Price Ceiling CHAPTER 4: Demand and Supply and 4: Demand CHAPTER © 2007 Prentice Hall Business Publishing Principles of Economics 8e by Case and Fair 8 of 23 THE PRICE SYSTEM: RATIONING AND ALLOCATING RESOURCES queuing Waiting in line as a means of distributing goods and services: a nonprice rationing mechanism. Applications favored customers Those who receive special treatment from dealers during situations of excess demand. CHAPTER 4: Demand and Supply and 4: Demand CHAPTER © 2007 Prentice Hall Business Publishing Principles of Economics 8e by Case and Fair 9 of 23 THE PRICE SYSTEM: RATIONING AND ALLOCATING RESOURCES ration coupons Tickets or coupons that entitle individuals to purchase a certain amount of a given product per month. black market A market in which illegal Applications trading takes place at market- determined prices. CHAPTER 4: Demand and Supply and 4: Demand CHAPTER Even when trading coupons is declared illegal, it is virtually impossible to stop black markets from developing. In a black market, illegal trading takes place at market- determined prices. © 2007 Prentice Hall Business Publishing Principles of Economics 8e by Case and Fair 10 of 23 THE PRICE SYSTEM: RATIONING AND ALLOCATING RESOURCES NCAA March Madness: College Basketball’s National Championship FIGURE 4.4 Supply of and Demand for a Pair of Final Four Tickets in 2003 Applications CHAPTER 4: Demand and Supply and 4: Demand CHAPTER © 2007 Prentice Hall Business Publishing Principles of Economics 8e by Case and Fair 11 of 23 THE PRICE SYSTEM: RATIONING AND ALLOCATING RESOURCES There are many ways to deal with the excess demand to premiere sporting events such as the NCAA finals, but it is hard to keep tickets from those who are willing to pay high prices. Syracuse played Kansas in the Applications NCAA championship game in 2003. No matter how good the intentions of private organizations and governments, it is very difficult to prevent the price system from operating and to stop willingness to CHAPTER 4: Demand and Supply and 4: Demand CHAPTER pay from asserting itself. Every time an alternative is tried, the price system seems to sneak in the back door. With favored customers and black markets, the final distribution may be even more unfair than that which would result from simple price rationing. © 2007 Prentice Hall Business Publishing Principles of Economics 8e by Case and Fair 12 of 23 REVIEW TERMS AND CONCEPTS black market price rationing favored customers queuing price ceiling ration coupons Applications CHAPTER 4: Demand and Supply and 4: Demand CHAPTER © 2007 Prentice Hall Business Publishing Principles of Economics 8e by Case and Fair 13 of 23 .