FILE: 251N02.HTML

 

CLASS NOTES FOR ECONOMICS 251

DR. WILLIAM SHINGLETON

FALL 2005

THESE NOTES ARE FOR THE WEEK OF AUGUST30-SEPTEMBER 01

 

 

FINISH EXAMPLE FROM LAST WEEK

 

 

MARKETS AND THE PRIVATE SECTOR         CH. 3

 

 

IMPORTANCE OF PRIVATE PROPERTY AND PROFIT

          PROFIT AS A NECESSARY CONDITION

          PROFIT INCENTIVE

                   PROFIT LESS THAN 10 PCT OF INCOME

 

 

VOLUNTARY EXCHANGE(LAWN MOWER EXAMPLE)

 

 

PRICE THEORY I: LAW OF MARKETS

          DEMAND CURVE

          SUPPLY CURVE

          3 KINDS OF PRICES

          DISEQUILIBRIUM PRICES

                   INVENTORY CHANGES AS SIGNALS

                   NO INTENTIONAL MISTAKES

          EQUILIBRIUM PRICE

 

                   VOLUNTARY EXCHANGE/BENEFICIAL DISTRIBUTION

                   MARKETS AS EXCHANGE

                             CONSUMER SURPLUS

                             PRODUCER SURPLUS

                   PRICE RATIONING

 

 

 

LAW OF DEMAND

          DEMAND VS QUANTITY DEMANDED

          QUANTITY DEMANDED

                   MUST BE A NUMBER

                   MUST FIRST KNOW THE PRICE

          DEMAND IDENTIFIES QUANTITY DEMANDED AT EACH PRICE

 

 

LAW OF SUPPLY

          QUANTITY SUPPLIED

                   MUST BE A NUMBER

                   MUST FIRST KNOW THE PRICE

                   SALES ARE UNCERTAIN BEFORE THE MARKET PERIOD

                   ROLE OF PROFIT

                             NORMAL PROFIT

                             NECESSARY RESOURCE

                             CREATES/DESTROYS MARKETS/JOBS/TECHNOLOGY

          SUPPLY IDENTIFIES QUANTITY SUPPLIED AT EACH PRICE

 

 

 

LAW OF MARKETS: SUPPLY AND DEMAND/PRICE DETERMINATION

          TIME/PLACE IDENTIFY MARKET

          LABEL EACH AXIS WITH MATCHING ITEMS

 

          DISEQUILIBRIUM PRICES

                   QUANTITY DEMANDED MORE THAN QUANTITY SUPPLIED

                   QUANTITY SUPPLIED MORE THAN QUANTITY DEMANDED

                   CHANGE IN PRICE DOES NOT CHANGE DEMAND

                   CHANGE IN PRICE DOES NOT CHANGE SUPPLY

                   INVENTORIES AS SHOCK ABSORBERS

 

          EQUILIBRIUM PRICE

 

 

 

EFFECTS OF CHANGES IN THE UNDERLYING CONDITIONS

          DEMAND CHANGES

                   SUBSTITUTES

                   COMPLEMENTS

                   INCOME

                   EXAMPLE

 

          SUPPLY CHANGES

                   COSTS

                   NUMBER OF SELLERS

                   EXAMPLE

 

 

LAW OF MARKETS: ALFRED MARSHALL 1890

          INVENTORY CHANGES ARE SIGNALS OF INCORRECT DECISIONS

          SELF-INTEREST (PROFIT) NOT SOCIAL WELFARE

          MARSHALLIAN SCISSORS

          MORE THAN A TOOL: THE FIVE YEAR OLD'S HAMMER

 

 

LAW OF MARKETS/SUPPLY AND DEMAND/ HOW TO TELL THE STORY

          LABEL EVERYTHING

                   MAKE SURE YOUR LABELS ARE COMPLETE AND CORRECT

          START AND END AT EQUILIBRIUM

                   IDENTIFY STARTING QUANTITY AND PRICE

                   TELL WHY THE EQUILIBRIUM PRICE IS DIFFERENT

          IDENTIFY AND LOGICALLY DEFEND EACH AND EVERY CHANGE

 

 

          USING THE EVENT IN THE QUESTION

                   THERE IS NO NEED TO EXPLAIN THE CAUSE

                   DEVELOP A LOGICAL BASIS TO CHANGE BEHAVIOR

                   CHANGE MUST HAPPEN

                             EVEN IF THE PRICE STAYS THE SAME

                             FOCUS ON MARGINAL CONSUMER/MARGINAL OUTPUT

 

          USING THE EVENT IN THE QUESTION, IDENTIFY

                   A NEW POINT AS PART OF NEW DEMAND/SUPPLY CURVE

                   ONLY ONE CURVE AT EACH MOMENT IN TIME

                   DEMAND VS QUANTITY DEMANDED

                             QUANTITY DEMANDED MUST BE A NUMBER

                   SUPPLY VS QUANTITY SUPPLIED

                             QUANTITY SUPPLIED MUST BE A NUMBER

                             NOTE DISTINCTION BETWEEN PRICE AND COST

 

 

          IDENTIFY SURPLUS OR SHORTAGE

          SURPLUS OR SHORTAGE IS SIGNAL TO FIRM

 

          FIRM CHANGES PRICE AND OUTPUT

                   IN ORDER TO IMPROVE PROFIT

                   NOT TO GET TO EQUILIBRIUM

 

 

 

          AS PRICE CHANGES

                   CHANGE THE QUANTITY DEMANDED

                             /NOT THE DEMAND CURVE

                   CHANGE THE QUANTITY SUPPLIED

                             /NOT THE SUPPLY CURVE

 

 

 

FINAL STATEMENT: RETURN TO EQUILIBRIUM

 

          AT ANY MOMENT IN TIME

                   ONLY ONE DEMAND CURVE IS RELEVANT

                   ONLY ONE SUPPLY CURVE IS RELEVANT

                   QUANTITY DEMANDED IS A NUMBER

                             DETERMINED BY PRICE

                   QUANTITY SUPPLIED IS A NUMBER

                             DETERMINED BY PRICE

          CONSIDER WHAT WOULD HAPPEN

                   IF THE PRICE STAYED THE SAME

          THE EMPHASIS IS ALWAYS ON "WHY?"

          THE EXPLANATION IS THE IMPORTANT PART OF THE ANSWER

          EQUILIBRIUM QUANTITY IS BOTH

                   1.  THE QUANTITY DEMANDED

                   2.  THE QUANTITY SUPPLIED

 

 

 

 

 

SELF TESTS

 

CAN YOU IDENTIFY

          SOMETHING THAT WOULD INCREASE DEMAND?

          SOMETHING THAT WOULD DECREASE DEMAND?

          SOMETHING THAT WOULD

                   CHANGE THE QUANTITY DEMANDED

                   BUT WOULD NOT MOVE THE DEMAND CURVE?

          SOMETHING THAT WOULD INCREASE SUPPLY?

          SOMETHING THAT WOULD DECREASE SUPPLY?

          SOMETHING THAT WOULD

                   CHANGE THE QUANTITY SUPPLIED

                    BUT WOULD NOT MOVE THE SUPPLY CURVE?

 

 

 

     LONG RUN/SHORT RUN: MARSHALL'S CLOCK

 

 

     PRICE VS PRICE EXPECTATION

 

 

     CHANGE IN PRICE NEVER MOVES DEMAND OR SUPPLY

     CHANGE IN PRICE EXPECTATION CAN MOVE EITHER ONE

 

 

 

 

 

SIMULTANEOUS CHANGES IN MARKET CONDITIONS

     THE SUM OF THE PARTS

     ONE KNOWN, ONE UNKNOWN

 

 

 

 

 

NEXT WEEK

ROLE OF GOVERNMENT AND TAXES            CH 4