Microeconomics,, 16th Canadian Edition

(Sean Pound) #1

  1. Suppose a stamp dealer buys the only two existing copies of a
    stamp at an auction. After the purchase, the dealer goes to the
    front of the room and burns one of the stamps in front of the
    shocked audience. What must the dealer believe in order for this
    to be a wealth-maximizing action? Explain with a demand-and--
    supply diagram.

  2. Consider the following products:
    kitchen blenders
    fibre optic cable
    neurosurgery
    oil tankers
    sour cream doughnuts
    rental apartments
    a. Which of these would have the greatest supply elasticity
    in the short run? Why?
    b. Which would have the least supply elasticity in the short
    run? Why?

  3. Excise taxes are sometimes referred to as “sin taxes” when applied
    to products such as alcohol and cigarettes. Using the concepts of
    elasticity of demand and supply, explain how we could determine
    whether it is the consumer or the producer that is bearing the
    burden of such a tax.

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