Suppose all firms in a competitive market are currently in both short-run and long-run equilibrium. What impact will a lump sum tax have on each firm in the short run? in the long run?
What will be an ideal response?
In the short run, the lump sum tax represents a fixed cost. The firm's output decision is unchanged, but its profits decrease. In the long run, the tax raises the LRAC of each firm, but not MC. Minimum AC is higher, so price is higher. With a higher price, each firm produces a greater quantity, but the higher price means less quantity is demanded in total; thus, the number of firms will decrease.
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When the price of only one good rises, the relative price of that good
A) falls. B) rises. C) does not change. D) rises if it is a normal good and falls if it is an inferior good.
Consider the following: an investor in the U.S. is pondering a one-year investment. She can purchase a domestic bond for $1,000 that has an interest rate of i or she can purchase a bond in England for 1,500 British pounds (£) that pays an interest rate of if. The current exchange rate is $1.50/£ . She considers the bonds to be of equal risk. If i = if, the expected returns are not equal. What do you know?
A. The exchange rate must be flexible B. Arbitrage doesn't work C. The bonds initially sold for different prices D. The exchange rate is fixed between the U.S. and Britain