In: Economics
ECO 202 Assessment Problem: In this essay you will be asked to reflect the following issues using the supply and demand model.
1. There are two important inputs in the production of lattes: coffee beans and labor from workers at the coffee shop. a. Workers need to make a decision about how much time to spend working and how much time to spend doing other things. What factors affect the decision of a worker and how do these things affect the price of lattes? Rubric item 1. Demonstrate the knowledge of basic elements and concepts of microeconomics How does the following concepts affect price of lattes Microeconomic factors
1. Opportunity Cost
2. PPF with graph
3. Marginal cost and marginal benefit
4. Comparative advantage and absolute advantage
5. Price controls- price floor,
6. Explain with graph surplus in labor market if minimum wages is above equilibrium wages
7. Benefits, tuition and retirement plans
8. Consumer preferences Rubric item
2. Identify economic resources and their use
a. Natural resources
b. Human resources labor, education, skills
c. Technology
d. Entrepreneurship
b. Suppose a drought strikes the major coffee growing regions of Brazil. Describe the effect of the drought on the price and quantity of lattes in the context of the supply and demand model.
Explain with graph 1. Demand and supply, equilibrium price and output 2. Increase and decrease in demand 3. Increase and decrease in Quantity demanded 4. Increase and decrease in Supply 5. Increase and decrease in Quantity supplied 6. Explain Increase /decrease in supply of coffee beans due to drought with a graph 7. Effect on price and quantity demanded and supplied of coffee beans 8. Are coffee beans and latte complementary goods or substitutes 9. Cross price elasticity definition 10. Effect on price and quantity demanded and supplied of lattes
2. Now consider the local coffee market more broadly. Explain how the output decision made by a particular coffee shop differs under each of the four market structures: competition, monopoly, oligopoly, and monopolistic competition.
3 Differentiate production under pure competition, monopoly, oligopoly and monopolistic competition
1. Draw a graph. Label it and explain all types of costs i. Explain Law of diminishing marginal returns ii. Economies of scale iii. Short run and long run curves 2. In context of local coffee market, explain the features of pure competition, monopoly, oligopoly and monopolistic competition 3. Draw graphs of pure competition, monopoly, oligopoly and monopolistic competition and label it. 4. Discuss the output and price decision under pure competition, monopoly, oligopoly and monopolistic competition and label it.