In: Economics
What are the characteristics or assumptions of the monopoly model?
For each of the following markets explain the sources of monopoly power/barriers to entry: electric company, diamonds, new life-saving drug.
In what part of the demand curve will a monopolist operate? Why?
1) Charateristice of monopoly model:
2) Electric company: There is less monopoly power in this industry. Majpr barriers to enter are customer switching cost as customers tends to change their company to buy electrical parts.
Diamonds: They are the natural resources of a country and government owns the right to extract that. Thus, government owns the monopoly over it and there are high barriers to entry.
New life saving drug: It is very difficult to find life saving drug, if any firm is able to fnd it, they will hold a monopoly over it. There would be many barriers to entry in this industry such as technical advancemnet to innovate that product.
3) Marginal revenue is positive or negative in case of monopoly. When marginal revenue is positive, demand is elastic or when marginal revenue is negative, demand is inelastic. Thus monopoly operate when marginal revenue is positive and demand is elastic.