Rent-seeking behavior.
a. What is rent-seeking behavior?
b. Explain how organized interests use the political
process to compete for benefits. Are large or small groups more
likely to secure rents through the political process? Explain.
c. Stigler argues that firms may support increased
regulation to increase profitability. Explain why firms support
regulation over subsidies to achieve their goals. Explain.
Consider the following situations and determine whether
they exhibit simultaneous consumption, network effects,
x-inefficiency or rent-seeking behavior. Assume the businesses
referenced function as monopolies.
(a) A pharmaceutical company discovers a vaccine for the
common cold. The company puts a significant effort into tests to
get it FDA-approved and into hiring lawyers to obtain a
patent.
(b) An Internet service provider adds thousands of new
customers.
(c) The head of a family-owned, major hotel chain
decides to hire his wild, socialite...
What is true of rent-seeking activities?
a.
They never have a positive result for the firm.
b.
They require no additional spending.
c.
They raise the cost of doing business.
d.
They decrease the costs of the firm.
What will happen based on the higher the price set by a
monopolist and the longer it is maintained?
a.
The level of costs will decrease.
b.
Fewer firms will use rent seeking activities.
c.
The sale of the firm will drop....
Greetings, I just got back from lunch with Suzy. Remember her?
Not the one from accounting, the one who lobbies for us in
Washington. Well anyway, she said there’s a bill moving through
Congress that will reform the payment structure the government uses
for Medicare. It actually doesn’t directly affect us at all, but
Suzy was saying that bills like this are a great opportunity to
slip in some “favors” that might benefit us. The idea is to get a...
1. Who benefits from rent ceilings? Who suffers? What are the long-term effects of rent ceilings? How can landlords and tenants cheat on rent ceilings? Do you think the rent ceilings might lead to more discrimination against certain groups? 2. Describe the effects on the labor market of a minimum wage that is higher than the equilibrium wage. Who benefits from such a minimum wage? Who suffers? What are the long-term effects of the minimum wage?3. Have you ever worked...
Who benefits from rent ceilings? Who suffers? What are the long-term effects of rent ceilings? How can landlords and tenants cheat on rent ceilings? Do you think the rent ceilings might lead to more discrimination against certain groups?