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1. THE NATURE OF
MONOPOLY
Learning Objectives
1.
Define monopoly and the relationship between price setting and
monopoly power.
2.
List and explain the sources of monopoly power and how they
can change over time.
3.
Define what is meant by a natural monopoly.
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•
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Monopoly refers a firm that is the only producer of
a good or service for which there are no close
substitutes and for which entry by potential rivals is
prohibitively difficult.
A price setter is a firm that sets or picks price
based on its output decision.
Monopoly power is the ability to act as a price
setter.
1.1 Sources of Monopoly
Power
•
•
•
•
•
•
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Barriers to entry are a characteristic of a particular
market that block the entry of new firms in a
monopoly market.
Economies of scale lead to natural monopoly which
is a firm that confronts economies of scale over the
entire range of outputs demanded in its industry.
Location
Sunk costs are expenditures that have already been
made and that cannot be recovered.
Restricted ownership of raw materials and inputs
Government restrictions
Network effects involve situations where products
become more useful the larger the number of users of
the product.
1.1 Sources of Monopoly
Power
Twelve firms each
produces 20 units.
8
7
ATC1
P, ATC, LRAC
6
One firm producing 240
units can do so at
lower cost than twelve
firms producing 20
units each.
5
4
ATC2
3
2
LRAC
1
D
0
20
Quantity per period
240
2. THE MONOPOLY MODEL
Learning Objectives
1.
Explain the relationship between price and marginal revenue
when a firm faces a downward-sloping demand curve.
2.
Explain the relationship between marginal revenue and
elasticity along a linear demand curve.
3.
Apply the marginal decision rule to explain how a monopoly
maximizes profit.
2.1 Monopoly and Market
Demand
Price taker
Panel (a)
Perfect Competition
Panel (b)
Monopoly
Additional units
sold only by
lowering price
MC
P
Price
Price, marginal cost
S
d
P1
Demand
P2
P3
D
q
Q
Quantity per period
Q1 Q2 Q3
Quantity per period
2.2 Total Revenue and Price
Elasticity
•
Q

10

P
EQUATION 2.1
–
–
The following demand schedule is based on the
above equation.
Price
$10
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
0
Quantity
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Total revenue
$0
9
16
21
24
25
24
21
16
9
0
Total revenue is calculated as TR = P*Q
2.2 Total Revenue and Price
Elasticity
Price
$10
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
0
Quantity
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Total revenue
$0
9
16
21
24
25
24
21
16
9
0
Panel (a)
Unit elastic
Elastic
range
8
Unit elastic
6
4
Inelastic
range
Demand
Total revenue
25
10
Price per unit
Panel (b)
20
15
10
2
5
0
0
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
Quantity per period
8
9 10
Total
revenue
Inelastic
range
Elastic
range
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
Quantity per period
8
9 10
2.3 Demand and Marginal
Revenue
When marginal revenue is…
• positive
• negative
• zero
then demand is…
price elastic
price inelastic
unit price elastic
2.3 Demand and Marginal
Revenue
Price
$10
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
0
Quantity
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Total revenue
$0
9
16
21
24
25
24
21
16
9
0
Price, marginal revenue
Marginal revenue
$9
7
5
10
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
Marginal
2
revenue
1
0
1
2
-1 0
-2
-3
3
1
-1
-3
-5
-7
-9
Demand
3
4
5
Quantity per period
6
7
8
9
10
2.4 Monopoly Equilibrium: Applying
the Marginal Decision Rule
Computing Monopoly
Profit
E
Marginal cost
Pm
Demand
G
MR
Qm
Quantity per period
Price, MR, MC, and ATC
Price, MR, MC
The monopoly Solution
MC
E
ATC
Pm
F
ATCm
Demand
G
Monopoly
profit
MR
Qm
Quantity per period
3. ASSESSING MONOPOLY
Learning Objectives
1.
Explain and illustrate that a monopoly firm produces an output
that is less than the efficient level and why this results in a
deadweight loss to society.
2.
Explain and illustrate how the higher price that a monopoly
charges, compared to an otherwise identical perfectly
competitive firm, transfers part of consumer surplus to the
monopolist and raises questions of equity.
3.
Considering both advantages and disadvantages, discuss the
potential effects that a monopoly may have on consumer
choices, price, quality of products, and technological
innovations.
4.
Discuss the public policy responses to monopoly.
3.1 Efficiency, Equity, and
concentration of Power
Price, MR, MC
Consumer surplus
transferred to the
monopoly firm
Pm
R
MC
C
PC
Deadweight loss of
reducing output from the
competitive to the
monopoly level
G
Demand
MR
Qm
QC
Quantity per period
3.1 Efficiency, Equity, and
concentration of Power
3.2 The Fragility of Monopoly
Power
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Monopoly power can be a fleeting thing.
Potential for profit invites competition.
Technological change and the pursuit of profits create
challengers for the monopolist.
Competitors seek to make the monopolists market
contestable.