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9. Regulating a natural monopoly Consider the only electric company in a small town, which you can assume operates as a natural monopoly. The following graph shows the demand curve for electricity services per month, as well as the provider's marginal revenue (MR) curve, marginal cost (MC) curve, and average total cost (ATC) curve. PRICE (Dollars per subscription) 100 90 80 70 50 40 20 10 ATC MC MR D 0 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 QUANTITY (Thousands of subscriptions) ? Suppose the government has elected not to impose regulations on the industry, and so the firm faces no regulatory constraints in maximizing profits. Complete the first row of the following table. Pricing Mechanism Profit Maximization Marginal-Cost Pricing Average-Cost Pricing Short Run Quantity Price (Subscriptions) (Dollars per subscription) Profit Long-Run Decision Suppose now that the government decides to require the monopolist to set its price equal to marginal cost. Complete the second row of the previous table. Suppose now that the government decides to require the monopolist to set its price equal to average total cost. Complete the third row of the previous table. Under average-cost pricing, the government will raise the price of output whenever a firm's costs increase, and lower the price whenever a firm's costs decrease. Over time, under the average-cost pricing policy, what will the local electric company most likely do? Allow its costs to increase Work to decrease its costs

9. Regulating a natural monopoly Consider the only electric company in a small town, which you can assume operates as a natural monopoly. The following graph shows the demand curve for electricity services per month, as well as the provider's marginal revenue (MR) curve, marginal cost (MC) curve, and average total cost (ATC) curve. PRICE (Dollars per subscription) 100 90 80 70 50 40 20 10 ATC MC MR D 0 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 QUANTITY (Thousands of subscriptions) ? Suppose the government has elected not to impose regulations on the industry, and so the firm faces no regulatory constraints in maximizing profits. Complete the first row of the following table. Pricing Mechanism Profit Maximization Marginal-Cost Pricing Average-Cost Pricing Short Run Quantity Price (Subscriptions) (Dollars per subscription) Profit Long-Run Decision Suppose now that the government decides to require the monopolist to set its price equal to marginal cost. Complete the second row of the previous table. Suppose now that the government decides to require the monopolist to set its price equal to average total cost. Complete the third row of the previous table. Under average-cost pricing, the government will raise the price of output whenever a firm's costs increase, and lower the price whenever a firm's costs decrease. Over time, under the average-cost pricing policy, what will the local electric company most likely do? Allow its costs to increase Work to decrease its costs

Principles of Economics 2e
Principles of Economics 2e
2nd Edition
ISBN:9781947172364
Author:Steven A. Greenlaw; David Shapiro
Publisher:Steven A. Greenlaw; David Shapiro
Chapter11: Monopoly And Antitrust Policy
Section: Chapter Questions
Problem 20RQ: If public utilities are a natural monopoly, what would be the danger in deregulating them?
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9. Regulating a natural monopoly Consider the only electric company in a small town, which you can assume operates as a natural monopoly. The following graph shows the demand curve for electricity services per month, as well as the provider's marginal revenue (MR) curve, marginal cost (MC) curve, and average total cost (ATC) curve. PRICE (Dollars per subscription) 100 90 80 70 50 40 20 10 ATC MC MR D 0 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 QUANTITY (Thousands of subscriptions) ?
Transcribed Image Text:9. Regulating a natural monopoly Consider the only electric company in a small town, which you can assume operates as a natural monopoly. The following graph shows the demand curve for electricity services per month, as well as the provider's marginal revenue (MR) curve, marginal cost (MC) curve, and average total cost (ATC) curve. PRICE (Dollars per subscription) 100 90 80 70 50 40 20 10 ATC MC MR D 0 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 QUANTITY (Thousands of subscriptions) ?
Suppose the government has elected not to impose regulations on the industry, and so the firm faces no regulatory constraints in maximizing profits. Complete the first row of the following table. Pricing Mechanism Profit Maximization Marginal-Cost Pricing Average-Cost Pricing Short Run Quantity Price (Subscriptions) (Dollars per subscription) Profit Long-Run Decision Suppose now that the government decides to require the monopolist to set its price equal to marginal cost. Complete the second row of the previous table. Suppose now that the government decides to require the monopolist to set its price equal to average total cost. Complete the third row of the previous table. Under average-cost pricing, the government will raise the price of output whenever a firm's costs increase, and lower the price whenever a firm's costs decrease. Over time, under the average-cost pricing policy, what will the local electric company most likely do? Allow its costs to increase Work to decrease its costs
Transcribed Image Text:Suppose the government has elected not to impose regulations on the industry, and so the firm faces no regulatory constraints in maximizing profits. Complete the first row of the following table. Pricing Mechanism Profit Maximization Marginal-Cost Pricing Average-Cost Pricing Short Run Quantity Price (Subscriptions) (Dollars per subscription) Profit Long-Run Decision Suppose now that the government decides to require the monopolist to set its price equal to marginal cost. Complete the second row of the previous table. Suppose now that the government decides to require the monopolist to set its price equal to average total cost. Complete the third row of the previous table. Under average-cost pricing, the government will raise the price of output whenever a firm's costs increase, and lower the price whenever a firm's costs decrease. Over time, under the average-cost pricing policy, what will the local electric company most likely do? Allow its costs to increase Work to decrease its costs
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