Consider a world composed of two countries, Home (H) and Foreign (F). Individuals living in each country. i = H, F have preferences over two goods x and y. In each country there is only one factor of production, labour, which is perfectly mobile between industries but immobile between countries. The total labour endowment at Home is ĪH = 10 and the total labour endowment in Foreign is LF = 10. The marginal product of labour in each industry is constant. At Home, one worker can produce 2 units of good x or 1 unit of good y per unit of time; at Foreign one worker can produce 1 unit of good x or 2 units of good y per unit of time. Assume that consumers in Home and Foreign always consume goods x and y in the same quantity regardless of their prices. That is, Cri = Cyi, i = H, F. (a) Calculate the opportunity cost of producing one additional unit of good a in terms of units of good y in Home and Foreign. (b) Derive the production possibilities frontier (PPF) for Home and Foreign and plot it in a graph with good a in the horizontal axis and good y in the vertical axis. (c) Determine the equilibrium price of good x (setting the price of good y as 1) that prevails at Home and Foreign under autarky that is, when they do not trade with each other. Explain why any other price could not be the equilibrium price in autarky. (d) Determine the optimal consumption and production at Home and Foreign under autarky Depict this situation

ENGR.ECONOMIC ANALYSIS
14th Edition
ISBN:9780190931919
Author:NEWNAN
Publisher:NEWNAN
Chapter1: Making Economics Decisions
Section: Chapter Questions
Problem 1QTC
icon
Related questions
Question
Consider a world composed of two countries, Home (H) and Foreign (F). Individuals living in each country
i = H, F have preferences over two goods and y.
In each country there is only one factor of production, labour, which is perfectly mobile between industries but
immobile between countries. The total labour endowment at Home is LH = 10 and the total labour endowment
in Foreign is LF = 10.
The marginal product of labour in each industry is constant. At Home, one worker can produce 2 units of
good or 1 unit of good y per unit of time; at Foreign one worker can produce 1 unit of good x or 2 units of good
y per unit of time.
Assume that consumers in Home and Foreign always consume goods x and y in the same quantity regardless
of their prices. That is, Cri = Cyi, i = H, F.
(a) Calculate the opportunity cost of producing one additional unit of good x in terms of units of good y in Home
and Foreign.
(b) Derive the production possibilities frontier (PPF) for Home and Foreign and plot it in a graph with good a in
the horizontal axis and good y in the vertical axis.
(c) Determine the equilibrium price of good a (setting the price of good y as 1) that prevails at Home and Foreign
under autarky that is, when they do not trade with each other. Explain why any other price could not be
the equilibrium price in autarky.
(d) Determine the optimal consumption and production at Home and Foreign under autarky. Depict this situation
in a graph that includes each country's PPF and indifference curves for the representative consumer.
(e) Assume that Home and Foreign open to trade with each other. Explain how is the pattern of trade (which
good will each country export and import) determined
(f) Suppose that the equilibrium price of good x (keeping the price of good y as 1) is equal to 1. Determine the
optimal production and consumption both at Home and Foreign when they open up to trade. Depict this in
graph.
(g) Explain how is the production structure (i.e. which goods are produced) affected in each country by opening
up to trade. Is this consistent with the empirical evidence we observe in reality? How can this model be
modified to produce a less stark result?
(h) Suppose you conduct an opinion poll among individuals at Home, in which you ask them whether they have
benefitted from international trade. What do you predict the response would be? Is this consistent with the
empirical evidence we observe about people's support for free trade in reality?
Transcribed Image Text:Consider a world composed of two countries, Home (H) and Foreign (F). Individuals living in each country i = H, F have preferences over two goods and y. In each country there is only one factor of production, labour, which is perfectly mobile between industries but immobile between countries. The total labour endowment at Home is LH = 10 and the total labour endowment in Foreign is LF = 10. The marginal product of labour in each industry is constant. At Home, one worker can produce 2 units of good or 1 unit of good y per unit of time; at Foreign one worker can produce 1 unit of good x or 2 units of good y per unit of time. Assume that consumers in Home and Foreign always consume goods x and y in the same quantity regardless of their prices. That is, Cri = Cyi, i = H, F. (a) Calculate the opportunity cost of producing one additional unit of good x in terms of units of good y in Home and Foreign. (b) Derive the production possibilities frontier (PPF) for Home and Foreign and plot it in a graph with good a in the horizontal axis and good y in the vertical axis. (c) Determine the equilibrium price of good a (setting the price of good y as 1) that prevails at Home and Foreign under autarky that is, when they do not trade with each other. Explain why any other price could not be the equilibrium price in autarky. (d) Determine the optimal consumption and production at Home and Foreign under autarky. Depict this situation in a graph that includes each country's PPF and indifference curves for the representative consumer. (e) Assume that Home and Foreign open to trade with each other. Explain how is the pattern of trade (which good will each country export and import) determined (f) Suppose that the equilibrium price of good x (keeping the price of good y as 1) is equal to 1. Determine the optimal production and consumption both at Home and Foreign when they open up to trade. Depict this in graph. (g) Explain how is the production structure (i.e. which goods are produced) affected in each country by opening up to trade. Is this consistent with the empirical evidence we observe in reality? How can this model be modified to produce a less stark result? (h) Suppose you conduct an opinion poll among individuals at Home, in which you ask them whether they have benefitted from international trade. What do you predict the response would be? Is this consistent with the empirical evidence we observe about people's support for free trade in reality?
Expert Solution
steps

Step by step

Solved in 5 steps with 2 images

Blurred answer
Knowledge Booster
Productivity
Learn more about
Need a deep-dive on the concept behind this application? Look no further. Learn more about this topic, economics and related others by exploring similar questions and additional content below.
Similar questions
  • SEE MORE QUESTIONS
Recommended textbooks for you
ENGR.ECONOMIC ANALYSIS
ENGR.ECONOMIC ANALYSIS
Economics
ISBN:
9780190931919
Author:
NEWNAN
Publisher:
Oxford University Press
Principles of Economics (12th Edition)
Principles of Economics (12th Edition)
Economics
ISBN:
9780134078779
Author:
Karl E. Case, Ray C. Fair, Sharon E. Oster
Publisher:
PEARSON
Engineering Economy (17th Edition)
Engineering Economy (17th Edition)
Economics
ISBN:
9780134870069
Author:
William G. Sullivan, Elin M. Wicks, C. Patrick Koelling
Publisher:
PEARSON
Principles of Economics (MindTap Course List)
Principles of Economics (MindTap Course List)
Economics
ISBN:
9781305585126
Author:
N. Gregory Mankiw
Publisher:
Cengage Learning
Managerial Economics: A Problem Solving Approach
Managerial Economics: A Problem Solving Approach
Economics
ISBN:
9781337106665
Author:
Luke M. Froeb, Brian T. McCann, Michael R. Ward, Mike Shor
Publisher:
Cengage Learning
Managerial Economics & Business Strategy (Mcgraw-…
Managerial Economics & Business Strategy (Mcgraw-…
Economics
ISBN:
9781259290619
Author:
Michael Baye, Jeff Prince
Publisher:
McGraw-Hill Education