Questions from Microeconomics


Q: Joe earned a high grade-point average during his four years

Joe earned a high grade-point average during his four years of college. Is this achievement a strong signal to Joe’s future employer that he will be a highly productive worker? Why or why not?

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Q: How can the principal-agent model be used to explain why

How can the principal-agent model be used to explain why public enterprises, such as post offices, might pursue goals other than profit maximization?

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Q: Why are bonus and profit-sharing payment schemes likely to resolve

Why are bonus and profit-sharing payment schemes likely to resolve principal-agent problems, whereas a fixed-wage payment will not?

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Q: What is an efficiency wage? Why is it profitable for the

What is an efficiency wage? Why is it profitable for the firm to pay it when workers have better information about their productivity than firms do?

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Q: Why can asymmetric information between buyers and sellers lead to market failure

Why can asymmetric information between buyers and sellers lead to market failure when a market is otherwise perfectly competitive?

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Q: If the used car market is a “lemons” market,

If the used car market is a “lemons” market, how would you expect the repair record of used cars that are sold to compare with the repair record of those not sold?

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Q: Explain the difference between adverse selection and moral hazard in insurance markets

Explain the difference between adverse selection and moral hazard in insurance markets. Can one exist without the other?

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Q: Why might managers be able to achieve objectives other than profit maximization

Why might managers be able to achieve objectives other than profit maximization, which is the goal of the firm’s shareholders?

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Q: Medical research has shown the negative health effects of “secondhand”

Medical research has shown the negative health effects of “secondhand” smoke. Recent social trends point to growing intolerance of smoking in public areas. If you are a smoker and you wish to continue...

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Q: Consider a firm with monopoly power that faces the demand curve

Consider a firm with monopoly power that faces the demand curve P = 100 – 3Q + 4A1/2 and has the total cost function C = 4Q2 + 10Q + A where A is the level of advertising expenditures, and P and Q a...

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