Questions from Microeconomics


Q: Lawrence Katz, an economist at Harvard, was quoted in a

Lawrence Katz, an economist at Harvard, was quoted in a newspaper article as arguing that differences between the incomes of male physicians and female physicians “are largely explained by individual...

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Q: If firms incurred no cost in developing new technologies and new products

If firms incurred no cost in developing new technologies and new products, would there be any need for patents? Briefly explain.

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Q: The German company Koenig & Bauer has 90 percent of the world

The German company Koenig & Bauer has 90 percent of the world market for presses that print currency. Discuss the factors that would make it difficult for new companies to enter this market.

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Q: Why should it matter legally whether Professor Anspach is correct that Hasbro’s

Why should it matter legally whether Professor Anspach is correct that Hasbro’s Monopoly game closely resembles a game that had been played for decades before Charles Darrow claimed to have invented i...

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Q: What is a free market? In what ways does a free

What is a free market? In what ways does a free market economy differ from a centrally planned economy?

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Q: In a letter to his company’s stockholders, Warren Buffett offered the

In a letter to his company’s stockholders, Warren Buffett offered the following opinion: “Most investors, of course, have not made the study of business prospects a priority in their lives. . . . I ha...

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Q: Coca-Cola has been focusing on selling more 7.5

Coca-Cola has been focusing on selling more 7.5-ounce cans in displays near supermarket checkout lines. Previously, Coke had relied more heavily on 20-ounce bottles displayed in the beverage sections...

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Q: Why was De Beers worried that people might resell their old diamonds

Why was De Beers worried that people might resell their old diamonds? How did De Beers attempt to convince consumers that previously owned diamonds were not good substitutes for new diamonds? How did...

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Q: In a magazine article, a writer explained that the provision of

In a magazine article, a writer explained that the provision of electric power in the United States consists of two processes: the generation of electricity and the distribution of electricity. The wr...

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Q: In China, the government owns many more firms than in the

In China, the government owns many more firms than in the United States. A former Chinese government official argued that a number of government-run industries such as oil refining were natural monopo...

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