Google
Wednesday 
July 2, 2025 

AmosWEB means Economics with a Touch of Whimsy!

AmosWEBWEB*pediaGLOSS*aramaECON*worldCLASS*portalQUIZ*tasticPED GuideXtra CrediteTutorA*PLS
EMIGRATION: Migration that leaves one country for another country. This is the other side of immigration. While immigration is people moving into a country, emigration is people moving out. People emigrate for the same reasons they migrate in general, to improve their lot in life. Emigration can be a problem for a country that's not highly developed because those who leave are often the "best and the brightest." As such, a country that's struggling to advance often finds itself left with unskilled, uneducated labor--the poorest of the poor who can't afford to leave.

Visit the GLOSS*arama


MONOPOLY, EFFICIENCY:

A monopoly generally produces less output and chargers a higher price than would be the case for perfect competition. In particular, the price charged by a monopoly is higher than the marginal cost of production, which violates the efficiency condition that price equals marginal cost. Monopoly is inefficient because it has market control and faces a negatively-sloped demand curve.
Monopoly does not efficiently allocate resources. In fact, monopoly (if left unregulated) is generally considered the most inefficient of the four market structures. The reason for this inefficiency is found with market control. As the only seller in the market, the negatively-sloped market demand curve is THE demand curve facing the monopoly. If buyers want to buy, they must buy from the monopoly.

The negative slope of the demand curve means that the price charged by the monopoly is greater than marginal revenue. As a profit-maximizing firm that equates marginal revenue with marginal cost, the price charged by monopoly is greater than marginal cost. The inequality between price and marginal cost is what makes monopoly inefficient.

Profit Maximization

Inefficiency
Inefficiency
Consider the production and sale of Amblathan-Plus, the only cure for the deadly (but hypothetical) foot ailment known as amblathanitis. This drug is produced by the noted monopoly firm, Feet-First Pharmaceutical.

A typical profit-maximizing output determination using the marginal revenue and marginal cost approach is presented in this diagram. Feet-First Pharmaceutical maximizes profit by producing output that equates marginal revenue and marginal cost, which is 6 ounces of Amblathan-Plus in this example. The corresponding price charged is $7.50.

This profit-maximizing production is not efficient. In particular, the price is $7.50, but the marginal cost is only $4.50. Society is producing and consuming a good that it values at $7.50 (the price). However, in so doing, society is using resources that could have produced other goods valued at $4.50 (the marginal OPPORTUNITY cost). Society gives up $4.50 worth of value and receives $7.50.

This is a good thing. It is so good, that society should do more. However, the monopoly is not letting this happen. Feet-First Pharmaceutical is not devoting as many resources to the production of Amblathan-Plus as society would like.

An Efficient Alternative

The degree of monopoly inefficiency can be illustrated with a comparison to perfect competition. Such a comparison is easily accomplished by clicking the [Perfect Competition] button. A primary use of perfect competition is to provide a benchmark for the comparison with other market structures, such as monopoly.

A comparison between monopoly and perfect competition indicates:

  • Monopoly produces less output than perfect competition. In this example, monopoly produces 6 ounces of Amblathan-Plus compared to about 7.5 ounces for perfect competition. The Feet-First Pharmaceutical monopoly does not allocate enough resources to the production of Amblathan-Plus.

  • Monopoly charges a higher price than perfect competition. In this example, the monopoly price is $7.50 per ounce versus about $6.75 per ounce for perfect competition. The Feet-First Pharmaceutical monopoly is NOT efficient because it produces at a quantity in which price is greater than marginal cost.

<= MONOPOLY, DEMANDMONOPOLY, FACTOR MARKET ANALYSIS =>


Recommended Citation:

MONOPOLY, EFFICIENCY, AmosWEB Encyclonomic WEB*pedia, http://www.AmosWEB.com, AmosWEB LLC, 2000-2025. [Accessed: July 2, 2025].


Check Out These Related Terms...

     | monopoly, profit maximization | monopoly, loss minimization | monopoly, shutdown | short-run production alternatives | breakeven output | monopoly, revenue division | monopoly, short-run supply curve |


Or For A Little Background...

     | monopoly | monopoly, characteristics | efficiency | scarcity | perfect competition, efficiency | profit maximization | economic profit | marginal revenue, monopoly | marginal cost | monopoly, profit maximization |


And For Further Study...

     | monopoly, demand | monopoly, short-run production analysis | monopoly, efficiency | monopoly, total analysis | monopoly, marginal analysis | monopoly, profit analysis |


Search Again?

Back to the WEB*pedia


APLS

GRAY SKITTERY
[What's This?]

Today, you are likely to spend a great deal of time visiting every yard sale in a 30-mile radius wanting to buy either super soft, super cuddly, stuffed animals or a large stuffed brown and white teddy bear. Be on the lookout for door-to-door salesmen.
Your Complete Scope

This isn't me! What am I?

The average length of a "business lunch" is about 36 minutes.
"always remember an epitaph which is in the cemetery at Tombstone, Arizona. It says: „Here lies Jack Williams. He done his damnedest.¾ I think that is the greatest epitaph a man can have ‚ When he gives everything that is in him to do the job he has before him. That is all you can ask of him and that is what I have tried to do. "

-- Harry Truman, 33rd US president

MRP
Marginal Revenue Product
A PEDestrian's Guide
Xtra Credit
Tell us what you think about AmosWEB. Like what you see? Have suggestions for improvements? Let us know. Click the User Feedback link.

User Feedback



| AmosWEB | WEB*pedia | GLOSS*arama | ECON*world | CLASS*portal | QUIZ*tastic | PED Guide | Xtra Credit | eTutor | A*PLS |
| About Us | Terms of Use | Privacy Statement |

Thanks for visiting AmosWEB
Copyright ©2000-2025 AmosWEB*LLC
Send comments or questions to: WebMaster