2017 - WAEC Economics Past Questions and Answers - page 3

Monopoly refers to a market situation where there is only single seller of a commodity and there are no close substitutes of that commodity. the following are features of a monopolist

1. Single seller:

The producer or seller of the commodity is a single person, firm or an individual and that firm has complete control on the output of the commodity.

2. No Close Substitutes:

All the units of a commodity are similar and there are no substitutes to that commodity.

3. No Entry for New Firms:

Monopoly situation in a market can continue only when other firms do not enter the industry. If new firms enter the industry, there will not be complete control of a firm on the supply. As such, whenever a firm enters the industry, monopoly situation comes to an end. There/art, monopoly industry is essentially one-firm industry. This signifies that under monopoly there is no differ­ence between a firm and an industry.

4. Profit in the Long Run:

A monopolist can earn abnormal profit even in the long run because he has no fear of a competitive seller. In other words, if a monopolist gets abnormal profits in the long run, he cannot be dislodged from this position. However, this is not possible under perfect competition. If abnormal profits are available to a competitive firm, other firms will enter the competition with the result abnormal profits will be eliminated.

5. Losses in the Short Period:Generally, a common man thinks that a monopoly firm cannot incur loss because it can fix any price it wants. However, this understanding is not correct. A monopoly firm can sustain losses equal to fixed cost in the short period. A monopolist means that there is only a single person or a firm to sell the commodity.

6. Nature of Demand Curve:

Under monopoly the demand for the commodity of the firm is less than being per­fectly elastic and, therefore, it slopes downwards to the right. The main reason of the demand curve sloping downwards to the right is the complete control of the monopolist on the supply of the commodity. Due to control on the supply a monopolist makes changes in the supply which brings about changes in the price and because of this demand changes in the opposite direction.

7. Price-discrimination:

From the point of view of profit a monopolist can change different prices from different consumers of his commodity. This policy is known as price discrimination. He adopts the policy of price discrimination on various bases such as charging different prices from different consum­ers or fixing different prices at different places etc.

8. Firm is a Price-Maker:

A competitive firm is a price-taker whereas a monopoly firm is a price-maker. This is be­cause a competitive firm is small compared to market and therefore, it does not have market power. This is not true in the case of a monopoly firm because it has market power. Hence, it is a price maker

9. Average and Marginal Revenue Curves:

Under monopoly, average revenue is greater than marginal revenue. Under monopoly, if the firm wants to increase the sale it can do so only when it reduces its price. This means AR would decline when sale increases. In that case MR would be less than AR. (ii) AR slopes downwards to the right and is greater than MR.

An equity share, commonly referred to as ordinary share also represents the form of fractional or part ownership in which a shareholder, as a fractional owner, undertakes the maximum entrepreneurial risk associated with a business venture. The holders of such shares are members of the company and have voting rights. This is mainly associated with a public limited liability company

A state-owned enterprise (SOE) is a business enterprise where the government or state has significant control through full, majority, or significant minority ownership. Defining characteristics of SOEs are their distinct legal form and operation in commercial affairs and activities. When a state owned stocks are traded in the stock exchange, they become a public limited company.

The labor force is defined simply as the people who are willing and able to work. The size of the labor force is used to determine the unemployment rate.The percentage of the unemployed in the labor force is called the unemployment rate.

The labour force is the sum of persons in employment plus persons in unemployment. Together these two groups of the population represent the current supply of labour for the production of goods and services taking place in a countrythrough market transactions in exchange for remuneration.

Structural unemployment is a form of involuntary unemployment caused by a mismatch between the skills that workers in the economy can offer, and the skills demanded of workers by employers. Structural unemployment is often brought about by technological changes that make the job skills of many workers obsolete.

it is simply  unemployment caused by a mismatch between jobs and skills, or other long-term changes in the economy.

A high population means More problems with the distribution of wealth and resources. Problems with food security as pressure on the land due to larger populationincreases. Increased pressure on the forest covered area which leads to deforestation. This wll affect the living standard of people with many scampering for the limited available resources

Subsistence agriculture occurs when farmers grow food crops to feed themselves and their families. In subsistence agriculture, farm output is targeted to survival and is mostly for local requirements with little or no surplus trade. The typical subsistence farm has a range of crops and animals needed by the family to feed and clothe themselves during the year.

consumers cooperative society is an autonomous association of consumers united voluntarily to meet their common needs and aspirations. The cooperative society purchases in bulk directly from the producers which  avails them discounts and in return, sells in small lots to their members, thereby eliminating the middlemen (both the wholesaler and retailer)

consumers cooperative society is an autonomous association of consumers united voluntarily to meet their common needs and aspirations. The cooperative society purchases in bulk directly from the producers which  avails them discounts and in return, sells in small lots to their members, thereby eliminating the middlemen (both the wholesaler and retailer)