Market Power: Monopoly
Topics to be Discussed: Monopoly, Monopoly Power, Sources of Monopoly Power, The Social Costs of Monopoly Power
Chapter 10
Market Power:
Monopoly
Topics to be Discussed
Monopoly
Monopoly Power
Sources of Monopoly Power
The Social Costs of Monopoly Power
Chapter 10 Slide 2
Perfect Competition
Review of Perfect Competition
P = LMC = LRAC
Normal profits or zero economic profits in
the long run
Large number of buyers and sellers
Homogenous product
Perfect information
Firm is a price taker
Chapter 10 Slide 3
Perfect Competition
P Market P Individual Firm
D S
LMC LRAC
P0 P0
D = MR = P
Q0 Q q0 Q
Monopoly
Monopoly
1) One seller - many buyers
2) One product (no good substitutes)
3) Barriers to entry
Chapter 10 Slide 5
Sources of Monopoly Power
Why do some firm’s have considerable
monopoly power, and others have little
or none?
A firm’s monopoly power is determined
by the firm’s elasticity of demand.
Chapter 10 Slide 6
Sources of Monopoly Power
The firm’s elasticity of demand is
determined by:
1) Elasticity of market demand
2) Number of firms
3) The interaction among firms
Chapter 10 Slide 7
Monopoly
The monopolist is the supply-side of the
market and has complete control over
the amount offered for sale.
Profits will be maximized at the level of
output where marginal revenue equals
marginal cost.
Chapter 10 Slide 8
Monopoly
Finding Marginal Revenue
As the sole producer, the monopolist works
with the market demand to determine
output and price.
Assume a firm with demand:
P=6-Q
Chapter 10 Slide 9
Total, Marginal, and Average Revenue
Total Marginal Average
Price Quantity Revenue Revenue Revenue
P Q R MR AR
$6 0 $0 --- ---
5 1 5 $5 $5
4 2 8 3 4
3 3 9 1 3
2 4 8 -1 2
1 5 5 -3 1
Chapter 10 Slide 10
Average and Marginal Revenue
$ per 7
unit of
output
6
5
4 Average Revenue (Demand)
3
2
Marginal
1 Revenue
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Output
Chapter 10 Slide 11
Monopoly
Observations
1) To increase sales the price must fall
2) MR < P
3) Compared to perfect competition
No change in price to change sales
MR = P
Chapter 10 Slide 12
Monopoly
Monopolist’s Output Decision
1) Profits maximized at the output level
where MR = MC
2) Cost functions are the same
π (Q) = R(Q) − C (Q)
∆π / ∆Q = ∆R / ∆Q − ∆C / ∆Q = 0 = MC − MR
or MC = MR
Chapter 10 Slide 13
Maximizing Profit When Marginal
Revenue Equals Marginal Cost
The Monopolist’s Output Decision
At output levels below MR = MC the
decrease in revenue is greater than the
decrease in cost (MR > MC).
At output levels above MR = MC the
increase in cost is greater than the
decrease in revenue (MR < MC)
Chapter 10 Slide 14
Maximizing Profit When Marginal
Revenue Equals Marginal Cost
$ per
unit of
output MC
P1
P*
AC
P2
Lost
profit
D = AR
Lost
MR profit
Q1 Q* Q2 Quantity
Chapter 10 Slide 15
Monopoly
The Monopolist’s Output Decision
An Example
Cost = C (Q ) = 50 + Q 2
∆C
MC = = 2Q
∆Q
Chapter 10 Slide 16
Monopoly
The Monopolist’s Output Decision
An Example
Demand = P (Q) = 40 − Q
R (Q) = P(Q )Q = 40Q − Q 2
∆R
MR = = 40 − 2Q
∆Q
Chapter 10 Slide 17
Monopoly
The Monopolist’s Output Decision
An Example
MR = MC or 40 − 2Q = 2Q
Q = 10
When Q = 10, P = 30
Chapter 10 Slide 18
Monopoly
The Monopolist’s Output Decision
An Example
By setting marginal revenue equal to
marginal cost, it can be verified that profit is
maximized at P = $30 and Q = 10.
This can be seen graphically:
Chapter 10 Slide 19
Monopoly
A Rule of Thumb for Pricing
We want to translate the condition that
marginal revenue should equal marginal
cost into a rule of thumb that can be more
easily applied in practice.
This can be demonstrated using the
following steps:
Chapter 10 Slide 20
A Rule of Thumb for Pricing
∆R ∆( PQ)
1. MR = =
∆Q ∆Q
∆P Q ∆P
2. MR = P + Q = P + P ∆Q
∆Q P
3. Ed = P ∆Q
Q
∆P
Chapter 10 Slide 21
A Rule of Thumb for Pricing
4 . Q ∆ P
P = 1
∆Q E
d
1
5 . MR = P + P
E
d
Chapter 10 Slide 22
A Rule of Thumb for Pricing
6 . π is maximized @ MR = MC
1 1
P + P =−
ED ED
MC
P=
1 + (1 E D )
Chapter 10 Slide 23
A Rule of Thumb for Pricing
1
7. − = the markup over MC as a
Ed percentage of price (P-MC)/P
8. The markup should equal the
inverse of the elasticity of demand.
Chapter 10 Slide 24
A Rule of Thumb for Pricing
MC
9. P =
1+ 1
E
d
Assume
Ed = −4 MC = 9
9 9
P = = = $ 12
1+ 1 ( − 4
) . 75
Chapter 10 Slide 25
Monopoly
Monopoly pricing compared to perfect
competition pricing:
Monopoly
P > MC
Perfect Competition
P = MC
Chapter 10 Slide 26
Monopoly
Monopoly pricing compared to perfect
competition pricing:
The more elastic the demand the closer
price is to marginal cost.
If Ed is a large negative number, price is
close to marginal cost and vice versa.
Chapter 10 Slide 27
Monopoly
Shifts in Demand
In perfect competition, the market supply
curve is determined by marginal cost.
For a monopoly, output is determined by
marginal cost and the shape of the
demand curve.
Chapter 10 Slide 28
Demand shifts
$/Q
MC Demand goes up
- Price increases
- Quantity
B
increases
A
Q
MR1 MR2 D1 D2
Chapter 10 Slide 29
MC shifts
$/Q
MC1
MC lower
MC2 - Price decreases
A
- Quantity increases
- Part of the benefits is
B
transferred to consumers
Q
MR D2
Chapter 10 Slide 30
Monopoly
Observations
Shifts in demand usually cause a change
in both price and quantity.
A monopolistic market has no supply
curve.
Chapter 10 Slide 31
Monopoly
Observations
Monopolist may supply many different
quantities at the same price.
Monopolist may supply the same quantity
at different prices.
Chapter 10 Slide 32
Monopoly
Algebraically:
MR − MC 1
MR = MC 2
MR = MC 1 = MC 2
Chapter 10 Slide 33
Monopoly Power
Monopoly is rare.
However, a market with several firms,
each facing a downward sloping
demand curve will produce so that price
exceeds marginal cost.
Chapter 10 Slide 34
Monopoly Power
Measuring Monopoly Power
In perfect competition: P = MR = MC
Monopoly power: P > MC
Chapter 10 Slide 35
Monopoly Power
Lerner’s Index of Monopoly Power
L = (P - MC)/P
The larger the value of L (between 0 and
1) the greater the monopoly power.
L is expressed in terms of Ed
L = (P - MC)/P = -1/Ed
Ed is elasticity of demand for a firm, not
the market
Chapter 10 Slide 36
Monopoly Power
Monopoly power does not guarantee
profits.
Profit depends on average cost relative
to price.
Question:
Can you identify any difficulties in using the
Lerner Index (L) for public policy?
Chapter 10 Slide 37
Monopoly Power
The Rule of Thumb for Pricing
MC
P=
1+ (1 Ed )
Pricing for any firm with monopoly power
If Ed is large, markup is small
If Ed is small, markup is large
Chapter 10 Slide 38
Elasticity of Demand and Price Markup
$/Q The more elastic is $/Q
demand, the less the
markup.
MC
P* MC
P*
AR
P*-MC
MR
AR
MR
Q* Quantity Q* Quantity
The Social Costs of Monopoly Power
Monopoly power results in higher prices
and lower quantities.
However, does monopoly power make
consumers and producers in the
aggregate better or worse off?
Chapter 10 Slide 40