Elasticity of Apartment Demand

Suppose that an effective rent ceiling has been established on the market for apartments in Marietta. What sort of disequilibrium would this cause?

Now, suppose the rent ceiling is removed. Evaluate the following statement:

"The removal of the rent ceiling will cause the total expenditures on the part of consumers to rise if the demand for apartments is price inelastic."

Beeronomics

If consumers buy 1000 bottles of beer per week, and if the price of beer rises by $0.50 per bottle, then the consumers' surplus will decrease by $500. True, False, or Uncertain. Explain your answer.

Can You Identify this Famous Economist?

Do you know me? At the start of the 1980s, I bet a world renowned environmental doomsayer that the world was not running out of resources. The doomsayer bet $1,000 in 1980 that five resources (of the doomsayer’s choosing) would be more expensive in 10 years. The doomsayer lost: 10 years later every one of the resources had declined in price by an average of 40 percent. Who am I? (In your answer, include the list of resources involved in the bet.)

Congratulations to Rachel YuanQi for identifying Julian Simon as the economist in question.

Location, Location, Location?

George runs a miniature golf course in Marietta, Ohio. He rents the course and equipment from a large recreational supply company and supplies his own labor. His monthly earnings, net of rental payments, are $800, and he considers working at the golf course just as attractive as his only other alternatives, working as a grocery clerk for $800/month.

Now George learns that his uncle Kramer has died and left him some land in downtown New York City (right next to the Empire State Building). The land has been cleared, and George discovers that a construction company is willing to install and maintain a miniature golf course on it for a payment of $4000/month. George also commissions a market survey, which reveals that he would collect $16,000/month in revenue by operating a miniature golf course there. (After all, there are many more potential golfers in Manhattan that in Marietta.) After deducting the $4000/month payment to the construction company, this would leave him with $12,000/month free and clear. Given these figures, and assuming that the cost of living is the same in New York as in Marietta, should George, a profit maximizer, switch his operation to Manhattan?

Congratulations to Jeremy Jusek for providing the first correct answer. While the revenue estimates clearly indicate that Manhattan is a more lucrative market, it's also likely to be much more costly to operate a mini-golf course in downtown Manhattan given the scarcity of land. As Jeremy points out, the opportunity cost of using the land for a mini-golf course is likely to be extremely high. It's probably better to sell the Manhattan property and stay put in Marietta.

Famous Econ Major

Can you identify the famous economics major from the clues below?

• Corporate big wig in need of a wig.
• Software is the name of his game.
• His business partner dropped out of Harvard to start a soon-to-be giant company.

Congratulations to Josh Baker who was the first to discern the mystery econ major as Steve Ballmer, the CEO of Microsoft. You can find more famous economics majors here.

Grade Insurance?

Suppose that a company offers "grade insurance" that works as follows: For each course in which you get a grade below a C, the insurance company pays you $500. Before offering the insurance policy for sale, the insurance company looks over the transcripts of university students and finds that on average 10% of all grades are below a C. Explain why the insurance company would be incorrect in assuming that it would only have to pay claims on about 10% of its policies. What is the implication of your analysis for the optimal premium (i.e., price) the company should charge its customers?

Drugs and Crime

Assume that the price elasticity of demand for marijuana is -1.20 and the price elasticity of demand for cocaine is -0.40. Assume further that marijuana and cocaine users get the funds to pay for their habit by resorting to petty larceny. Suppose the government increases enforcement against drug suppliers such that the prices of both illegal goods rise by 20%. What will happen to the price of each drug? What will happen to the amount of petty larceny committed by marijuana and cocaine users? Explain precisely.