1. Competition and Market Structures
How well do you remember the four market structures? Write them out with two example.
Go Back Over Your Notes!!

2. What is a Market Structure?
The nature and degree of competition among firms in the same industry
We classify 4 Market Structures by asking questions like:

3. We classify Market Structures by asking:
How much control over price does each firm have?
How many firms are competing in the market?
How large/what size are each of the firms?
What are the characteristics of the products in each market?
How easy is it for new firms to enter the market?

4. Market Structures Perfect Competition Monopolistic Competition
Oligopoly
Monopoly

5. Warm Up: Why did the U.S. gov’t make monopolies illegal??
MONOPOLY
Warm Up:
Why did the U.S. gov’t make monopolies illegal??

6. MARKET STRUCTURES:

7. Perfect Competition Meets 5 Conditions:
Large number of buyers and sellers
Buyers and sellers deal in identical products
Buyers and sellers act independently
Buyers and sellers are well-informed
Buyers and sellers are free to enter into, conduct, or get out of business

8. Imperfect Competition- lacks 1 or more of the 5 conditions
Monopolistic Competition
Oligopoly
Monopoly

9. Monopolistic Competition
Has every condition except identical products!
These Firms can monopolize a small part of the market by:
Product Differentiation – make their product seem special through ads
Non-price Competition - use of advertisements, giveaways, promotions to get your business

10. A few control 2/3s of the industry
Oligopoly
Where few very large sellers dominate the industry
Any firm within this market structure can cause a change in output, sales, or prices
A few control 2/3s of the industry

11. Must use Interdependent Behavior
Collusion:
A formal agreement to set prices or limit output, acting as one company.
Price Wars:
When one firm lowers prices other firms will follow in a series of price cuts that result in unusually low prices

12. Market Structure with only 1 seller of a particular product
Monopoly
The federal government has outlawed monopolies for over 100 years.
Trustbusting T.R. and the Sherman Anti-Trust Act started it off!
Market Structure
with only
1 seller of a
particular product

13. Natural Monopoly Legal Monpolies
-A market situation where costs of production are minimized by having a single firm produce the product
What are the other natural monopolies in Western New York?

14. A monopoly based on absence of other sellers
Geographic Monopoly
A monopoly based on
absence of other sellers
LUCK OF LOCATION!!!
Example: Thruway gas stations!!

15. Technological Monopoly
Based on the ownership of a method of production, scientific advance, method or process
Patents - granted by government, exclusive right to
manufacture, use, or sell any new and useful
Invention
Copyrights - given to art or literary work and is
exclusive right of artist to publish, sell, or reproduce
for their lifetime plus 70 years

16. Government Monopoly
Government owns and operates a monopoly at National, State and Local levels
What other services does govt provide us that are paid for with our taxes?

17. HOMEWORK 
Grab your textbook and you have the remainder of the period to work on this assignment. It will be collected for a grade tomorrow!!

18. Top Ten Most Common Words WRITTEN in the U.S.
10. For
9. It
8. Was
7. Is
6. To
5. In
4. A
3. And
2. Of
The

19. It’s your time to shine with design!
Design advertisement posters for the market structures your group has been assigned. Your posters must have the following…
*A Slogan
*Picture of the Product or Service
*Company Name
Please: DO NOT write what Market Structure it is!

20. Pop Quiz Time!!
Name three products that would fall in the monopolistic competition market structure.
What makes an oligopoly, an oligopoly?
What are two different industries that fall in oligopoly?
Name three legal monopolies.

21. Pop Quiz 5. What is product differentiation? 6. What is collusion?
7. How do price wars help consumers?
8. What are three perfect competitive firms?
9. What makes perfect competition perfect?
10. Why are most monopolies illegal?

22. Answers:
1 pt. each: shampoo, cereal, soap, hair spray, soup, computer games.
1 pt.: a few firms; 1 pt.: 2/3’s industry.
1 pt. each: soda, gelatin, fast food, gas manufacture, local grocery markets, etc.
1 pt. each: Nat’l Fuel, Nat’l Grid, Books, Songs, Scripts, ©

23. Answers:
1 pt.: advertising to make g&s seem unique although not really; make it seem special.
1 pt.: When firms work together to limit production or raise prices
1 pt: When firms compete and keep lowering prices!!

24. Answers: 1 pt each: any farm products: apple, orange, beef, milk, etc.
2 pts: many firms that sell identical products
1 pt: too much power, price gouging, etc.

25. What happens when the market fails??
HOMEWORK:
Create a 4 – Square for each of the four market failures