📚 Learning Guide
Economic Profit and Oligopoly
hard

In an oligopolistic market, how does collusion affect economic profit maximization among firms?

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Learning Path

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Choose the Best Answer

A

Collusion leads to lower prices and reduced profits

B

Collusion allows firms to set higher prices and maximize profits

C

Collusion has no impact on profit levels

D

Collusion increases competition and decreases profit

Understanding the Answer

Let's break down why this is correct

Answer

In an oligopolistic market, a few large firms dominate and have the power to influence prices and production levels. When these firms engage in collusion, they work together to set prices higher than they would in a competitive market, which allows them to earn more profit. For example, if two car manufacturers agree to limit their production, they can raise the prices of their cars, leading to higher profits for both. However, this behavior can lead to a lack of competition, which is often not good for consumers, as they end up paying more. In the long run, if firms continue to collude, they may face legal consequences and the market may become unstable.

Detailed Explanation

When firms in an oligopoly work together, they can agree to raise prices. Other options are incorrect because Some might think that collusion lowers prices; It's a common mistake to believe collusion has no effect on profits.

Key Concepts

Collusion
Profit Maximization
Market Structure.
Topic

Economic Profit and Oligopoly

Difficulty

hard level question

Cognitive Level

understand

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