Consumers lose when a market is served by a monopolist to the extent that units of output

Consumers lose when a market is served by a monopolist to the extent that units of output

 Consumers lose when a market is served by a monopolist to the extent that units of output for which the price consumers are willing to pay exceeds the marginal costs of production are not produced.

73) Although monopoly and perfect competition result in different market outcomes, the fact that firms in both market structures work to maximize their profits ensures that resources are allocated efficiently in both situations.

74) Barriers to entry serve to limit the number of firms that operate in a particular market and, as such, reduce the amount of total profit earned in the market.

75) Because barriers to entry limit the amount of competition in various markets, government policy should be designed to reduce or eliminate such barriers wherever possible.

76) Economies of scale can benefit consumers to the extent that the costs of production incurred by the firms in the industry are lower than they would otherwise be. At the same time, the price-setting power of those firms is increased, which could hurt consumers.

77) Even if production of a good is characterized by economies of scale, consumers of the good would be best served by having a large number of small firms produce the good because of the effects of increased competition.

78) Licensing requirements for doctors, which are intended primarily to maintain the quality of persons who work in the profession, have no the effect on the profits of those individuals because the number of competitors is so large.

79) Patents and copyrights create incentives for individuals to create information that might not be produced otherwise.

80) Efforts by firms to secure patents increase the amount of competition in the affected markets.

81) Patents have become less important than such factors as secrecy, lead time, and increased sales and service efforts as a means to maintain a competitive advantage in the pharmaceutical industry.