Why does the substitution bias cause the consumer price index to overstate inflation and the cost of living? Why does the increase in quality bias cause the consumer price index to overstate inflation and the cost of living?
What will be an ideal response?
The substitution bias causes the CPI to overstate inflation and the cost of living because the CPI, being based on a fixed market basket of goods and services, implicitly assumes that consumers do not switch away from products whose prices are rising and into products whose prices are falling (or rising less). Consumers dodge some price increases by switching to other products, therefore decreasing their cost of living below what the CPI indicates.
The increase in quality bias causes the CPI to overstate inflation and the cost of living because a portion of the price increase of many goods and services is due to an increase in quality. The Bureau of Labor Statistics tries to filter out the portion of the price increase due to quality, but does not fully adjust the price increase for quality improvements.
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The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is part of the
A) Treasury Department B) Federal Reserve System C) Justice Department D) Commerce Department
To say that people make decisions at the margin means that:
a. wait until the last minute before making a decision.
b. weigh the additional costs and additional benefits of small changes.
c. make decisions that determine whether or not they will live their lives on the edge of subsistence.
d. make decisions on issues that are relatively unimportant for their economic well-being.
Suppose that Pat has the legal right to fly an extremely noisy airplane over Chris's apartment and that he values that right at $1,000 per year. Chris would be willing to pay $800 per year to avoid the noise. In this case,
a. Pat will be required to eliminate the overflight b. Chris will move to a new apartment c. Pat and Chris have a powerful incentive to eliminate the overflight because both would benefit from it d. some governmental agency will step in to require Pat to choose a different flight pattern e. there is no basis for an agreement to eliminate the overflight
A popular resort restaurant will maximize profits if it chooses to stay open during the less-crowded "off season" when its total revenues exceed its variable costs
a. True b. False Indicate whether the statement is true or false