Question

Which of the following statements about oligopoly is FALSE: A. Oligopolies have a tendency to collude and form cartels in order to split monopoly like profits B. Oligopolistic markets under collusion are socially inefficient (create deadweight loss) C. If two firms are in a collusion and Firm 1 violates the agreement by lowering the price, Firm 1 will increase its own profit but overall profit in the industry will go down D. All of the above statements are true

Answer 1

Answer: D. All of the above statements are true

Explanation:

Oligopolies exist in markets where supply is not saturated so they tend to form cartels where they can collude and charge a higher price to consumers so as to make more profits. Like a monopoly, this would lead to a deadweight loss because the urge to be competitive goes away and the market becomes socially inefficient.

In such a market, some firms will be tempted to break the cartel agreement and charge a lower price so as to gain market share. They stand a good chance of doing so in the short term but the other companies will react by reducing their prices as well which would reduce profits for the whole industry.