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Overemphasis on Perfectly Competitive Markets in Microeconomics Principles Textbooks

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Author Info
Roderick Hill (University of New Brunswick, Saint John)
Anthony Myatt () (University of New Brunswick, Fredericton)
Abstract

Microeconomic principles courses focus on perfectly competitive markets far more than other market structures. The authors examine five possible reasons for this but find none of them sufficiently compelling. They conclude that textbook authors should place more emphasis on how economists select appropriate models and test models’ predictions against the empirical evidence. This requires a more even treatment of market structures and less emphasis on perfect competition. Greater emphasis on imperfect competition would also allow textbook authors to address the neglected topic of dynamic efficiency.

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Publisher Info
Article provided by Helen Dwight Reid Foundation in its journal The Journal of Economic Education.

Volume (Year): 38 (2007)
Issue (Month): 1 ()
Pages: 58-77
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Handle: RePEc:jee:journl:v:38:y:2007:i:1:p:58-77

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Related research
Keywords: introductory economics; market structures; perfect competition; supply and demand;

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Find related papers by JEL classification:
A2 - General Economics and Teaching - - Economic Education and Teaching of Economics
A22 - General Economics and Teaching - - Economic Education and Teaching of Economics - - - Undergraduate
D41 - Microeconomics - - Market Structure and Pricing - - - Perfect Competition

References listed on IDEAS
Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.:

  1. Alan B. Krueger, 2001. "Teaching the Minimum Wage in Econ 101 in Light of the New Economics of the Minimum Wage," Journal of Economic Education, Helen Dwight Reid Foundation, vol. 32(3), pages 243-258. [Downloadable!]
  2. Pollak, Robert A, 1978. "Endogenous Tastes in Demand and Welfare Analysis," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 68(2), pages 374-79, May.
  3. George J. Stigler, 1957. "Perfect Competition, Historically Contemplated," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 65, pages 1. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  4. Arnott, Richard, 1995. "Time for Revisionism on Rent Control?," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 9(1), pages 99-120, Winter. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  5. Dan Fuller & Doris Geide-Stevenson, 2003. "Consensus Among Economists: Revisited," Journal of Economic Education, Helen Dwight Reid Foundation, vol. 34(4), pages 369-387. [Downloadable!]
  6. Kearl, J R, et al, 1979. "A Confusion of Economists?," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 69(2), pages 28-37, May. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  7. David Colander, 2003. "Integrating Sex and Drugs into the Principles Course: Market-Failures Versus Failures-of-Market Outcomes," Journal of Economic Education, Helen Dwight Reid Foundation, vol. 34(1), pages 82-91. [Downloadable!]
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