Scenario 16.3: Sam and Sally Are the Only Consumers in an Economy

question 9

Multiple Choice

Scenario 16.3:
Sam and Sally are the only consumers in an economy where tee shirts and candy are the only commodities that are consumed. The marginal utility schedule for each appears below.
Sam tee shirts MU(tee shirts) Candy MU(Candy)
1 10 1 6
2 9 2 5
3 8 3 4
4 7 4 5
5 6 5 4
Sally tee shirts MU(tee shirts) Candy MU(Candy)
1 24 1 12
2 19 2 9
3 18 3 8
4 14 4 7
5 10 5 3
There are 7 candies and 7 tee shirts total in the economy.
Consider the case when the goods are redistributed such that Sam has 4 tee shirts and 4 candies. Sally has 3 tee shirts and 3 candies.
-Refer to Scenario 16.3. Is the current distribution Pareto optimal?

• A) Yes.
• B) No, as Sam has more of both goods.
• C) No, as it is possible to find a way for Sam to sell tee shirts to Sally (and receive candy in return) that would make both of them better off.
• D) No, as it is possible to find a way for Sam to sell candy to Sally (and receive tee shirts in return) that would make both of them better off.
• E) Without knowing the prices of tee shirts and candy we cannot determine if this distribution is Pareto optimal.