Equilibrium in a Perfectly Competitive Market Results in the Greatest

question 164

Essay

Equilibrium in a perfectly competitive market results in the greatest amount of economic surplus, or total benefit to society, from the production of a good.Why, then, did Joseph Schumpeter argue that an economy may benefit more from firms that have market power than from firms that are perfectly competitive?

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Definitions:

Conversion Costs

The combined costs of direct labor and manufacturing overheads incurred to convert raw materials into finished products.

Weighted-Average Method

An inventory costing method that calculates the cost of goods sold and ending inventory based on the average cost of all units available for sale.

Equivalent Units Of Production

A concept in cost accounting used to allocate costs to partially completed goods, based on the amount of work done on them.

Equivalent Units Of Production

A calculation used in the production process to equate the amount of work done on partially finished goods to the quantity of completed goods.