Assignment

Task

Assignment consists of one essay question (worth 30 marks) based on text material. Before attempting this assignment you are expected to have read Text chapters 1 to 10. You are encouraged to make use of additional sources. Sources used in your answer should be fully referenced in APA 6th style.

Answer the following question ensuring that you apply economic principles or theory related to the concepts of benefits, costs and market structure in which a firm operates to inform your analysis and support your decisions. Communicate your ideas with correct grammar, spelling and writing style and support your answer with diagrams and illustrative examples as necessary.

Question

Explain how and why governments may want to regulate the price setting of a natural monopoly.

Rationale

This assignment provides an opportunity for you to present a detailed analysis of the operation of firms in a particular market context through the application of your knowledge of theory supported by evidence drawn from sources of your choosing.

The question addresses the following learning outcomes:

Learning Outcome 1: be able to make decisions that incorporate the relevant benefits and cost analysis.
Learning Outcome 2: be able to explain and defend why it is important to understand the structure of the market in which a firm operates.

Presentation

Answers should be typed and diagrams must be clear and neat and preferably drawn electronically. Hand-drawn diagrams are acceptable. Sources used in your answer should be fully referenced in APA 6th style. The answer to the question should be divided into three parts:

Part 1: Introduction

The introduction sets up your response by succinctly stating your understanding of the issues, what you think is the best way to analyse the situation - including choice of theory and sources of evidence, what type of findings you expect and what potential applications you expect there to be.

Part 2: Analysis

The analysis will represent the bulk of your work. Here you will provide your answer in detail by drawing upon the literature, the theory and the evidence to come up with an answer to the question posed. You may find that you want to break this section up into a number of sub-parts - one for a detailed discussion of the issues including your non-technical response, one for a detailed analysis of the tools of analysis you will use (theory), one for your extensive consideration of the evidence, one where you draw together your information and findings along with their implications.

Part 3: Conclusion

In the conclusion you briefly and succinctly review what you have done in answer to the question and indicate what further issues there might be to be considered.

Requirements

Sources used in your answer should be fully referenced in APA 6th style.

This assignment must be submitted through Turnitin.

It is recommended that your name, student ID and page number are included in the header or footer of every page of the assignment.

Further details about submission in Turnitin are provided in online submission.