In the classic prisoners' dilemma with Bonnie and Clyde, what is the dominant strategy for Bonnie?

Correct answer: To confess.

Explanation

This question tests the application of the 'dominant strategy' concept to the specific example of the prisoners' dilemma provided in the chapter.

Other questions

Question 1

According to Chapter 17, what is a key feature of an oligopoly?

Question 2

In the duopoly example with Jack and Jill, what is the socially efficient quantity of water, and at what price would it be sold?

Question 3

What is the term for an agreement among firms in a market about quantities to produce or prices to charge?

Question 4

If Jack and Jill form a cartel and agree to the monopoly outcome, what is the total profit they will share?

Question 5

What is a Nash equilibrium?

Question 6

In the Jack and Jill duopoly example, if they reach the Nash equilibrium, how many gallons does each produce and what is their individual profit?

Question 7

How does the size of an oligopoly affect the market outcome?

Question 8

What is the prisoners' dilemma intended to illustrate?

Question 10

What is the final outcome in the prisoners' dilemma game with Bonnie and Clyde if both follow their dominant strategy?

Question 11

The case study about OPEC highlights that

Question 12

According to the chapter, which business practice involves a manufacturer requiring retailers to charge a specific price for its product?

Question 13

Why might economists defend the practice of resale price maintenance?

Question 14

Why are some economists skeptical that predatory pricing is a profitable strategy?

Question 15

What law, passed in 1890, was the first major statute aimed at curbing the market power of cartels and monopolies?

Question 16

In the arms-race game presented in Figure 3, what is the Nash equilibrium?

Question 17

From the standpoint of society as a whole, is the lack of cooperation between oligopolists desirable?

Question 18

What is the 'tit-for-tat' strategy described in the case study on the Prisoners' Dilemma Tournament?

Question 19

When an oligopolist considers increasing production by one unit, what are the two effects they must weigh?

Question 20

In the Illegal Phone Call case study, what law did Robert Crandall of American Airlines violate by discussing prices with Howard Putnam of Braniff Airways?

Question 21

The practice of 'tying' was a central issue in the antitrust case against which major company discussed in the chapter?

Question 22

Why would an oligopolistic firm want to engage in tying?

Question 23

When comparing the oligopoly outcome to the monopoly and competitive outcomes, where does it typically fall in terms of quantity and price?

Question 24

In the common-resources game example with Exxon and Texaco, what is the Nash Equilibrium?

Question 25

What is the provision in the Clayton Act of 1914 designed to encourage private lawsuits against oligopolies?

Question 26

What is the primary reason an oligopoly is considered an example of imperfect competition?

Question 27

In the Jack and Jill example, if they successfully collude and act as a monopoly, what price will they charge per gallon of water?

Question 28

The chapter uses the prisoners' dilemma to explain the behavior of all the following EXCEPT:

Question 29

According to the chapter, why might repeated interaction between oligopolists lead to a more cooperative outcome?

Question 30

What did the Supreme Court order in the Microsoft case in June 2000, which was later overturned by an appeals court?

Question 31

In the common-resources game with Exxon and Texaco, drilling a second well is a dominant strategy for Exxon because:

Question 32

How does allowing free international trade impact a domestic oligopoly, according to the example of the auto industry?

Question 33

Adam Smith's quote, 'People of the same trade seldom meet together, but the conversation ends in a conspiracy against the public,' highlights what tendency of oligopolists?

Question 34

In the duopoly game in Figure 2, if Jack and Jill start at the cooperative outcome (30 gallons each), why does Jack have an incentive to increase his production to 40 gallons?

Question 35

What is game theory?

Question 36

In the Jack and Jill example, what is the total profit at the Nash equilibrium?

Question 37

According to the chapter, public policy discourages cooperation among oligopolists primarily through:

Question 38

The controversy over the Google antitrust case, as discussed in the 'In the News' box on page 367, centers on what key issue?

Question 39

When is a strategy considered a 'dominant strategy' in game theory?

Question 40

If four firms were in the water market instead of two, and they did not form a cartel, what would happen to the price and quantity compared to the duopoly outcome?

Question 41

In the common-resources game with Exxon and Texaco, the inefficient outcome where both drill two wells is an example of:

Question 42

What is the maximum fine for a misdemeanor under the Sherman Antitrust Act of 1890, as quoted in the chapter?

Question 43

Which statement best describes the outcome of the prisoners' dilemma for the prisoners themselves?

Question 44

The story of the phone call between the presidents of American Airlines and Braniff Airways shows that under the Sherman Act:

Question 45

In the duopoly example, if Jack produces 30 gallons and Jill produces 40 gallons, what is the price of water per gallon?

Question 46

What is a primary difference between an oligopoly and a monopolistically competitive market?

Question 47

When the common-resources game results in both Exxon and Texaco drilling two wells, the welfare of society is:

Question 48

What does the logic of the prisoners' dilemma suggest about the stability of a cartel agreement?

Question 49

The public policy of doing nothing about a monopoly might be considered the best option if:

Question 50

According to the analysis in Chapter 17, how does an increase in the number of firms in an oligopoly affect the price effect for each firm?