Rationing is a common form of distribution in a centrally-planned economy.
Rationing
At midnight on the 4th July 1954. ____________ It varied from country to country. For example, West German abolished rationing in April 1950 - over four years before Britain.
It is a function of the form D = ax + b where a and b are some constants and x is a variable which is linearly related to the demand. x could be the price of the goods in question, or be the price of a complementary good, a substitute, or it could be income, or time. Also, a linear relationship does not mean a causal relationship.
If there is a shadow price of zero it means it is a non binding constraint and the RHS of the constraint can be changed up to the allowable increase or decrease without changing the value of the objective function.
A price ceiling will undermine the rationing function of market-determined prices by creating a shortage. This is a price which is below equilibrium which will lead to more demand that supply that will cause a shortage.
allocative function of price: to direct resources away from overcrowded markets and towards markets that are underserved. Rationing function of price: to distribute scare goods to those consumers who value them most highly
prices can not act as rationing device
Price is the rationing mechanism. Whoever can afford it, will by it.
Economists have said that "price floorsand price ceilings stifle (prevent) the rationing function of prices and distort resource allocation." Consider what happens after a hurricane, prices are often frozen to pre-hurricane prices through "price gouging laws" to protect the consumer. Is this an example of a price ceiling or a price floor?This occurs for gasoline as well as for groceries and other products that might be in high demand after the damage of a hurricane. What is the impact in the market place of these limits?
This is when consumers and producers respond to information( signalling) and incentive provided by the prices then scarce resources will be rationed between competing uses
In the UK, anyway, most food prices were fixed while rationing was in force. One of the main purposes of rationing by coupons was to avoid rationing by price. :)
The following are the main effects of price ceiling and rationing: 1. Beneficial for Poor Consumers: A well managed rationing system enables the poor section of the society to get the commodities which are in short supply. 2. Transfer of Resources: The price ceiling and rationing enable the government to transfer resources from the production of less important uses to more important uses. 3. Black Marketing: The worst effect of rationing is to encourage black marketing.
When economist says price floors means above equilibrium and leads to undermanned surplus. When they say price ceilings it means price below equilibrium which leads to unsupplied shortage.
Rationing
Price ceiling
Price ceiling