
Part A: Multiple Choice
1. In the 2-factor, 2 good Heckscher-Ohlin model, the two countries differ in
A) tastes.
B) military capabilities.
C) size.
D) relative availabilities of factors of production.
E) labor productivities.
2.The slope of a countryʹs PPF reflects
A) the opportunity cost of product S in terms of product T.
B) the opportunity cost of T in terms of money prices.
C) the opportunity cost of S or T in terms of S.
D) Both A and B.
E) Both A and C.
3. According to the Heckscher-Ohlin model, the source of comparative advantage is a countryʹs
A) technology.
B) advertising.
C) human capital.
D) factor endowments.
E) Both A and B.
4. If Australia has relatively more land per worker, and Belgium has relatively more capital per worker, then if trade were to open up between these two countries,
A) the relative price of the capital-intensive product would rise in Australia.
B) the world price of the land-intensive product would be higher than it had been in Belgium.
C) the world price of the land intensive product would be higher than it had been in Australia.
D) the relative price of the land intensive product would rise in Belgium.
E) None of the above.
5. The Heckscher-Ohlin model predicts all of the following except
A) which country will export which product.
B) which factor of production within each country will gain from trade.
C) the volume of trade.
D) that wages will tend to become equal in both trading countries.
E) None of the above.
6. External economies of scale arise when the cost per unit
A) rises as the industry grows larger.
B) falls as the industry grows larger rises as the average firm grows larger.
C) falls as the average firm grows larger.
D) remains constant.
E) None of the above.
7. External economies of scale
A) may be associated with a perfectly competitive industry.
B) cannot be associated with a perfectly competitive industry.
C) tends to result in one huge monopoly.
D) tends to result in large profits for each firm.
E) None of the above.
8. The simultaneous export and import of widgets by the United States is an example of
A) increasing returns to scale.
B) imperfect competition.
C) intra-industry trade.
D) inter-industry trade.
E) None of the above.
9. Intra-industry trade can be explained in part by
A) transportation costs within and between countries.
B) problems of data aggregation and categorization.
C) increasing returns to scale.
D) All of the above.
E) None of the above.
10. Intra-industry trade will tend to dominate trade flows when which of the following exists?
A) large differences between relative country factor availabilities
B) small differences between relative country factor availabilities
C) homogeneous products that cannot be differentiated
D) constant cost industries
E) None of the above.
11. The larger the number of firms in a monopolistic competition situation,
A) the larger are that countryʹs exports.
B) the higher is the price charged.
C) the fewer varieties are sold.
D) the lower is the price charged.
E) None of the above.
12. The larger the number of firms in a monopolistic competition situation,
A) the larger are that countryʹs exports.
B) the higher is the price charged.
C) the fewer varieties are sold.
D) the lower is the price charged.
E) None of the above.
DADCC BACDB DD
Part B: Short Questions
1.ʺThe H.O. model remains useful as a way to predict the income distribution effects of trade.ʺ Discuss.
Answer: T he Stolper-Samuelson theorem, one of the basic theorems arising from the Heckscher-Ohlin model yields an elegant demonstration of the fact that changes in product prices (such as will occur when trade is expanded or curtailed) telescopes its effects onto factor prices, so that not only do relative factor returns mirror product prices, but that actual returns to factors may either rise or fall in real terms. Hence, as a policy framework, the disproportionate effect trade may have on real incomes of sectors, such as skilled-labor is quite useful both theoretically and practically (or polemically)
2.International trade leads to complete equalization of factor prices. Discuss.
T his statement is typically ʺtrue . . . but.ʺ Under a strict and limited set of assumptions, such as the original Heckscher-Ohlin model which excludes country specific technologies; non- homothetic tastes; factor intensity reversals; large country differences in (relative) factor abundances, more factors than goods, and an equilibrium solution within the ʺcone of specializationʺ; then it may be demonstrated that internal consistency demands that the above stated sentence is ʺtrue.ʺ However, the minute one relaxes any of the above listed assumptions one may easily identify solutions, which contradict the factor price equalization theorem.
3.If a scale economy is the dominant technological factor defining or establishing comparative advantage, then the underlying facts explaining why a particular country dominates world markets in some product may be pure chance, or historical accident. Explain, and compare this with the answer you would give for the Heckscher-Ohlin model of comparative advantage.
T his statement is true, since the reason the seller is a monopolist may be that it happened to have been the first to produce this product in this country. It may have no connection to any supply or demand related factors; nor to any natural or man-made availability. This is all exactly the opposite of the Heckscher-Ohlin Neo-Classical modelʹs explanation of the determinants of comparative advantage.
