This chapter revisits the production exchange economies through the lens of Robinson Crusoe's economy. It explores how an agent, endowed with fixed resources—their 24 hours of time—must decide between labor and leisure. The analysis covers the technologies involved in coconut production, the preferences of Crusoe, and the relationship between labor and profit maximization. We also discuss the implications of the first and second fundamental theorems of welfare economics when production elements are integrated into a general equilibrium framework.
Analyzing Robinson Crusoe's Economy: Production, Exchange, and Utility Maximization
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Exchange Economies (revisited) • No production, only endowments, so no description of how resources are converted to consumables. • General equilibrium: all markets clear simultaneously. • 1st and 2nd Fundamental Theorems of Welfare Economics.
Now Add Production ... • Add input markets, output markets, describe firms’ technologies, the distributions of firms’ outputs and profits …
Now Add Production ... • Add input markets, output markets, describe firms’ technologies, the distributions of firms’ outputs and profits … That’s not easy!
Robinson Crusoe’s Economy • One agent, RC. • Endowed with a fixed quantity of one resource -- 24 hours. • Use time for labor (production) or leisure (consumption). • Labor time = L. Leisure time = 24 - L. • What will RC choose?
Robinson Crusoe’s Technology • Technology: Labor produces output (coconuts) according to a concave production function.
Robinson Crusoe as a Firm • Now suppose RC is both a utility-maximizing consumer and a profit-maximizing firm. • Use coconuts as the numeraire good; i.e. price of a coconut = $1. • RC’s wage rate is w. • Coconut output level is C.
Robinson Crusoe as a Firm • RC’s firm’s profit is = C - wL. • = C - wL C = + wL, the equation of an isoprofit line. • Slope = + w . • Intercept = .
Profit-Maximization Isoprofit slope = production function slope Coconuts Production function C* L* 24 0 Labor (hours)
Profit-Maximization Isoprofit slope = production function slope i.e. w = MPL Coconuts Production function C* L* 24 0 Labor (hours)
Profit-Maximization Isoprofit slope = production function slope i.e. w = MPL = 1 MPL = MRPL. Coconuts Production function C* L* 24 0 Labor (hours)
Profit-Maximization Isoprofit slope = production function slope i.e. w = MPL = 1 MPL = MRPL. Coconuts Production function C* L* 24 0 Labor (hours) RC gets
Profit-Maximization Isoprofit slope = production function slope i.e. w = MPL = 1 MPL = MRPL. Coconuts Production function C* Given w, RC’s firm’s quantity demanded of labor is L* Labor demand L* 24 0 Labor (hours) RC gets
Profit-Maximization Isoprofit slope = production function slope i.e. w = MPL = 1 MPL = MRPL. Coconuts Production function C* Output supply Given w, RC’s firm’s quantity demanded of labor is L* and output quantity supplied is C*. Labor demand L* 24 0 Labor (hours) RC gets
Utility-Maximization • Now consider RC as a consumer endowed with $* who can work for $w per hour. • What is RC’s most preferred consumption bundle? • Budget constraint is
Utility-Maximization Coconuts MRS = w Budget constraint; slope = w C* L* 24 0 Labor (hours)
Utility-Maximization Coconuts MRS = w Budget constraint; slope = w C* Given w, RC’s quantity supplied of labor is L* Labor supply L* 24 0 Labor (hours)
Utility-Maximization Coconuts MRS = w Budget constraint; slope = w C* Output demand Given w, RC’s quantity supplied of labor is L* and output quantity demanded is C*. Labor supply L* 24 0 Labor (hours)