The Economist Intelligence Unit rankings of the world’s top education systems, which combine international test results and data such as graduation rates,

showed that two contrasting economies topped the league table: Finland

and South Korea. The report concluded that while the amount of spending on

education is important, it is less influential than an economy having a culture

that is supportive of learning. Education in Finland is 100 per cent state funded

and is rather unorthodox given that students don’t start schooling until 7

and rarely have tests or homework until their teenage years. In South Korea,

education is crucial for success, so there are huge pressures placed on students, who start school aged 3. Testing is regular and rigorous, making after-school private tuition classes extremely popular. According to the report, the top 10 countries were ranked as follows:

 

1. Finland

2. South Korea

3. Hong Kong

4. Japan

5. Singapore

6. UK

7. Netherlands

8. New Zealand

9. Switzerland

10. Canada

 

a. Explain how scarce resources are allocated in a mixed economy. [4]

b. Discuss whether education should be funded by the government. [8]​

5. profit maximization and shutting down in the short run suppose that the market for polos is a competitive market. the following graph shows the daily cost curves of a firm operating in this market. 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 50 45 40 35 30 25 20 15 10 5 0 price (dollars per polo) quantity (thousands of polos) mc atc avc for each price in the following table, calculate the firm's optimal quantity of units to produce, and determine the profit or loss if it produces at that quantity, using the data from the previous graph to identify its total variable cost. assume that if the firm is indifferent between producing and shutting down, it will produce. (hint: you can select the purple points [diamond symbols] on the previous graph to see precise information on average variable cost.) price quantity total revenue fixed cost variable cost profit (dollars per polo) (polos) (dollars) (dollars) (dollars) (dollars) 12.50 135,000 27.50 135,000 45.00 135,000 if the firm shuts down, it must incur its fixed costs (fc) in the short run. in this case, the firm's fixed cost is $135,000 per day. in other words, if it shuts down, the firm would suffer losses of $135,000 per day until its fixed costs end (such as the expiration of a building lease). this firm's shutdown price—that is, the price below which it is optimal for the firm to shut down—is per polo.

Swathmore clothing corporation grants its customers 30 days' credit. the company uses the allowance method for its uncollectible accounts receivable. during the year, a monthly bad debt accrual is made by multiplying 3% times the amount of credit sales for the month. at the fiscal year-end of december 31, an aging of accounts receivable schedule is prepared and the allowance for uncollectible accounts is adjusted accordingly. at the end of 2012, accounts receivable were dollar 586.000 and the allowance account had a credit balance of dollar 50,000. accounts receivable activity for 2013 was as follows: the company's controller prepared the following aging summary of year-end accounts receivable: prepare a summary journal entry to record the monthly bad debt accrual and the write-offs during the year. (if no entry is required for a particular event, select "no journal entry required" in the first account field.) prepare the necessary year-end adjusting entry for bad debt expense. (if no entry is required for an event, select "no journal entry required" in the first account field.) what is total bad debt expense for 2013? calculate the amount of accounts receivable that would appear in the 2013 balance sheet?

Describe what fixed costs and marginal costs mean to a company.