Suppose a price floor on sparkling wine is proposed by the Health Minister of the country of Vinyardia. What will be the likely effect on the market for sparkling wine in Vinyardia?

The options for this question are the following:

A. Quantity demanded will decrease, quantity supplied will increase, and a shortage will result.; B. Quantity demanded will increase, quantity supplied will decrease, and a surplus will result.; C. Quantity demanded will decrease, quantity supplied will increase, and a surplus will result; D. Quantity demanded will increase, quantity supplied will decrease, and a shortage will result.

The correct answer is C. Quantity demanded will decrease, quantity supplied will increase, and a surplus will result.

Explanation:

There is a strong correlation between pricing (at prices higher than the equilibrium price) and the creation of excess supply. Following the analysis of supply and demand, if we start from an initial equilibrium situation (where the quantity demanded and supplied are equal) and the authority decides to set a much higher price, the quantity demanded of the product will decrease and, on the other hand, the quantity supplied will increase, so producers will want to sell more than consumers want to buy. The previous problem will be solved if the authority decides to lower the price of the product, since this encourages consumers to buy more and bidders to produce less.