In competitive markets, how do firms typically set their prices?

• A. Firms set their prices based solely on government regulations.
• B. Firms set their prices without regard to competitors, focusing only on production costs.
• C. Firms set their prices close to those of their major competitors.
• D. Firms set their prices significantly higher than their competitors to maximize profit.

Answer: (C)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand the nature of a competitive market: In perfectly competitive markets, there are many firms selling identical or very similar products, so no single firm can influence the market price significantly.
2. Recognize that firms in competitive markets are price takers, meaning they accept the market price as given rather than setting their own prices independently.
3. Know that the market price is determined by the intersection of overall market supply and demand, not by individual firms.
4. Realize that firms decide how much to produce based on this market price and their own cost structures, aiming to maximize profit where marginal cost equals marginal revenue (which equals the market price).
5. Conclude that firms typically set their prices at the market price, which is close to competitors' prices, rather than setting prices based solely on government regulations, ignoring competitors, or significantly exceeding competitors' prices.