All else equal, what happens to consumer surplus if the price of a good increases?

• A. Consumer surplus increases.
• B. Consumer surplus decreases.
• C. Consumer surplus remains unchanged.
• D. Consumer surplus is eliminated entirely.

Answer: (B)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Step 1: Understand the definition of consumer surplus. Consumer surplus is the difference between what consumers are willing to pay for a good and what they actually pay. It represents the net benefit to consumers from purchasing the good.
2. Step 2: Recognize that consumer surplus is graphically represented as the area below the demand curve and above the market price, up to the quantity purchased.
3. Step 3: Analyze the effect of a price increase. When the price of a good increases, the horizontal line representing the market price shifts upward on the graph.
4. Step 4: Observe that as the price increases, the area between the demand curve and the new higher price line shrinks, meaning the consumer surplus decreases because consumers either pay more or buy less.
5. Step 5: Conclude that all else equal, an increase in price leads to a decrease in consumer surplus, since consumers gain less net benefit from the good at the higher price.