Question

Suppose Tammy grew up on a farm and is very good at plowing. In addition, suppose she is a popular country singer who earns $4,000 per performance. If her husband Bob can plow (but not as well as Tammy) but he can't carry a tune, then it would be most efficient if a. Tammy did both the plowing and the singing. b. Tammy specialized in singing and Bob in plowing. C. Tammy specialized in plowing and Bob in singing. d. Bob did both the plowing and singing. e. they both plowed and sang.

Answer 1

Answer:

B) Tammy specialized in singing and Bob in plowing.

Explanation:

Tammy has an absolute advantage at singing because she is simply absolutely better at singing than her husband. She also has a comparative advantage at plowing because she plows better than him, but he can still do some plowing. Therefore, Tammy should specialize in the task that she has an absolute advantage and generates a larger revenue, while her husband should specialize in plowing even though he is not very good at it. By specializing in plowing, Tammy's husband might end up doing it as good as her.