Improving Understanding of Collusion in Intermediate Microeconomics

Standard treatments of collusion in intermediate microeconomics textbooks frequently involve a Cournot duopoly facing linear demand with constant marginal costs of production. These presentations leave students with the misunderstanding that firms jointly behaving like a single-firm monopolist and profit maximising collusion are one and the same. We present a simple and effective way for improving student comprehension of collusion; this exercise results in collusion where the duopolists produce more total output than that of a monopolist while enjoying greater joint profits. The exercise can be used to clarify and lead to a better understanding of collusion and profit maximisation.