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DEMAND

Seth Bennett
ECONOMIC PRINCIPLE: Demand- The Factors That Can Shift Demand & The Impact of an 
Increase or Decrease in Demand on Equilibrium Price (Pe) and Quantity (Qe)
A change in demand will cause equilibrium price and output to change in the same 
direction. A decrease in demand will cause a reduction in the equilibrium price and
quantity of 
a good. The decrease in demand also causes excess supply to develop at the initial price.

Excess supply will cause prices to fall, and as the price falls producers are willing to
supply less 
of the good, thereby decreasing output. An increase in demand will cause an increase in
the 
equilibrium price and quantity of a good. The increase in demand causes excess demand to

develop at the initial price. Excess demand will cause the price to rise, and as price
rises 
producers are willing to sell more, thereby increasing output.
There are many factors that can cause a change in demand but there seems to be four 
main factors that effect it the most. First, a change in consumers income can shift the
curve. If 
there is an increase in consumers income, the demand curve will shift to the right.
Second, a 
change in population can shift the curve. If the population increases, the demand curve
shifts to 
the right. Another important factor is the preferences of the consumer. If the consumers

preference for a certain good increases, this will also shift the curve to the left. The
last and 
possibly most important factor is the prices of related goods. In regard to substitutes,
if the price 
of a substitute increases, the demand curve for the original good will shift to the
right. For 
example, if the price of Pepsi rises, the demand curve for Coke shifts to the right. In
regard to 
complements, if the price of a complement increases, the demand curve for the original
good 
will shift to the left. If McDonalds raises the price of its Big Mac, the demand for
french fries 
shifts to the left because fewer people walk in the door to buy the Big Mac.