Suppose a nation starts at point A on the following graph. According to Thomas Malthus, a rise in population would move the nation from point A to a point such as:

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To tackle this question, first visualize what the graph conveys about Output versus Workers and the two curves shown.

Option A represents the starting point A itself on the lower/less productive curve. If population rises purely due to more people existing, the economy does not magically become more productive per worker; rather, with the same technology and resources, output per worker tends to fall as more workers share the same fixed resources. So staying at A would imply no population change, which contradicts the premise of a population rise.

Option B sits on the higher, upper curve at a higher output level relative to A. A population increase alone would not move the nation onto a higher-output envelope unless there were a positive shift in technology or inputs. Since the question attributes the move to Malthusian population growth (not technological progress), B overstates the effect by implying improved productivity rather than crowding.

Option C is located at a higher number of workers but on the lower (or mid) curve, reflecting more people and a reduced output per worker consistent with the Malthusian idea: population grows, but per-capita output does not rise and may fall due to fixed resources leading to diminishing returns. Thus, the nation would move from A to a point with more workers but not proportionally higher total output per worker, which matches the Malthusian scenario.

Option D lies further along the upper curve, indicating higher total output or higher productivity that surpasses the initial state. Such a move would require an improvement in technology, institutions, or resources, not simply a population increase. Under Malthus’s theory, a population surge without a corresponding advance in production capacity would not jump to a higher productivity envelope.

In summary, a rise in population, absent technological progress, pushes the economy to a point with more workers but not higher per-capita output—i.e., a move toward a point like C on the graph. The other options imply scenarios (higher productivity without improved technology, or remaining at A) that conflict with the Malthusian view of population pressure reducing per-person output.

ECO102H1 S LEC0101 Week 4 Quiz - Economic Growth

Suppose a nation starts at point A on the following graph. According to Thomas Malthus, a rise in population would move the nation from point A to a point such as:

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