1.3 Market Failure Flashcards
What is market failure?
The inefficient allocation of resources in the free market which leads to a loss of social welfare
What are the 3 types of market failure?
- Information gaps
- Under-provision of public goods
- Externalities
What is an externality?
A spillover effect from consumption or production on a third party (can be positive or negative)
What is a marginal private cost (MPC)?
The cost incurred by an individual (producer/firm) as part of the production of a good
What is a marginal private benefit (MPB)?
The extra satisfaction gained by an individual for consuming a good
What is MSB = MSC?
The social optimum level of production
What is a negative production externality?
When the production of a good/service has a harmful external impact on a third party (social costs are greater than private costs)
What is deadweight welfare loss?
A cost to society due to a reduction in economic efficiency when market is not in equilibrium (loss of consumer or producer surplus)
What are merit goods?
Goods/services which have positive consumption externalities but are often underproduced by the free market
What are demerit goods?
Goods/services with negative externalities that are often overproduced by the free market and consumed to a greater extent than considered socially desirable
What are indirect taxes?
A tax imposed by the government that increases the supply cost of producers, aims to decrease the supply of a good or service
How does an indirect tax solve externalities?
The cost of the externality is internalised, moving production closer to the social optimum
What are 3 drawbacks of indirect tax to solve externalities?
- Difficult to measure externality
- Regressive
- Opportunity/enforcement costs
What is cap and trade?
A market based policy in which the government sets a ‘cap’ on carbon emissions and firms are given permits to pollute which can be traded or sold to other firms
Why is the supply of carbon permits inelastic and what is the effect?
Government increases the scarcity of permits resulting in an increase in price. This makes it more expensive for firms to gain permits, discouraging them from polluting
What are 2 advantages of cap and trade?
- Encourages investment in green technology
- Does not deter future investment: it is a gradual reduction
What are 2 disadvantages of cap and trade?
- Political favouritism: governments likely to distribute more permits to companies with national significance
- Setting correct cap is complex: too high=limited effect on pollutants, too low=permits expensive for smaller businesses
What is regulation?
A set of rules, normally imposed by government that firms must follow in order to modify their behaviour
What are 2 advantages of regulation?
- Can be gradually toughened/implemented over time
- Theoretically ‘cheaper and simpler’ to implement
What are 3 disadvantages of regulation?
- High enforcement and opportunity costs
- Unintended consequences e.g black markets, smuggling
- Deters future investment
What is nationalisation?
The transfer of an industry from private to public ownership and the government begins to provide the good/service
What are 2 benefits of nationalisation?
- Better coordination with the central plan or strategy
- State can monitor externalities easily: can reduce negative externalities and increase positive externalies
What are the alternative interventions to increase the production/consumption of merit goods?
- Legislation
- Advertising/Information
- Direct Provisioning
What is good information?
When the buyer and seller both have full knowledge of the price, benefits and costs of a good