📚 Learning Guide
Government and Market Efficiency
easy

Which of the following scenarios best illustrates the role of government in correcting a market inefficiency due to a negative externality?

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Choose the Best Answer

A

Imposing a tax on a factory that emits pollution, aiming to reflect the social cost of production.

B

Providing subsidies to consumers for purchasing electric vehicles, encouraging cleaner technology.

C

Allowing companies to self-regulate their emissions without any government oversight.

D

Reducing tariffs on imported goods to promote competition in the market.

Understanding the Answer

Let's break down why this is correct

Answer

A negative externality occurs when a person's actions cause harm to others, but the person does not bear the full cost of that harm. For example, imagine a factory that produces pollution as it makes its products. The factory benefits from selling its goods and making a profit, but the nearby residents suffer from the air pollution, which can lead to health issues. In this case, the government can step in by imposing regulations or taxes on the factory to reduce pollution. This way, the factory must consider the health costs to the community, helping to correct the market inefficiency by aligning the factory's costs with the social costs of its pollution.

Detailed Explanation

When a factory pollutes, it harms people and the environment. Other options are incorrect because Offering money to buy electric cars sounds good, but it doesn't fix pollution from factories; Letting companies control their own pollution can lead to more harm.

Key Concepts

Government intervention
Market inefficiency
Externalities
Topic

Government and Market Efficiency

Difficulty

easy level question

Cognitive Level

understand

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