📚 Learning Guide
Government Subsidies and Externalities
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Arrange the following steps in the correct order to illustrate how government subsidies can internalize externalities and promote social welfare.

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Learning Path

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Choose the Best Answer

A

Government identifies a market failure and decides to provide a subsidy.

B

Consumers respond to the lower prices caused by the subsidy, increasing demand.

C

The subsidy leads to an increase in production, aligning marginal private costs with marginal social costs.

D

The overall output reaches a socially optimal level, improving social welfare.

Understanding the Answer

Let's break down why this is correct

Answer

Government subsidies help to address externalities, which are costs or benefits that affect people who are not directly involved in an economic transaction. First, the government identifies an activity that has positive externalities, like education or renewable energy, which benefits society as a whole. Then, to encourage more of this activity, the government provides financial support, or subsidies, to individuals or businesses involved in it. This makes the activity cheaper and more attractive, leading to increased participation. For example, if the government gives subsidies to solar panel installations, more people will adopt solar energy, reducing pollution and benefiting everyone in the community.

Detailed Explanation

The government first sees a problem in the market. Other options are incorrect because This answer suggests that consumers react to the subsidy before it is given; This option implies that production increases right after the subsidy is given.

Key Concepts

Government Subsidies
Externalities
Market Failures
Topic

Government Subsidies and Externalities

Difficulty

medium level question

Cognitive Level

understand

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