📚 Learning Guide
Understanding Per-Unit Taxes
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A local government decides to impose a per-unit tax on plastic bags to reduce their usage due to environmental concerns. How will this tax likely affect the market for plastic bags and the behavior of consumers and producers in this context?

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Learning Path
Learning Path

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Choose the Best Answer

A

The tax will increase the supply of plastic bags, leading to lower prices for consumers.

B

The tax will increase the marginal cost for producers, likely reducing the supply of plastic bags and increasing prices for consumers.

C

The tax will have no impact on the supply since producers can absorb the cost without changing their behavior.

D

The tax will directly decrease demand for plastic bags without affecting supply.

Understanding the Answer

Let's break down why this is correct

Answer

When the local government imposes a per-unit tax on plastic bags, it makes these bags more expensive for consumers. As a result, some people may decide to buy fewer plastic bags or even switch to reusable bags to avoid the extra cost. Producers, on the other hand, might reduce the supply of plastic bags because they know fewer people will buy them due to the tax, which could lead to higher prices in the market. For example, if a plastic bag costs $0. 10 and the tax adds $0.

Detailed Explanation

The tax makes it more expensive for producers to make plastic bags. Other options are incorrect because This answer suggests that a tax would help produce more bags, which is not true; This answer assumes producers can just ignore the tax.

Key Concepts

Per-unit taxes
Market efficiency
Negative externalities
Topic

Understanding Per-Unit Taxes

Difficulty

medium level question

Cognitive Level

understand

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