3. The effect of negative externalities on the optimal quantity of consumption Consider the market for pharmaceuticals. Suppose that a pharmaceutical factory dumps toxic waste into a nearby river, creating a negative externality for those living downstream from the factory. Producing additional pharmaceuticals imposes a constant per-unit external cost of $700. The following graph shows the demand (private value) curve and the supply (private cost) curve for pharmaceuticals. Use the purple points (diamond symbol) to plot the social cost curve when the external cost is $700 per unit. PRICE (Dollars per unit of pharmaceuticals) 1800 1600 1400 1200 1000 800 600 400 200 • 1 3 QUANTITY (Units of pharmaceuticals) 6 Supply Private Cost) Demand (Private Value) 4 Social Cost The market equilibrium quantity is units of pharmaceuticals, but the socially optimal quantity of pharmaceuticals production is units. To create an incentive for the firm to produce the socially optimal quantity of pharmaceuticals, the government could impose a per unit of pharmaceuticals.

3. The effect of negative externalities on the optimal quantity of consumption Consider the market for pharmaceuticals. Suppose that a pharmaceutical factory dumps toxic waste into a nearby river, creating a negative externality for those living downstream from the factory. Producing additional pharmaceuticals imposes a constant per-unit external cost of $700. The following graph shows the demand (private value) curve and the supply (private cost) curve for pharmaceuticals. Use the purple points (diamond symbol) to plot the social cost curve when the external cost is $700 per unit. PRICE (Dollars per unit of pharmaceuticals) 1800 1600 1400 1200 1000 800 600 400 200 • 1 3 QUANTITY (Units of pharmaceuticals) 6 Supply Private Cost) Demand (Private Value) 4 Social Cost The market equilibrium quantity is units of pharmaceuticals, but the socially optimal quantity of pharmaceuticals production is units. To create an incentive for the firm to produce the socially optimal quantity of pharmaceuticals, the government could impose a per unit of pharmaceuticals.

Exploring Economics

8th Edition

ISBN:9781544336329

Author:Robert L. Sexton

Publisher:Robert L. Sexton

Chapter8: Market Failure

Section: Chapter Questions

Problem 1P

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Similar questions

Show the market for cigarettes in equilibrium, assuming that there are no laws banning smoking in public. Label the equilibrium private market price and quantity as Pm and Qm. Add whatever is needed to the model to show the impact of the negative externality from second-hand smoking. (Hint: In this case it is the consumers, not the sellers, who are creating the negative externality.) Label the social optimal output and price as Fe and Qe. On the graph, shade in the deadweight loss at the market output.
Do market demand curves reflect positive externalities? Why or why not?
Table 12.12, shows the supply and demand conditions for a firm that will play trumpets on the streets when requested. QS1 is the quantity supplied without social costs. QS2 is the quantity supplied with social costs. What is the negative externality in this situation? Identify the equilibrium price and quantity when we account only for private costs, and then when we account for social costs. How does accounting for the externality affect the equilibrium price and quantity?
Draw a standard supply and demand diagram for televisions, and indicate the equilibrium price and output. a. Assuming that the production of televisions generates external costs, illustrate the effect of the producers being forced to pay a tax equal to the external costs generated, and indicate the equilibrium output. b. If instead of generating external costs, television production generates external benefits, illustrate the effect of the producers being given a subsidy equal to the external benefits generated, and indicate the equilibrium output.
Refer to Table 12.2. The externality created by the refrigerator production was 100. However, once we accounted for both the private and additional external costs, the market price increased by only 50. If the external costs were 100 why did the price only increase by 50 when we accounted for all costs?
Identify the following situations as an example of a negative or a positive externality: You are a birder (bird watcher), and your neighbor has put up several birdhouses in the yard as well as planting trees and flowers that attract birds. Your neighbor paints his house a hideous color. Investments in private education raise your countrys standard of living. Trash dumped upstream flows downstream right past your home. Your roommate is a smoker, but you are a nonsmoker.
In the Land of Purity, there is only one form of pollution, called gunk. Table 12.14 shows possible combinations of economic output and reduction of gunk, depending on what kinds of environmental regulations you choose. Sketch a graph of a production possibility frontier with environmental quality on the horizontal axis, measured by the percentage reduction of gunk, and with the quantity of economic output on the vertical axis. Which choices display productive efficiency? How can you tell? Which choices show allocative efficiency? How can you tell? In the choice between K and L, can you say which one is better and why? In the choice between K. and N, can you say which one is better, and why? If you had to guess, which choice would you think is move likely to represent a command-and-control environmental policy and which choice is more likely to represent a market-oriented environmental policy, choice L or M? Why?
Classify the following pollution-control policies as command-and-control or market incentive based. A state emissions tax on the quantity of carbon emitted by each firm. The federal government requires domestic auto companies to improve car emissions by 2020. The EPA sets national standards for water quality. A city sells permits to films that allow them to emit a specified quantity of pollution. The federal government pays fishermen to preserve salmon.
Suppose that Sonys R. Is this a private or social benefit?