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The Market Mechanism, Market Failure and Government Intervention

Positive and negative externalities

  • 4 things to know
  • Papers 1 and 3

Overview

Private, external and social costs and benefits, and the divergence between market and social optimum.

What you need to know

Answer each one before you reveal it.

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Evaluation

What is the difference between private costs, social costs and private benefits?

Evaluation

What are negative externalities in consumption and in production?

Evaluation

How does a negative externality in production make the market quantity differ from the social optimum?

Evaluation

What does the gap between private and social costs or benefits represent per unit?

Questions from this subtopic

Each one with the model answer underneath.

  1. 1

    What condition indicates the presence of externalities in terms of costs?

    Model answer

    Externalities exist when there is a divergence between private costs and social costs.

  2. 2

    What condition indicates the presence of externalities in terms of benefits?

    Model answer

    Externalities exist when there is a divergence between private benefits and social benefits.

  3. 3

    Define private costs.

    Model answer

    Private costs are the costs borne directly by the producer or consumer of a good.

  4. 4

    What are social costs?

    Model answer

    Social costs are the total costs to society of an economic activity, including private costs and external costs.

  5. 5

    Define private benefits.

    Model answer

    Private benefits are the benefits received directly by the producer or consumer of a good.

  6. 6

    What are social benefits?

    Model answer

    Social benefits are the total benefits to society of an economic activity, including private benefits and external benefits.

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