Question 1

Government must provide economically desirable public goods because:

Accepted Answer

A) private production of these goods would entail unacceptably high levels of external costs. 
B) the availability of such goods yields no benefits to individual consumers. 
C) the benefits yielded by such goods cannot be withheld from those who refuse to pay for them. 
D) their provision is necessary if we are to reduce unemployment and inflation. 
A) private production of these goods would entail unacceptably high levels of external costs. 
B) the availability of such goods yields no benefits to individual consumers. 
C) the benefits yielded by such goods cannot be withheld from those who refuse to pay for them. 
D) their provision is necessary if we are to reduce unemployment and inflation.

Question 2

Why does pollution continue to be an issue?

Accepted Answer

A) The marginal benefits stop before all pollution is abated. 
B) Diminishing marginal utility. 
C) Increasing marginal benefit. 
D) Diminishing marginal costs. 
A) The marginal benefits stop before all pollution is abated. 
B) Diminishing marginal utility. 
C) Increasing marginal benefit. 
D) Diminishing marginal costs.

Question 3

The major difficulty in asking people to pay voluntarily what a government program is worth to them is:

Accepted Answer

A) the free-rider problem. 
B) people have poor judgment. 
C) the fact that people don't know what programs they want. 
D) we would increase government expenditures too much. 
A) the free-rider problem. 
B) people have poor judgment. 
C) the fact that people don't know what programs they want. 
D) we would increase government expenditures too much.

Question 4

Which method for correcting externalities is common to both negative and positive externalities?

Accepted Answer

A) Private bargaining 
B) Lawsuits 
C) Government provision 
D) Direct controls 
A) Private bargaining 
B) Lawsuits 
C) Government provision 
D) Direct controls

Question 5

The Coase Theorem states that:

Accepted Answer

A) government should levy excise taxes on firms which generate spillover or external costs. 
B) taxes should be levied such that they change private behavior as little as possible. 
C) under the right conditions, bargaining between private parties will remedy externality problems without the need for government intervention. 
D) trading of votes to secure favorable voting outcomes may increase efficiency. 
A) government should levy excise taxes on firms which generate spillover or external costs. 
B) taxes should be levied such that they change private behavior as little as possible. 
C) under the right conditions, bargaining between private parties will remedy externality problems without the need for government intervention. 
D) trading of votes to secure favorable voting outcomes may increase efficiency.

Question 6

The production of economically desirable public goods must be sponsored by government because:

Accepted Answer

A) the existence of large external costs precludes their production in the private sector. 
B) public goods have characteristics which make it difficult or impossible for private firms to produce them profitably. 
C) the benefits derived from their production exceed the costs of producing them. 
D) the law of increasing marginal opportunity costs does not apply to public goods. 
A) the existence of large external costs precludes their production in the private sector. 
B) public goods have characteristics which make it difficult or impossible for private firms to produce them profitably. 
C) the benefits derived from their production exceed the costs of producing them. 
D) the law of increasing marginal opportunity costs does not apply to public goods.

Question 7

Which one of the following might shift the marginal benefit curve from MB1 to MB2?

Accepted Answer

A) major new studies strongly linking cancer to pollution 
B) improved technology for reducing pollution 
C) a change in consumer tastes from manufacturing goods to services 
D) a decrease in the price of recycled goods 
A) major new studies strongly linking cancer to pollution 
B) improved technology for reducing pollution 
C) a change in consumer tastes from manufacturing goods to services 
D) a decrease in the price of recycled goods

Question 8

Negative externalities are likely to cause:

Accepted Answer

A) underproduction of goods. 
B) overallocation of resources. 
C) an increase in social welfare. 
D) demand-side market failures. 
A) underproduction of goods. 
B) overallocation of resources. 
C) an increase in social welfare. 
D) demand-side market failures.

Question 9

When the full willingness to pay for a good or service is not reflected in the resultant curve this is referred to as what type of failure?

Accepted Answer

A) Supply side 
B) Demand side 
C) Market side 
D) Demand-supply side 
A) Supply side 
B) Demand side 
C) Market side 
D) Demand-supply side

Question 10

The following data are for a series of increasingly extensive flood control projects: For Plan D marginal costs and marginal benefits are:

Accepted Answer

A) $72,000 and $64,000 respectively. 
B) $28,000 and $12,000 respectively. 
C) $24,000 and $18,000 respectively. 
D) $16,000 and $28,000 respectively. 
A) $72,000 and $64,000 respectively. 
B) $28,000 and $12,000 respectively. 
C) $24,000 and $18,000 respectively. 
D) $16,000 and $28,000 respectively.

Question 11

Refer to the graph given below.   The graph above shows the supply of and the demand for a public good.Which of the following statements is correct?

Accepted Answer

A) The supply curve reflects the marginal cost of producing each unit of the good, and the demand curve reflects the marginal benefit of consuming each unit of the good. 
B) The demand curve reflects the marginal cost of producing each unit of the good, and the supply curve reflects the marginal benefit of consuming each unit of the good. 
C) There will be an overallocation of resources at output level Q1. 
D) There will be an underallocation of resources at output level Q3. 
A) The supply curve reflects the marginal cost of producing each unit of the good, and the demand curve reflects the marginal benefit of consuming each unit of the good. 
B) The demand curve reflects the marginal cost of producing each unit of the good, and the supply curve reflects the marginal benefit of consuming each unit of the good. 
C) There will be an overallocation of resources at output level Q1. 
D) There will be an underallocation of resources at output level Q3.

Question 12

The term "allocative efficiency" refers to:

Accepted Answer

A) the production of the product-mix most desired by society. 
B) the allocation of resources to the production of a particular product. 
C) the production of the product-mix most desired by producers. 
D) the production of a good at the lowest average total cost. 
A) the production of the product-mix most desired by society. 
B) the allocation of resources to the production of a particular product. 
C) the production of the product-mix most desired by producers. 
D) the production of a good at the lowest average total cost.

Question 13

Refer to the diagram.The area of consumer surplus would be represented by triangular area:

Accepted Answer

A) a. 
B) b. 
C) c. 
D) d. 
A) a. 
B) b. 
C) c. 
D) d.

Question 14

Refer to the diagram.The area of producer surplus would be represented by triangular area:

Accepted Answer

A) a. 
B) b. 
C) c. 
D) d. 
A) a. 
B) b. 
C) c. 
D) d.

Question 15

If there are external benefits or positive externalities associated with the consumption of a good or service:

Accepted Answer

A) the private demand curve will overestimate the true demand curve. 
B) the private demand curve will underestimate the true demand curve. 
C) consumers will be willing to pay for all these benefits in private markets. 
D) the market demand curve will be the vertical summation of the individual demand costs. 
A) the private demand curve will overestimate the true demand curve. 
B) the private demand curve will underestimate the true demand curve. 
C) consumers will be willing to pay for all these benefits in private markets. 
D) the market demand curve will be the vertical summation of the individual demand costs.

Question 16

Which of the following is a characteristic of a private good:

Accepted Answer

A) free-rider problem 
B) external benefits 
C) external costs 
D) excludability 
A) free-rider problem 
B) external benefits 
C) external costs 
D) excludability

Question 17

The creation of markets for pollution rights would provide:

Accepted Answer

A) neither an incentive not to pollute nor revenue for environmental improvement. 
B) funds for environmental improvement, but would not provide an incentive to refrain from polluting. 
C) an incentive not to pollute, but would not provide funds for environmental improvement. 
D) both an incentive not to pollute and revenue which could be devoted to environmental improvement. 
A) neither an incentive not to pollute nor revenue for environmental improvement. 
B) funds for environmental improvement, but would not provide an incentive to refrain from polluting. 
C) an incentive not to pollute, but would not provide funds for environmental improvement. 
D) both an incentive not to pollute and revenue which could be devoted to environmental improvement.

Question 18

Consumer surplus and producer surplus can:

Accepted Answer

A) occur simultaneously. 
B) are independent. 
C) If there is a consumer surplus, there will be no producer surplus. 
D) If there is a producer surplus, there will be no consumer surplus. 
A) occur simultaneously. 
B) are independent. 
C) If there is a consumer surplus, there will be no producer surplus. 
D) If there is a producer surplus, there will be no consumer surplus.

Question 19

If the production of a product or service involves external benefits, then the government can improve efficiency in the market by:

Accepted Answer

A) providing a subsidy to correct for an over-allocation of resources. 
B) providing a subsidy to correct for an under-allocation of resources. 
C) imposing a corrective tax to correct for an over-allocation of resources. 
D) imposing a corrective tax to correct for an under-allocation of resources. 
A) providing a subsidy to correct for an over-allocation of resources. 
B) providing a subsidy to correct for an under-allocation of resources. 
C) imposing a corrective tax to correct for an over-allocation of resources. 
D) imposing a corrective tax to correct for an under-allocation of resources.

Question 20

Which of the following is a private good?

Accepted Answer

A) a ballpoint pen 
B) national defence 
C) a highway 
D) a lighthouse 
A) a ballpoint pen 
B) national defence 
C) a highway 
D) a lighthouse

Exam 4: B: Market Failures: Public Goods and Externalities

Government must provide economically desirable public goods because:

Why does pollution continue to be an issue?

The major difficulty in asking people to pay voluntarily what a government program is worth to them is:

Which method for correcting externalities is common to both negative and positive externalities?

The Coase Theorem states that:

The production of economically desirable public goods must be sponsored by government because:

Which one of the following might shift the marginal benefit curve from MB1 to MB2?

Negative externalities are likely to cause:

When the full willingness to pay for a good or service is not reflected in the resultant curve this is referred to as what type of failure?

The following data are for a series of increasingly extensive flood control projects: For Plan D marginal costs and marginal benefits are:

Refer to the graph given below. The graph above shows the supply of and the demand for a public good.Which of the following statements is correct?

The term "allocative efficiency" refers to:

Refer to the diagram.The area of consumer surplus would be represented by triangular area:

Refer to the diagram.The area of producer surplus would be represented by triangular area:

If there are external benefits or positive externalities associated with the consumption of a good or service:

Which of the following is a characteristic of a private good:

The creation of markets for pollution rights would provide:

Consumer surplus and producer surplus can:

If the production of a product or service involves external benefits, then the government can improve efficiency in the market by:

Which of the following is a private good?

B: Limits, Alternatives, and Choices

A: - Limits, Alternatives, and Choices

B: The Market System and the Circular Flow

A: - The Market System and the Circular Flow

B: Demand, Supply, and Market Equilibrium

A: - Demand, Supply, and Market Equilibrium

A: - Market Failures: Public Goods and Externalities

B: Governments Role and Government Failure

A: Governments Role and Government Failure

B: an Introduction to Macroeconomics

A: an Introduction to Macroeconomics

B: Measuring the Economys Output

A: Measuring the Economys Output

B: Economic Growth

A: Economic Growth

B: Business Cycles, Unemployment, and Inflation

A: Business Cycles, Unemployment, and Inflation

B: Basic Macroeconomic Relationships

A: Basic Macroeconomic Relationships

B: The Aggregate Expenditures Model

A: The Aggregate Expenditures Model

B: Aggregate Demand and Aggregate Supply

A: Aggregate Demand and Aggregate Supply

B: Fiscal Policy, Deficits, Surpluses, and Debt

A: Fiscal Policy, Deficits, Surpluses, and Debt

B: Money, Banking, and Money Creation

A: Money, Banking, and Money Creation

B: Interest Rates and Monetary Policy

A: Interest Rates and Monetary Policy

C: Financial Economics

A: Long-Run Macroeconomic Adjustments

B: Long-Run Macroeconomic Adjustments

A: International Trade

B: International Trade

A: The Balance of Payments and Exchange Rates

B: The Balance of Payments and Exchange Rates

The Economics of Developing Countries

Filters

Which one of the following might shift the marginal benefit curve from MB₁ to MB₂?