Unit 2.8-2.10: Market failure review terms
Review of terms for unit 2.8-2.10: Market failure
I have included this page, which contains a PDF handout as a simple revision exercise. I find that many IB students get a degree of comfort from these short summary handouts.
1. Complete the sentences by filling in the missing words:
The impact on a third party as a result of a decision or action made by another is called an .
external cost external benefit externality
2. Complete the sentences by filling in the missing words:
represents the total benefit to a society, measured the private marginal benefit of an action plus the external marginal benefit.
External benefit Externality Social benefit
3. Complete the sentences by filling in the missing words:
represents the total cost to society, measured by private marginal cost plus the external marginal cost.
Social cost External cost Externality
4. Complete the sentences by filling in the missing words:
Social efficiency occurs when the resources in an economy are used in the most efficient way possible and are represented by the output level where = MSB.
MSC MPC MSB
5. Complete the sentences by filling in the missing words:
includes public services such as defence, the police force and public access resources, which are and non-rivalrous.
goods non-excludable Public Merit
6. Complete the sentences by filling in the missing words:
Merit goods can be described as goods or services which consumers will often but which governments believe provide .
positive externalities undervalue overvalue benefits
7. Complete the sentences by filling in the missing words:
are benefits enjoyed by a third-party when a consumer makes a purchasing decision.
Benefits externalities Positive Social
8. Complete the sentences by filling in the missing words:
is equal to marginal private benefit ( ) + the externalities of consumption or production.
MPB MPC MSB MSC benefit social Marginal Social
9. Complete the sentences by filling in the missing words:
Demerit goods can be described as goods or services which consumers will often but which governments believe provide .
externalities undervalue overvalue positive negative
10. Complete the sentences by filling in the missing words:
are costs paid by a third-party when a consumer makes a purchasing decision.
externalities Positive Negative De-merit goods spillover costs
11. Complete the sentences by filling in the missing words:
is equal to marginal private cost ( ) - the external costs of consumption or production.
MPC MPB Marginal external cost social
12. Complete the sentences by filling in the missing words:
Governments policies aimed at correcting the market failure caused by an of demerit goods include , to alternative products and legislation.
over subsidies taxes spillover under consumption costs
13. Complete the sentences by filling in the missing words:
Demerit goods are generally in a free market, relative to the socially optimum level of output, because consumers only consider their own when making purchasing decisions and not the of consumption.
MSB total utility MSC consumed over
14. Complete the sentences by filling in the missing words:
The used car market is an example of an asymmetric because the seller has access to information about the product being sold than the
purchaser market seller more less
15. Complete the sentences by filling in the missing words:
In asymmetric markets the equilibrium level of output will not equal the optimum output because MSC will not equal . In asymmetric markets either too few or too many products will be produced, at a price to the socially efficient level.
above below MSC MSB MPB socially MPC not equal
Available as a PDF file at: Unit 2.8-2.10 review sheet
Teacher copy available at: Teacher copy