Chapter 18 - Externalities

A consumer or producer who does not pay for use of a nonexclusive good but expects others to pay is known as a: A) free rider. B) price setter. C) fringe element. D) none of the above

A

The provision of an education in public school is A) exclusive and rival. B) exclusive and non-rival. C) nonexclusive and non-rival. D) nonexclusive and rival. E) a public good, regardless of exclusivity and rivalness.

A

Access to the movie ʺCasablanca,ʺ showing in a half-empty theater, is A) a rival good because other movies are available in other theaters. B) a rival good because it is used up as it is seen. It is not enjoyed as a whole all at once. C) a rival good because individuals were willing and able to pay a positive amount to get in to the theater. D) a non-rival good because no other movie is available in that theater. E) a non-rival good because when a new viewer enters the theater, there is not less of the movie for everybody else.

E

Because air cargo as an industry involves the generation of pollutants in engine exhaust, the equilibrium price of air cargo services A) is above the optimal level, and quantity is below the optimal level. B) is below the optimal level, and quantity is above the optimal level. C) and quantity of trucking services are both above the optimal level. D) and quantity of trucking services are both below the optimal level. E) must fall in order for the market to reach equilibrium.

B

Corn Flakes are A) a rival good because many firms produce them. B) a rival good because if another person wants some corn flakes society has to use additional resources to produce corn flakes for that person. C) a non-rival good because there are only a few firms in the industry. D) a non-rival good because even if another person wants some corn flakes so many corn flakes are produced that no additional resources are used to satisfy this new customerʹs needs. E) a public good.

B

In equilibrium, the price of a transferable emissions permit A) is constrained to the amount the government first charged for it. B) equals the marginal cost of abatement for all firms. C) equals the marginal cost of abatement for the firm with the highest cost, and exceeds the marginal cost of abatement of other firms. D) equals the marginal cost of abatement for the firm with the lowest cost, and is less than the marginal cost of abatement of other firms. E) equals the marginal social cost of emissions.

B

The presence of pollution in the trucking industry leads in the long run to dynamic inefficiencies because A) marginal external cost rises over time. B) marginal external cost is constant over time. C) average private cost in trucking is lower than average social cost, so that some trucking firms remain in the industry (or are induced to enter) when efficiency calls for them to leave (or stay out). D) average private cost in trucking is higher than average social cost, so that some firms trucking firms exit the industry when efficiency calls for them to stay (or for more firms to enter). E) fewer resources are devoted to transportation than the economy really needs.

C

A firm will avoid producing additional emissions whenever the fee is A) less than the MSB. B) greater than the MSB. C) less than the MCA. D) greater than the MCA. E) equal to the distance between MSB and MCA.

D

A lighthouse is a public good A) because it doesnʹt cost any more to light the way for 105 ships than it does to light the way for 104 ships, but for no other reason. B) because there is no way to prevent those who havenʹt contributed to the lighthouse from seeing better because of it, but for no other reason. C) because the government produces it, and for no other reason. D) for the reasons in A and B together. E) for the reasons in A, B, and C together.

D

Left alone, with no government interference, a profit-maximizing firm will produce emissions A) where the MSB curve crosses the MCA curve. B) at the vertical intercept of the MSB curve. C) at the horizontal intercept of the MSB curve. D) at the vertical intercept of the MCA curve. E) at the horizontal intercept of the MCA curve.

E

The government provides public education because A) public education is a public good. B) public education is non-rival and nonexclusive. C) private education is rival and exclusive. D) public education combats the negative externalities of private education. E) public education provides positive externalities.

E

If households pay a fixed annual fee for trash disposal, A) households will all tend to produce the same amount of garbage. B) households have no incentive to cut back on the amount of garbage they generate. C) that fee will provide households with an incentive to cut back on the amount of garbage they generate. D) that fee will discourage households from throwing out reusable materials. E) that fee will discourage households from throwing out toxic or otherwise harmful materials.

B

Dry cleaning of clothing produces air pollutants. Therefore, in the market for dry cleaning services, the equilibrium price A) and output are too low to be optimal. B) and output are too high to be optimal. C) is too low to be optimal, and equilibrium quantity is too high. D) is too high to be optimal, and equilibrium quantity is too low. E) is optimal, but there is an excess supply.

C

The marginal benefit and marginal private cost curves for aphrodisiacs are given as follows: MB = 200 - Q MPC = Q In addition to private costs, there is a marginal external cost of $10 per unit of output. What is the efficient level of output? A) 0 B) 55 C) 95 D) 100 E) none of the above

C

Having a refundable deposit for recyclable material A) raises the marginal private cost of disposal. B) raises the marginal social cost of disposal. C) lowers the marginal private cost of disposal. D) lowers the marginal social cost of disposal. E) does not affect disposal costs.

A

Loud music from a neighborʹs party is A) a negative externality whether or not you like it. B) a positive externality whether or not you like it. C) a positive externality if you like the music, and a negative externality if you donʹt. D) a negative externality if you like the music, and a positive externality if you donʹt. E) not an externality.

C

Access to the movie ʺCasablanca,ʺ showing in a half-empty theater, is A) a public good because individuals watch movies together. B) a public good only if the theater is run by the government. C) not a public good because it is a rival good. D) not a public good because it is an exclusive good. E) not a public good because it is both a rival good and an exclusive good.

D

The presence of pollution in the dry cleaning industry leads in the long run to dynamic inefficiencies because A) people will buy fewer clothes that need dry cleaning than they otherwise would have. B) people will develop substitutes for dry cleaning that are wasteful. C) firms will be induced to leave the industry because of artificially high costs. D) firms whose average private cost is less than price will stay in (or enter) the dry cleaning industry even though their average social cost exceeds price. E) firms whose average private cost exceeds the price will exit (or fail to enter) the dry cleaning industry even though their average social cost is less than price.

D

The optimum level of pollution emissions A) is zero. B) occurs where the marginal external benefit is zero. C) occurs where no damage to the environment is being done. D) occurs where the marginal external benefit equals the marginal external cost. E) occurs where the marginal external cost equals the marginal cost of abatement.

E

To enforce the optimum level of emissions a government could set an emissions standard at the quantity A) where the MSB curve crosses the MCA curve. B) located at the vertical intercept of the MSB curve. C) located at the horizontal intercept of the MSB curve. D) located at the vertical intercept of the MCA curve. E) located at the horizontal intercept of the MCA curve.

A

Majority-rule voting A) is economically efficient. B) is never economically efficient. C) may or may not be efficient, depending upon the preferences of the voters. D) is economically efficient only in a democracy. E) is economically efficient only if there is a median voter.

C

If households could be charged differently for different types of garbage, A) the total amount of garbage would be reduced. B) recycling would be more difficult. C) costs of collecting garbage could be kept much lower. D) billing for garbage collection would be much easier. E) there would be a change in the types of items that are disposed of as garbage.

E

A positive externality is shown by a marginal social benefit (MSB) curve that is A) above and to the right of the demand curve for the good that generates it. B) below and to the left of the demand curve for the good that generates it. C) above and to the left of the supply curve for the good that generates it. D) below and to the right of the supply curve for the good that generates it. E) positively related to both the supply curve and the demand curve for the good that generates it.

A

Externalities A) are not reflected in market prices, so they can be a source of economic inefficiency. B) do become reflected in market prices, so they can be a source of economic inefficiency. C) are not reflected in market prices, so they do not adversely affect economic efficiency. D) do become reflected in market prices, so they do not adversely affect economic efficiency. E) may or may not become reflected in market prices, but do not have an impact on economic efficiency in either event.

A

To enforce the optimum level of emissions, a government could set an emissions fee, which would be A) the dollar value indicated by the intersection of the MSB and MCA curves, and would apply to every unit of pollutants the firm emitted. B) the dollar value indicated by the intersection of the MSB and MCA curves, and would apply to every unit of pollutants the firm emitted above the standard. C) the vertical intercept of the MSB curve. D) the vertical intercept of the MCA curve. E) the vertical distance between the intercepts of the MSB curve and the MCA curve.

A

To find the social marginal benefit of public goods, one needs to A) sum the consumersʹ demand curves vertically. B) sum the consumersʹ demand curves horizontally. C) sum the marginal private benefit and the marginal external benefit for each unit. D) sum the marginal private cost and the marginal external cost for each unit. E) subtract the individual portion of the tax burden necessary for the government to provide the good from the demand curve of each consumer who desires the good.

A

Under a transferable emissions permit system, A) the firms with the lowest marginal abatement cost curves will reduce emissions most. B) the firms with the highest marginal abatement cost curves will reduce emissions most. C) the firms with the lowest marginal social cost curves will reduce emissions most. D) the firms with the highest marginal social cost curves will reduce emissions most. E) all firms will reduce emissions equally.

A

Use the following statements to answer this question. I. The bubble concept allows an emitter to sum emission limits for all sources of pollutants within a particular firm, and to set emissions reductions from each source as it pleases as long as the total pollutant limit at the plant is not exceeded. II. Under an emissions offsets program, a new source of emissions can locate in a region only if their new emissions are accompanied by reduced emissions from existing sources by at least as much. A) Both I and II are true. B) I is true, and II is false. C) I is false, and II is true. D) Both I and II are false.

A

When new technologies make cleaner production possible, A) emissions would fall under a system of fees, but would not fall under a system of transferable emissions permits unless the government bought back some of the permits. B) emissions would fall under a system of permits, but would not fall under a system of fees unless the government raised them. C) the price of transferable permits would rise. D) the quantity of transferable permits would rise. E) the quantity of transferable permits would fall.

A

When new technologies make cleaner production possible, A) emissions fees rise. B) emissions fees fall. C) the price of transferable permits rises. D) the price of transferable permits falls. E) the quantity of transferable permits falls.

A

Which is NOT a weakness of the policy of mandatory separation of recyclables? A) It actually pays people to use more recyclable material, and thus more material in total. B) It is costly for households in terms of time spent. C) It is costly for the government to monitor. D) Individuals may shift away from recyclable to non-recyclable materials just so they donʹt have to bother to separate them. E) Implementation is difficult and consumes household space.

A

As you move rightward on a marginal cost of abatement curve, emissions are A) falling, and the cost of eliminating the marginal unit falls. B) rising, and the cost of eliminating the marginal unit falls. C) falling, and the cost of eliminating the marginal unit rises. D) rising, and the cost of eliminating the marginal unit rises. E) rising, and the cost of eliminating the marginal unit is constant.

B

Because trucking as an industry involves the generation of pollutants in engine exhaust, A) the supply curve of trucking services overstates the true cost of providing those services. B) the supply curve of trucking services understates the true cost of providing those services. C) the demand curve for trucking services overstates the true benefit of providing those services. D) the demand curve for trucking services understates the true benefit of providing those services. E) the market for trucking services will always be away from equilibrium by an amount equal to the value of the externality.

B

If a firm had a fixed proportions technology, then the pollution produced by this firm A) cannot be reduced. B) can be reduced only by lowering the level of output (holding technology constant). C) can be reduced by changing how the output is produced within the bounds of the existing technology. D) can be reduced only by increasing the number of firms in the industry. E) can be reduced only by changing the technology.

B

Use the following statements to answer this question: I. The efficient amount of recycling of scrap materials is the amount that equates the marginal social cost of scrap disposal to the marginal cost of recycling. II. The efficient amount of recycling of scrap materials occurs when society recycles all recyclable wastes. A) Both I and II are true. B) I is true, and II is false. C) I is false, and II is true. D) Both I and II are false.

B

When emissions are measured on the horizontal axis, the marginal cost of abating emissions is A) downward-sloping because emissions become more and more easy to eliminate once the firm makes the initial commitment to do so. B) downward-sloping because a high level of emissions is cheap to attain, and a low level of emissions is expensive to attain. C) upward-sloping because emissions become more and more easy to eliminate once the firm makes the initial commitment to do so. D) upward-sloping because a high level of emissions is cheap to attain, and a low level of emissions is expensive to attain. E) horizontal because the technology to remove emissions is assumed constant.

B

Which of the following is a negative externality connected to automobile transportation? A) Driving faster than the 65 mph speed limit is not allowed, even though individuals are able to do it, and many want to. B) In an accident, a person who chooses not to wear a seat belt becomes an object moving around the inside of the car, possibly hitting other, belted-in, passengers with lethal force. C) Gasoline is taxed on a per-gallon basis. D) Gasoline is imported, and thus increases the trade deficit. E) While stuck in traffic, you have a chance to listen to your favorite CD, which you havenʹt had the time to do in other places.

B

Constructing plastic containers produces air pollutants. Therefore, in the market for plastic containers, A) the marginal social cost curve is above and to the right of the demand curve. B) the marginal social cost curve is below and to the left of the demand curve. C) the marginal social cost curve is above and to the left of the supply curve. D) the marginal social cost curve is below and to the right of the supply curve. E) there is a gap between quantity supplied and quantity demanded in equilibrium.

C

If error in setting the policy is possible, A) a standard generates smaller welfare losses than a fee when the MSC and MCA are both relatively flat. B) a standard generates smaller welfare losses than a fee when the MSC and MCA are both relatively steep. C) a standard generates smaller welfare losses than a fee when the MSC is relatively steep and the MCA is relatively flat. D) a standard generates smaller welfare losses than a fee when the MSC is relatively flat and the MCA is relatively steep. E) errors in standards and fees have equal welfare losses, so long as the errors are the same in percentage terms.

C

If the MSB/MCA graph indicates that an emissions fee of $10 per unit would lead to the optimum level of emissions, but the government set a fee of $5 per unit, emissions would A) not be reduced at all. B) not occur at all. C) be above the optimum level, but curtailed somewhat from what they would have been with no fee at all. D) be above the optimum level by 50%. E) be below the optimum level by 50%.

C

The efficient level of recycling equates the A) marginal cost of scrap disposal to the marginal benefit from not using virgin materials. B) marginal cost of recycling to the marginal benefit from not using virgin materials. C) marginal cost of scrap disposal to the marginal cost of recycling. D) marginal private cost of disposal to the marginal cost of recycling. E) per-unit refund from recycled materials to the marginal benefit from not using virgin materials.

C

Transferable permits allow emission reduction to be achieved A) without any impact on the industrial sector, just as a standard would. B) without any impact on the industrial sector, just as fees would. C) at the lowest possible cost. D) with firms monitoring each other, rather than having the government do the monitoring. E) Both C and D are true.

C

Which is NOT an advantage of emissions fees over standards? A) Fees can give a firm the incentive to reduce emissions below the standard when new technology allows. B) Fees can reduce the cost of attaining some goal level of emissions when firms all have the same abatement costs. C) Fees can reduce the cost of attaining some goal level of emissions when firms have different abatement costs and different standards can be assigned to different firms. D) Fees can reduce the cost of attaining some goal level of emissions when firms have different abatement costs and different standards cannot be assigned to different firms. E) Fees may provide an incentive for a firm to investigate emissions-reduction technology that will reduce emissions below existing standards.

C

Because of the kind of externalities that tend to be generated from general R&D resources bought by firms, the equilibrium price of R&D A) is above the optimal level, and quantity is below the optimal level. B) is below the optimal level, and quantity is above the optimal level. C) and quantity of R&D are both above the optimal level. D) and quantity of R&D are both below the optimal level. E) must fall in order for the market to reach equilibrium.

D

Due to externalities generated by home landscaping, its price A) is above the optimal level, and quantity that is below the optimal level. B) is below the optimal level, and quantity that is above the optimal level. C) and quantity traded are both above the optimal level. D) and quantity traded are both below the optimal level. E) must fall in order for the market to reach equilibrium.

D

Efficient voting outcomes would assign weights to each vote that are: A) equal. B) egalitarian. C) higher for the median voter and lower for other voters. D) proportional to the voterʹs strength of preference.

D

Given that MEC(q) = 2q2, what can be inferred about the total cost of pollution as output increases? A) The total cost of pollution is increasing. B) The total cost of pollution is positive. C) The total cost of pollution is growing at a positive rate. D) The total cost of pollution is growing at an increasing rate. E) The total cost of pollution is changing.

D

If X transferable emissions permits are issued and there are n potential polluters, A) the government must initially assign each of the potential polluters X/n permits. B) the government must assign X/n permits to each potential polluter and check periodically that those permits have not moved. C) emissions will be the same whether or not the permits are split equally, so long as none of the permits are issued outside the group. D) emissions will be the same no matter who receives them first, so long as the recipient is willing and able to participate in the permit market. E) emissions will be less if the permits are given initially to firms with lower abatement costs.

D

Majority-rule voting A) usually emphasizes the preferences of extremist voters on one side or the other. B) usually allows extremist voters to band together and swamp the preferences of the median voter. C) never reflects the preferences of the median voter. D) reflects the preferences of the median voter. E) generates economically efficient outcomes in most cases.

D

Which of the following is a negative externality connected to attending college? A) The fact that completion of a college degree acts as a signaling mechanism to employers. B) The fact that other costs, such as books and materials, are incurred in addition to tuition and fees. C) The fact that your college has required that all individuals living in student housing either get or show they have already obtained vaccinations against all communicable diseases. D) The fact that the people in the next room play loud music at hours you want to sleep. E) The fact that you will get benefits from college that you donʹt currently anticipate.

D

Menellʹs study showed that in terms of effectiveness, A) mandatory separation of recyclables was best, followed by curbside charges and finally refundable deposits. B) mandatory separation of recyclables was best, followed by refundable deposits and finally curbside charges. C) curbside charges were best, followed by refundable deposits and finally mandatory separation of recyclables. D) curbside charges were best, followed by mandatory separation of recyclables and finally refundable deposits. E) refundable deposits were best, followed by curbside charges and finally mandatory separation of recyclables.

E

Under a transferable emissions permit system with n possible polluters, the government enforces the total amount of emissions allowable at X by A) setting a different fee for each firm so that each firm chooses to emit X/n units. B) setting the same fee for each firm so that each is forced to emit X/n units. C) setting a different standard for each firm, with X/n being the average. D) setting the same standard for each firm at X/n. E) issuing X permits.

E