Princ ch10 Presentation7e
Princ ch10 Presentation7e
Principles of
Economics
CHAPTER
10 Externalities
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In this chapter,
look for the answers to these questions
• What is an externality?
• Why do externalities make market outcomes
inefficient?
• What public policies aim to solve the problem of
externalities?
• How can people sometimes solve the problem of
externalities on their own? Why do such private
solutions not always work?
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Introduction
One of the Ten Principles from Chapter 1:
Markets are usually a good way
to organize economy activity.
In absence of market failures, the competitive
market outcome is efficient, maximizes total surplus.
One type of market failure:
externality, the uncompensated impact of one
person’s actions on the well-being of a bystander.
Externalities can be negative or positive,
depending on whether impact on bystander is
adverse or beneficial.
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Introduction
Self-interested buyers and sellers neglect the
external costs or benefits of their actions,
so the market outcome is not efficient.
Another principle from Chapter 1:
Governments can sometimes
improve market outcomes.
In presence of externalities, public policy can
improve efficiency.
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Examples of Negative Externalities
Air pollution from a factory
The neighbor’s barking dog
Late-night stereo blasting from
the dorm room next to yours
Noise pollution from
construction projects
Health risk to others from © M. Shcherbyna/Shutterstock.com
second-hand smoke
Talking on cell phone while driving makes the
roads less safe for others
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Recap of Welfare Economics
P The market for gasoline
$5 The market eq’m
maximizes consumer
+ producer surplus.
4
Supply curve shows
3 private cost, the costs
$2.50 directly incurred by sellers.
2
Demand curve shows
private value, the value
1
to buyers (the prices they
are willing to pay).
0
0 10 20 25 30 Q
(gallons) 6
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Analysis of a Negative Externality
P The market for gasoline
$5 Social cost
= private + external cost
4 external
Supply (private cost)
cost
3 External cost
= value of the
2 negative impact
on bystanders
1 = $1 per gallon
(value of harm
0 from smog,
0 10 20 30 Q
greenhouse gases)
(gallons) 7
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Analysis of a Negative Externality
P The market for gasoline
The socially
$5
Social optimal quantity
cost is 20 gallons.
4
S
3 At any Q < 20,
value of additional gas
2 exceeds
At any Qsocial
> 20, cost.
D social cost of the
1 last gallon is
greater than its value
0 to society.
0 10 20 25 30 Q
(gallons) 8
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Analysis of a Negative Externality
P The market for gasoline
$5
Social Market eq’m
cost (Q = 25)
4
S is greater than
social optimum
3
(Q = 20).
2 One solution:
D tax sellers
1 $1/gallon,
would shift
0 S curve up $1.
0 10 20 25 30 Q
(gallons) 9
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“Internalizing the Externality”
Internalizing the externality: altering incentives
so that people take account of the external effects
of their actions
In our example, the $1/gallon tax on sellers makes
sellers’ costs = social costs.
When market participants must pay social costs,
market eq’m = social optimum.
(Imposing the tax on buyers would achieve the
same outcome; market Q would equal optimal Q.)
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Examples of Positive Externalities
Being vaccinated against
contagious diseases protects
not only you, but people who
visit the salad bar or produce
section after you.
R&D creates knowledge
others can use. © Peter Bernik/Shutterstock.com
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ACTIVE LEARNING 1
Analysis of a positive externality
P The market for flu shots
External benefit
$50 = $10/shot
40
Draw the social
value curve.
S Find the socially
30
optimal Q.
20 What policy would
internalize this
10 externality?
D
0 Q
0 10 20 30
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ACTIVE LEARNING 1
Answers
Socially optimal Q
P The market for flu shots
= 25 shots.
$50
external To internalize the
40 benefit externality, use
subsidy = $10/shot.
S
30
Social value
20 = private value
+ $10 external benefit
10
D
0 Q
0 10 20 25 30
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Effects of Externalities: Summary
IfIf negative
negative externality
externality
market
market quantity
quantity larger
larger than
than socially
socially desirable
desirable
IfIf positive
positive externality
externality
market
market quantity
quantity smaller
smaller than
than socially
socially desirable
desirable
To
To remedy
remedy the
the problem,
problem,
“internalize
“internalize the
the externality”
externality”
tax
tax goods
goods with
with negative
negative externalities
externalities
subsidize
subsidize goods
goods with
with positive
positive externalities
externalities
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Public Policies Toward Externalities
Two approaches:
Command-and-control policies regulate
behavior directly. Examples:
limits on quantity of pollution emitted
requirements that firms adopt a particular
technology to reduce emissions
Market-based policies provide incentives so that
private decision-makers will choose to solve the
problem on their own. Examples:
corrective taxes and subsidies
tradable pollution permits
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Corrective Taxes & Subsidies
Corrective tax: a tax designed to induce private
decision-makers to take account of the social
costs that arise from a negative externality
Also called Pigouvian taxes after Arthur Pigou
(1877-1959).
The ideal corrective tax = external cost.
For activities with positive externalities,
ideal corrective subsidy = external benefit.
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Corrective Taxes & Subsidies
Other taxes and subsidies distort incentives and
move economy away from the social optimum.
Corrective taxes & subsidies
align private incentives with society’s interests
make private decision-makers take into account
the external costs and benefits of their actions
move economy toward a more efficient
allocation of resources
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Corrective Taxes vs. Regulations
Different firms have different costs of pollution
abatement.
Efficient outcome: Firms with the lowest
abatement costs reduce pollution the most.
A pollution tax is efficient:
Firms with low abatement costs will reduce
pollution to reduce their tax burden.
Firms with high abatement costs have greater
willingness to pay tax.
In contrast, a regulation requiring all firms to
reduce pollution by a specific amount not efficient.
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Corrective Taxes vs. Regulations
Corrective taxes are better for the environment:
The corrective tax gives firms incentive to continue
reducing pollution as long as the cost of doing so
is less than the tax.
If a cleaner technology becomes available,
the tax gives firms an incentive to adopt it.
In contrast, firms have no incentive for further
reduction beyond the level specified in a
regulation.
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Example of a Corrective Tax: The Gas Tax
The gas tax targets three negative externalities:
Congestion
The more you drive, the more you contribute to
congestion.
Accidents
Larger vehicles cause more damage in an
accident.
Pollution
Burning fossil fuels produces greenhouse gases.
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ACTIVE LEARNING 2
A. Regulating lower SO2 emissions
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ACTIVE LEARNING 2
B. Tradable pollution permits
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Tradable Pollution Permits
in the Real World
SO2 permits traded in the U.S. since 1995.
Nitrogen oxide permits traded in the northeastern
U.S. since 1999.
Carbon emissions permits traded in Europe since
January 1, 2005.
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Corrective Taxes vs.
Tradable Pollution Permits
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Objections to the
Economic Analysis of Pollution
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Private Solutions to Externalities
Types of private solutions:
Moral codes and social sanctions,
e.g., the “Golden Rule”
Charities, e.g., the Sierra Club
Contracts between market participants and the
affected bystanders
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Private Solutions to Externalities
The Coase theorem:
If private parties can costlessly bargain over the
allocation of resources, they can solve the
externalities problem on their own.
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The Coase Theorem: An Example
Dick owns a dog named Spot.
Negative externality:
Spot’s barking disturbs Jane,
Dick’s neighbor.
©Viorel Sima/Shutterstock.com
The socially efficient outcome
maximizes Dick’s + Jane’s well-being.
If Dick values having Spot more See Spot bark.
than Jane values peace and quiet,
the dog should stay.
Coase theorem: The private market will reach the
efficient outcome on its own…
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The Coase Theorem: An Example
CASE 1:
Dick has the right to keep Spot.
Benefit to Dick of having Spot = $500
Cost to Jane of Spot’s barking = $800
Socially efficient outcome:
Spot goes bye-bye.
Private outcome:
Jane pays Dick $600 to get rid of Spot,
both Jane and Dick are better off.
Private outcome = efficient outcome.
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The Coase Theorem: An Example
CASE 2:
Dick has the right to keep Spot.
Benefit to Dick of having Spot = $1000
Cost to Jane of Spot’s barking = $800
Socially efficient outcome:
See Spot stay.
Private outcome:
Jane not willing to pay more than $800,
Dick not willing to accept less than $1000,
so Spot stays.
Private outcome = efficient outcome.
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The Coase Theorem: An Example
CASE 3:
Jane has the legal right to peace and quiet.
Benefit to Dick of having Spot = $800
Cost to Jane of Spot’s barking = $500
Socially efficient outcome: Dick keeps Spot.
Private outcome: Dick pays Jane $600 to put up
with Spot’s barking.
Private outcome = efficient outcome.
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Why Private Solutions Do Not Always Work
1. Transaction costs:
The costs parties incur in the process of
agreeing to and following through on a bargain.
These costs may make it impossible to reach a
mutually beneficial agreement.
2. Stubbornness:
Even if a beneficial agreement is possible,
each party may hold out for a better deal.
3. Coordination problems:
If # of parties is very large, coordinating them
may be costly, difficult, or impossible.
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Summary
• An externality occurs when a market transaction
affects a third party. If the transaction yields
negative externalities (e.g., pollution), the market
quantity exceeds the socially optimal quantity.
If the externality is positive (e.g., technology
spillovers), the market quantity falls short of the
social optimum.
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Summary
• Sometimes, people can solve externalities on
their own. The Coase theorem states that the
private market can reach the socially optimal
allocation of resources as long as people can
bargain without cost. In practice, bargaining is
often costly or difficult, and the Coase theorem
does not apply.
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Summary
• The government can attempt to remedy the
problem. It can internalize the externality using
corrective taxes. It can issue permits to
polluters and establish a market where permits
can be traded. Such policies often protect the
environment at a lower cost to society than
direct regulation.
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