Externalities, Public Goods & Policy Responses — Drills · Grade 12 Social Studies

Chapter: Economic Foundations & Market Decisions

What these drills covers

By the end of Externalities, Public Goods & Policy Responses you should be able to:

4 questions, written answer, each with a worked explanation.

Vocabulary used: externality, social cost, nonrival, nonexcludable, free rider.

Problem 1

Why can a transaction’s price omit a relevant cost?
Answer and explanation

An effect on people outside the exchange may not enter the buyer’s or seller’s decision. Under the supplied model, the $4 external harm raises social cost beyond the $10 private cost. Identify and measure the effect rather than assuming every price includes it.

Problem 2

Why is publicly funded not the definition of a public good?
Answer and explanation

Funding describes who pays. The economic category concerns rivalry and exclusion. A publicly funded service can have scarce places or exclude users; evaluate its use characteristics separately from its financing.

Problem 3

Why must an incentive model be compared with actual institutions?
Answer and explanation

Rules, cooperation, information, and enforcement can change behavior. The model identifies a possible pathway, while evidence establishes whether it operates and how strongly in the particular setting.

Problem 4

Why does identifying an externality not establish a complete policy solution?
Answer and explanation

A response still needs reliable measurement, authority, administration, incentives, and comparison with alternatives. Explain its mechanism and limits, including who bears costs. The original problem does not guarantee every proposed remedy works.

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