Reasons For Market Failure
Economics notes
Reasons For Market Failure
➡️ Market failure occurs when the free market system fails to allocate resources efficiently. This can be due to a variety of factors, such as externalities, imperfect information, public goods, and monopoly power.
➡️ Externalities occur when the production or consumption of a good or service affects a third party not directly involved in the transaction. This can lead to market failure as the costs or benefits of the transaction are not fully accounted for.
➡️ Imperfect information occurs when one party in a transaction has more information than the other, leading to an inefficient allocation of resources. This can be due to asymmetric information, where one party has more information than the other, or due to incomplete information, where both parties have incomplete information.
What are the main reasons for market failure?
Market failure occurs when the market fails to allocate resources efficiently. The main reasons for market failure include externalities, public goods, imperfect competition, information asymmetry, and income inequality.
How do externalities contribute to market failure?
Externalities occur when the actions of one party have an impact on a third party who is not involved in the transaction. Positive externalities, such as education or vaccination, are underprovided by the market, while negative externalities, such as pollution or noise, are overprovided. This leads to a misallocation of resources and market failure.
What is imperfect competition and how does it contribute to market failure?
Imperfect competition occurs when there are barriers to entry or a small number of firms dominate the market. This can lead to higher prices and lower output than would be the case in a perfectly competitive market. Imperfect competition can also lead to the inefficient allocation of resources, as firms may not produce the optimal level of output or invest in research and development. This contributes to market failure.