Market failure occurs when there is an inefficient allocation of resources in a free market. Common examples of market failures include the overproduction of cigarettes, underprovision of public goods like education and national defense, and the overuse of SUVs contributing to global warming. Market failures result from external costs and benefits, imperfect information, non-competitive market structures, immobile resources, and inequality. Government intervention is often needed to correct market failures and achieve efficient resource allocation.

1. Market Failure

2. Write about a time when you failed at something. What caused the failure?

3. Take out your commentary and the rubric. Grade yourself.

4. Talk with people in your group and try to come up with a variety of products we consume and what their negative externalities are. Write them down in your notebook.

5. What would a successful market look like? What would a failed market look like?

6. What do you think causes markets to fail?

7. Market Failure Market failure occurs when there is an inefficient allocation of resources in a free market.

8. Market Failure: The market has failed when it results in either an over or an under-allocation of resources towards a particular product. Examples of markets failing: • The market has failed because too many cigarettes are being produced and consumed in the world today.

9. Examples of markets failing: • The market has failed because without state funded public schools, not enough educational institutions would be available for the nation's youth. • The market has failed because without the government providing an Army, Navy and Air Force, not enough national defense would be provided for the country's citizens. • The market has failed because too many people have driven SUVs for too long, resulting in greenhouse gasses to concentrate in the earth's atmosphere, contributing to global warming .

10. Market Failure Market Failure occurs where: Existence of external costs and benefits Knowledge is not perfect - ignorance Goods are differentiated Resources are immobile Market power is strong Services/goods would or could not be provided in sufficient quantity by the market Inequality exists

11. Market Failure External Costs and Benefits External or social costs The cost of an economic decision to a third party External benefits The benefits to a third party as a result of a decision by another party

12. Market Failure External Costs Negative Externalities Decision makers do not take into account the cost imposed on society and others as a result of their decision e.g. pollution, traffic congestion, environmental degradation, depletion of the ozone layer, misuse of alcohol, tobacco, anti-social behaviour, drug abuse, poor housing

13. Market Failure External benefits - Positive externalities by products of production and decision making that raise the welfare of a third party e.g. education and training, public transport, health education and preventative medicine, refuse collection, investment in housing maintenance, law and order

14. External Costs Price Quantity Bought and Sold MSB MPC £5 100 MSC = MPC + External Cost £12 £7 80 Socially efficient output is where MSC = MSB The Marginal Social Benefit curve (MSB) represents the sum of the benefits to consumers in society as a whole – the private and social benefits. The Marginal Private Cost (MPC) curve represents the costs to suppliers of producing a given output. The MPC does not take into account the cost to society of production. At an output level of 100, the private cost to the supplier is £5 per unit but the cost to society is higher than this (£12). The true cost therefore is the MSC (the MPC plus the external cost). Current output levels therefore (100) represent some element of market failure – price does not accurately reflect the true cost of production. The difference between the value of the MSB and the MSC represents the welfare loss to society of 100 units being produced.

15. External Benefits Price Quantity Bought and Sold MPB MSC £5 100 Socially efficient output is where MSC = MSB MSB £10 £6.50 140 There can be a position where output is less than would be socially desirable (education for example?) In this case, the sum of the benefits to society is greater than the private benefit to the individual.

16. Market Failure Inadequate Provision: Merit Goods and Public Goods Merit Goods – Could be provided by the market but consumers may not be able to afford or feel the need to purchase – market would not provide them in the quantities society needs Sports facilities?

17. Market Failure Merit Goods Education – nurseries, schools, colleges, universities – could all be provided by the market but would everyone be able to afford them? Schools: Would you pay if the state did not provide them?

18. Market Failure Public Goods Markets would not provide such goods and services at all! Non-excludability – Person paying for the benefit cannot prevent anyone else from also benefiting - the ‘ free rider ’ problem Non-rivalry – Large external benefits relative to cost – socially desirable but not profitable to supply! A non-excludable good? Would you pay for this?

19. Market Failure De-Merit Goods Goods which society over-produces Goods and services provided by the market which are not in our best interests! Tobacco and alcohol Drugs Gambling

20. Market Failure Imperfect Knowledge: Consumers do not have adequate technical knowledge Advertising can mislead or mis-inform Producers unaware of all opportunities Producers cannot accurately measure productivity Decisions often based on past experience rather than future knowledge

21. Market Failure Market Power: Existence of monopolies and oligopolies Collusion Price fixing Abnormal profits Rigging of markets Barriers to entry

22. Market Failure Goods/Services are differentiated Branding Designer labels - they cost three times as much but are they three times the quality? Technology – lack of understanding of the impact Labelling and product information Which one is the ‘quality’ item and why?

23. Market Failure Resource Immobility Factors are not fully mobile Labour immobility – geographical and occupational Capital immobility – what else can we use the Channel Tunnel for? Land – cannot be moved to where it might be needed, e.g. London and South East!

24. Market Failure Inequality: Poverty – absolute and relative Distribution of factor ownership Distribution of income Wealth distribution Discrimination Housing

25. Market Failure Measures to correct market failure State provision Extension of property rights Taxation Subsidies Regulation Prohibition Positive discrimination Redistribution of income

26. Market Failure Definition: Where the market mechanism fails to allocate resources efficiently Social Efficiency Allocative Efficiency Technical Efficiency Productive Efficiency

27. Market Failure Social Efficiency = where external costs and benefits are accounted for Allocative Efficiency = where society produces goods and services at minimum cost that are wanted by consumers Technical Efficiency = production of goods and services using the minimum amount of resources Productive Efficiency = production of goods and services at lowest factor cost

28. Market Failure Allocative efficiency: Also referred to as Pareto Efficient Allocation – resources cannot be readjusted to make one consumer better off without making another worse off – zero opportunity cost! After Vilfredo Pareto (1848–1923)