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Transcript of Principles of Policy Analysis. Markets are a good way to organize economic activities However, the...
Principles of Policy Analysis
Econ 247
Markets are a good way to organize economic activities
However, the government often plays a role in today’s modern economies
2
Overview
Governments often interfere in economic activities:Regulating prices of goodsRestricting trade in certain commoditiesImposing taxes Banning trade or certain activitiesSetting standards
3
Examples
Market failures: occur when the market fails to achieve the desired outcome (fails to maximize social welfare).
When does the market fail? ExternalitiesImperfect competitionPublic GoodsImperfect information
Government intervention can potentially correct market failures
4
Rationales for public policy
Besides intervention to correct market failures, the government may intervene in markets for
Distributional concernsEthical reasonsPolitical pressures
5
Other Rationales for public policy
However, public policies can have unintended consequencesIndividuals react to the policy in a way that
weakens its effectOther decision makers can be affectedTradeoffs involved between different policy
objectives
6
Rationales for public policy
Economic Systems, Resource Allocation, and Social Well-Being
The Economic Problem
Resources are used to produce goods and services to satisfy human needs and wants. Resources are limited. Needs and wants are unlimited.
Society has to make a decision
What, How and for Whom?
Society has to decide: What goods will be produced using the scarce
resources.
What, How and For Whom?
Society has to decide: How to produce them
What, How and For Whom?
Society has to decide: Who gets the goods and services produced
Answer
Different possible answersThe answer will determine the type of
economic system.
Answer
Solution 1: Individuals own resources They freely decide how to allocate their
resources in a way that is meaningful to them.
A Pure Market Economy
Answer
Solution 2 The government assumes ownership of
all resources The government decides how to allocate
them
A Pure Command Economy
Answer
Solution 3: A system that combines elements of the pure market
and the pure command system
A Mixed Economy
Resource Allocation in a Command Economy
A state planning commission develops a plan that determines production quantities for each major product
Resources allocated accordingly to each sector
Ministries, bureaus, local and regional planning offices were involved
Resource Allocation in a Command Economy
Workers assigned to positions according to a planning committee. Often the government committed itself to creating a job to each individual
Households allocated a set amount of goods, a system often called a rationing system
Problems of Central Planning18
1. Informational Requirements Planners needed to collect information to
determine the quantities to be produced of each good, the technology to use, which resources to allocate and how to distribute the finished goods.
Often shortages and surpluses existed Problems with pricing Quality of products suffered
Problems of Central Planning
2. Incentives for Efficient Production Production units run by government officials
instead of owners Workers were paid an amount independent of
their true effort No incentives to put extra effort as the resulting
gains will be shared by all workers
Resource Allocation in a Market Economy
Resource owners offer them to the best uses Workers decide how many hours to work. Similarly
landowners and capital owners decide where to put their resources
All decisions are coordinated in markets The market outcome determines the quantity of
resources allocated for each use and the price
Resource Allocation in a Market Economy
Market Structure Purely Competitive Markets
Large number of buyers and sellers Each seller offers standardized product Product prices free to move up or down Buyers and sellers must be mobile Freedom of entry and exit
Purely Monopolistic Markets One seller
Imperfectly Competitive Markets
Market Demand and Supply
5 6 7 8 9 10
5
6
7
8
9
Price $
Quantity
3
4
D
D S
S
Surplus
Shortage
Prices as Signals in a Market System
Prices act as signals Prices inform producers of how much to
produce and therefore how much of the resources to be allocated to this use
A change in preferences will result in a price change which guides resource allocation
A higher price results with stronger preferences as the demand curve shifts right. More resources will be allocated to this use