Why Does Society Tend to Produce Too Little Basic Research

question 66

Essay

Why does society tend to produce too little basic research? What can the government do about it?

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Definitions:

Engel Curve

A graph showing the relationship between the income of a consumer and the amount of a good that the consumer buys, illustrating how spending on a good varies with income.

Left and Right Shoes

Items that are perfect complements in consumption, where the use of one without the other is generally considered incomplete or unsatisfactory.

Price of X

The price of X refers to the cost to buyers of acquiring a unit of good or service X in the market.

Price of Y

the cost associated with acquiring or purchasing a specific good or service, denoted symbolically as "Y".