Why Is Price Discrimination Legal but Not Discrimination Based on Race

question 137

Multiple Choice

Why is price discrimination legal but not discrimination based on race or gender?

• A)because price discrimination increases profits and therefore tax revenues for the government, but discrimination based on race or gender reduces tax revenues
• B)because price discrimination reduces deadweight loss, but discrimination based on race or gender increases deadweight loss
• C)because price discrimination involves charging people different prices based on their willingness to pay rather than on the basis of arbitrary characteristics
• D)because price discrimination enables firms to increase output and employment, but race- or gender-based discrimination reduces employment

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Definitions:

Just-World Phenomenon

The Just-World Phenomenon is a cognitive bias wherein individuals believe that the world is inherently fair, leading them to rationalize others' suffering as deserved due to their actions.

Scapegoating

The practice of singling out one person or group for unmerited blame and hostility.

Other-Race Effect

An inclination to more effortlessly discern faces of the race one is predominantly exposed to, generally one's own race.

Hindsight Bias

The tendency to believe, after an event has occurred, that one would have predicted or expected the outcome, often referred to as the "I-knew-it-all-along" effect.