One Implication of Compensating Differentials Is That Laws Passed to Protect

question 23

Multiple Choice

One implication of compensating differentials is that laws passed to protect the health and safety of workers may not make workers better off than they were prior to the passages of the laws.Why is this so?

• A)Workers may suffer from cognitive dissonance, which means that the perception workers have that their jobs are hazardous is not true.
• B)If the laws make the work environment safer, there is no reason to pay workers a compensating differential for the risk associated with their jobs.
• C)The principal-agent problem that exists in the workplace may cause workers to shirk more after the work environment becomes safer.
• D)In non-competitive markets, workers are unlikely to receive a compensating differential to compensate for jobs with extra risk. As a result, after the laws are passed their wages will not change.

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Definitions:

Production Possibilities Frontier

An illustration representing the peak production capabilities for two different items, utilizing a specific combination of resources and factors.

Opportunity Cost

The burden of not opting for the immediate subsequent best possibility when making a selection.

Slope

A measure of the steepness or incline of a line, often calculated as the ratio of the vertical change to the horizontal change between two points on the line.

Corn

A staple grain widely cultivated for food, animal feed, and as a raw material in industry.