If Policymakers Use a Pollution Tax to Control Pollution, the Tax

question 68

Multiple Choice

If policymakers use a pollution tax to control pollution, the tax per unit of pollution should be set

• A)equal to the marginal external cost at the economically efficient level of pollution.
• B)equal to the marginal private cost of production at the economically efficient level of pollution.
• C)equal to the amount of the deadweight loss created in the absence of a pollution tax.
• D)at a level low enough so that producers can pass along a portion of the additional cost onto consumers without significantly reducing demand for the product.

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Definitions:

Risk-Averse

Refers to the preference of individuals or organizations to avoid risks and opt for the most certain outcome.

Risk Aversion

The preference to avoid uncertainty and risky situations, often influencing economic and financial decisions.

Adverse Selection

The case in which an individual knows more about the way things are than other people do. Adverse selection problems can lead to market problems: private information leads buyers to expect hidden problems in items offered for sale, leading to low prices and the best items being kept off the market.

Moral Hazard

The situation that can exist when an individual knows more about his or her own actions than other people do. This leads to a distortion of incentives to take care or to expend effort when someone else bears the costs of the lack of care or effort.