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Market Failure and Intervention

Quick questions on Public goods and merit goods explained: H2 Economics

4short Q&A pairs drawn directly from our worked dot-point answer. For full context and worked exam questions, read the parent dot-point page.

What are merit goods?
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Crucially, merit goods are rival and excludable, so the market does provide them, just too little. Two forces cause under-consumption: positive externalities (MSB>MPBMSB > MPB, as with education's spillovers) and information failure or short-sightedness, where consumers underestimate the future private benefit. Governments respond with subsidies, direct provision or, for the strongest cases, compulsion.
What is q1?
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State the two properties of a pure public good. [2 marks]
What is q2?
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Explain the free-rider problem. [3 marks]
What is q3?
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Explain why education is a merit good. [2 marks]

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