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Market failure

Total questions: 70

Worksheet time: 2hrs 47mins

Name
Class
Date
1.

In which of the following situations is market failure least likely to occur? A situation where;

a)

externalities exist

b)

many producers compete in the market

c)

there is a sole producer in market

d)

there is a very uneven distribution of income and wealth

2.

Which of the following statements is true about externalities?

a)

When externalities exist, resources are allocated efficiently

b)

When positive externalities exist, efficiency is improved by taxing the product

c)

From society's point of view, the output of goods for which a positive externality exists is too low

d)

The price system overproduces goods with positive externalities

3.

A situation of market failure is said to exist if;

a)

buyers and sellers pay for the true opportunity costs of their actions

b)

there are no externalities

c)

the government provides merit goods free

d)

third parties in society are affected and not compensated

4.

When social costs are greater than private costs, there is a;

a)

positive externality

b)

negative externality

c)

less than socially optimal output

d)

socially optimal output

5.

Public goods, such as defence, are not supplied by the price system because;

a)

the capital cost is too high

b)

the benefits would - ceteris paribus - not be restricted to buyers but would be available to non-buyers as well

c)

public goods are necessities and therefore cannot be left to the price system

d)

monopolies would make supernormal profits

6.

Which of the following is a characteristic of a merit good?

a)

It could be provided by the free market, but not in sufficient quantities

b)

It is always provided free to consumers

c)

It tends to generate negative externalities, so governments restrict its consumption

d)

Once the good has been supplied to one consumer, there is no additional cost in supplying it to others

7.

Which of the following does not apply to merit goods and services?

a)

They provide private and social benefits

b)

They are limited in supply and require a system of allocation

c)

They could be paid for by the consumer if a market system was allowed to operate

d)

They have the characteristic of non-excludability

8.

Governments use cost-benefits analysis to;

a)

measure the net social benefit of a project

b)

make consumers pay for the net social benefit they receive

c)

minimize social costs

d)

make producers pay for the social costs of a project

9.

A tin-mining company is found guilty of polluting a river. Which one of the following government measures would an economist describe as an appropriate market-based solution?

a)

Imposition of regulations and direct control on the company

b)

A reduction of private property rights over the river

c)

Increase tax on the tin produced

d)

Nationalization of the tin-mining company

10.

Driving a car on crowded highway produces

a)

a negative externality.

b)

a positive externality.

11.

Apartment dwellers who buy fire alarms or fire extinguishers generate a

a)

negative externality.

b)

positive externality.

12.

A tax equal to the external cost on firms that emit pollutants would

a)

not reduce pollution levels at all.

b)

provide firms with the incentive to increase the level of activity creating the pollution.

c)

provide firms with the incentive to decrease the level of activity creating the pollution.

d)

provide firms with little incentive to search for less environmentally damaging production methods.

13.

What is the free rider problem?

a)

scarcity even when you pay for a good

b)

Reaping all the benefits without contributing

c)

Common goods that don't have a price

d)

none of the above

14.

What is one reason that local law enforcement is considered a public good?

a)

Everyone in the community benefits from it.

b)

Nobody in the community has to pay for it.

c)

Private firms make a profit from producing it.

d)

Individual citizens pay directly for it.

15.

Which of the following is an example of a positive externality resulting from an outdoor band concert?

a)

An elderly woman in her apartment hears a song that she liked as a child.

b)

A pair of endangered birds leave their nest in a nearby tree when the concert starts.

c)

A pizza parlor closes early, because all of its customers are at the concert.

d)

A traffic jam occurs as drivers hunt for parking spots near the concert.

16.

Which of the following explains why a city fireworks display on the Fourth of July is provided as a public good?

a)

Fireworks displays usually take place in a public area.

b)

Fireworks are a scarce resource.

c)

Nonpayers cannot be prevented from seeing the fireworks.

d)

Each consumer pays a fee to see the fireworks.

17.

The part of the economy that involves the transactions of the government.

a)

Private sector

b)

Free rider

c)

Public sector

d)

Externality

18.

Someone who would not choose to pay for a certain good or service,but who would get the benefits of it anyway if it were provided as a public good.

a)

Market failure

b)

Externality

c)

Public good

d)

Free rider

19.

The part of the economy that involves the transactions of individuals and businesses.

a)

Public sector

b)

Externality

c)

Private sector

d)

Public good

20.

Is a situation in which the market, on its own, does not distribute resources efficiently.

a)

Public good

b)

Private sector

c)

Externality

d)

Market Failure

21.

An Economic side effect of a good or service that generates benefits or costs to someone other than the person deciding how much to produce or consume.

a)

Public good

b)

Free rider

c)

Externalities

d)

Private sector

22.

An example of a public good is...

a)

Firefighters

b)

police officers

c)

parks

d)

all answers are correct

23.

What does non-rival mean?

a)

More than one person can use it

b)

Only one person can use it

c)

There are direct competitors for a product

d)

None of the above

24.

Excludable means:

a)

Someone can deny access to a good

b)

Everyone is able to access a good

c)

Multiple people can use something at the same time

d)

Only one person can use something at one time

25.

Public goods are

a)

rival and excludable

b)

non-rival and non-excludable

c)

rival and non-excludable

d)

non-rival and excludable

26.

In which case is market failure occurring?

a)

Consumers determining what is produced

b)

Firms producing above the lowest possible cost

c)

Price falling as a result of a decrease in demand

d)

Price rising as a result of an increase in costs of production

27.

A merit good is one which:

a)

has an absence of external benefits

b)

has higher private benefits than consumers realise

c)

imposes costs on those who are not involved in its production directly

d)

is both non-excludable and non-rival

28.

Which type of goods would be over-produced if left to market forces?

a)

Basic necessities

b)

Capital goods

c)

Demerit goods

d)

Public goods

29.

What is a cause of market failure?

a)

Competition between firms

b)

Consumers lacking information about where the lowest prices can be found

c)

Differences in pay between skilled and unskilled workers

d)

Resources being both geographically and occupationally mobile

30.

Which is not an example of market failure?

a)

air pollution

b)

a supermarket charging high prices because of its monopoly power

c)

car parks in a town centre

d)

congestion caused by the number of cars on the road

31.

Which is an example of a public good?

a)

healthcare

b)

museums

c)

public fireworks display

d)

public playgrounds

32.

A government decides to build another airport terminal at an existing airport. This will increase air

and road traffic around the airport but will also increase trade and tourism and create business and

employment opportunities. Which economic concepts are mentioned in the above statements?

a)

conservation of resources, economic growth, external benefits

b)

external costs, external benefits, opportunity cost

c)

external costs, opportunity cost, conservation of resources

d)

opportunity cost, occupational mobility of labour, geographical mobility

33.

Which is not a characteristic of a merit good?

a)

over-provided

b)

under-consumed

c)

provides social benefits

d)

under-provided

34.

Which does not provide external benefits to society?

a)

local college that provides education and training to increase people’s skills and qualifications

b)

a new history museum

c)

a public park

d)

new public housing funded by the government

35.

A Cheeseburger is a :

a)

Common resource ,because it is rival in

consumption and non excludable

b)

public good , because it is rival in consumption but not excludable

c)

Public good, because it is excludable and rival in consumption

d)

Private good, because it is excludable and rival in consumption

36.

A market failure is a situation where:

a)

markets fail to allocate resources efficiently

b)

markets enable buyers to gain utility

c)

markets fail to enable sellers to make profits

d)

markets encourage people to take risks

37.

Someone who derives benefits from something not paid for is Known as

a)

Consumer

b)

Free Rider

c)

Outside party

d)

Product Producer

38.

Negative externality is When ___ spill over to an outside party

a)

  Expenses

b)

  Costs

c)

Benefits

d)

Loses

39.

Positive externality is When ____ spill over to an outside party

a)

Expenses

b)

Costs

c)

Benefits

d)

Loses

40.

An educated population is an example of a(n) ______.

a)

Positive externality

b)

Negative externality

c)

Government subsidy

d)

Adverse selection

41.

If firms had to pay for the externalities they cause, production costs would ______.

a)

Become indeterminate

b)

Remain unaffected

c)

  Increase

d)

Decrease

42.
Which best describes a public good?
a)
A good provided by the government 
b)
A good purchased by individuals
c)
A good that exists only in a free market
d)
A good that produces no externalites
43.
A market failure is best described as
a)
The idea that market forces of supply and demand always provide the maximum benefit for society
b)
The idea that market forces of supply and demand do not always provide the maximum benefit for society
c)
The concept that a decision made by one party can have negative effects on another party
d)
The concept that a decision made by one party can have positive effects on another party
44.
The following statements are true of government regulations except
a)
They limit economic freedom
b)
They seek to limit negative externalities
c)
They exist to protect consumers
d)
They are always popular with private businesses
45.
Safety nets, in the context of market failure, are 
a)
Goods that are not safe, equitable, and profitable in the market 
b)
Designed to minimize external costs and shift the costs back to the producers
c)
Payments given by the government to private companies as an incentive for them to produce a certain good
d)
Programs that help people who are struggling
46.
Government regulation may negatively affect businesses in the following ways by
a)
Increasing input costs
b)
Increasing profits
c)
Lowering consumer prices
d)
All of the above
47.
Private businesses cannot always provide goods and services
a)
Profitably
b)
Fairly
c)
Safely
d)
All of the above
48.

The ups and downs of the economy, which the government must sometimes step in to stabilize due is known as the

a)

Regulatory cycle

b)

Business cycle

c)

Fiscal Policy

d)

Monetary Policy

49.

Which is not an example of a publicly owned industry intended to provide goods and services more efficiently to the public?

a)

Postal service

b)

Public transportation

c)

Airline industry

d)

Utilities such as gas, water, electric

50.

Selling your old computer on Gumtree could be an example of

a)

Public goods

b)

Asymmetric information

c)

Common access resources

d)

Negative externalities

51.

Which is not an example of a public good?

a)

Street lights

b)

Local GP superclinic

c)

Bottled water

d)

Defence force

52.

This image is an example of

a)

Common access resources

b)

Public goods

c)

Asymmetric information

d)

Negative externalities

53.

Examples of market failure occur because

a)

Business and consumers value personal benefits over social costs

b)

Businesses value personal benefits over social costs

c)

Consumers value social benefits over personal costs

d)

None of the above

54.
Why does no one firm dominate in a perfect competition?
a)
No firm wants to
b)
Each firm sells to different people
c)
Each firm produces so little of the total supply that they cannot influence prices
d)
One firm will eventually dominate and make it a monopoly
55.
Factors that make it difficult for new firms to enter a market are called
a)
Barriers to entry
b)
Factors of production
c)
Limited supply
d)
Monopolistic Outlook
56.

Businesses can "Collude" or work together to set prices

a)

Oligopoly

b)

Monopoly

c)

Perfect Competition

d)

Monopolistic Competition

57.
Choose the example that goes best with an oligopoly.
a)
apples
b)

supermarkets

c)
utilities
d)
clothing
58.

Which of the following industries is an example of a monopoly?

a)

utilities/water

b)

department stores

c)

auto industry

d)

commercial airlines

59.
The jeans industry would fall into what type of market structure? ( jeans are similar but there are some differences in the product)
a)
monopoly
b)
oligopoly
c)
perfect competition
d)
monopolistic competition
60.

Public utilities are an example.

a)

Perfect Competition

b)

Natural Monopoly

c)

Monopolistic Competition

d)

Oligopoly

61.

In this market, the producer is the least responsive to buyers' needs and wants.

a)

Perfect Competition

b)

Pure Monopoly

c)

Monopolistic Competition

d)

Oligopoly

62.

When firms agree to charge the same or similar prices for a product, this is known as

a)

price-fixing

b)

independent behavior

c)

natural monopoly

d)

laissez-faire

63.
List the four market structures in order from least competitive to most competitive.
a)
Oligopoly, Monopoly, Perfect Competition, Monopolistic Competition
b)
Perfect Competition, Oligopoly, Monopoly, Monopolistic Competition
c)
Monopoly, Oligopoly, Monopolistic Competition, Perfect Competition
d)
Monopoly, Monopolistic Competition, Perfect Competition, Oligopoly
64.

If a firm can change market prices by altering its output, then it

a)

Has market power.

b)

Faces a flat demand curve.

c)

Is a price taker.

d)

Engages in marginal cost pricing

65.
A monopoly that is based on the ownership or control of a manufacturing method, process, or other scientific advance is a 
a)
geographic monopoly
b)
natural monopoly
c)
government monopoly
d)
technological monopoly
66.
Mr. Simpson is liable for all the debts of his company. Mr.Simpson has which type of business organization?
a)
sole proprietorship
b)
monopoly
c)
perfect competition
d)
corporation
67.

Price discrimination is not possible under

a)

Perfect competition

b)

Monopoly

c)

Oligopoly

d)

Monopolistic Competition

68.
Government regulations exist to
a)
Increase economic freedom
b)
Protect consumers from negative externalities
c)
Punish people who intervene in the free market
d)
Provide incentives to privatize
69.

Going to the gym and seeing results, is a form of _______ externalities.

a)

positive

b)

negative

70.

Education is a negative externality.

a)

False

b)

True