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"The problem with our democratic institutions is that they don't correctly reflect the will of the people! If the people鈥攔ather than self-interested politicians or lobbyists鈥攈ad control, we wouldn't have to worry about the government taking actions that don't maximize allocative and productive efficiency." Critique.

Short Answer

Expert verified

If the people had control over decision-making for the market, the action might not always maximize the allocative and productive efficiency because of the market failures.

Step by step solution

01

Effect of decision making of democratic institutions in the market

The democratic institutions manipulate the people's will according to their interests. Politicians serve special interest groups or lobbyists to gather the funds for elections. They make irrational economic decisions to influence people so that they are again elected as representatives. Therefore, economic resources are used in a way to attract support for elections. This leads to economic inefficiency.

02

Effect of decision making by people in the market

Suppose the market is left to the people with no interference by the government. In that case, two types of markets can occur, a perfect market (Maximum total surplus with allocative and productive efficiency) and an imperfect market (concentration of market power).

A perfect market is rarely seen in reality. Thus, the possibility of market failures occurs. This includes the following:

  • The concentration of market power: It results in higher prices and lower quantities. It creates a possibility of price discrimination.

  • Asymmetric information: This leads to a selection of bad goods and services due to imperfect information.

  • Externalities: It can also result in inefficiencies like underproduction or overproduction of goods in case of positive or negative externalities, respectively.

  • Public goods: The free-rider problem prevents the private sector from producing these goods. These goods may not be produced at all if left to the will of the people.

Thus, decision-making by people (free market) does not guarantee allocative and productive efficiency in the market.

03

Comparing the decision making of free-market (will of the people) with democratic institutions

The free market is not a guaranteed solution to achieve economic efficiency. Democratic institutions have their own issues, but they ensure that the market is not left unregulated and those market failures are corrected.

They ensure that public goods are produced (through taxation), externalities are corrected (using the means of direct controls, subsidies, and taxes), asymmetric information is solved (through regulatory and policy actions), and concentration of power in few hands is checked (like Anti-trust laws).

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Most popular questions from this chapter

How does the problem of limited and bundled choice in the public sector relate to economic efficiency? Why are public bureaucracies possibly less efficient than business firms?

Use the distinction between the characteristics of private goods and public goods to determine whether the following should be produced through the market system or provided by government: (a) French fries, (b) airport screening, (c) court systems, (d) mail delivery, and (e) medical care. Explain your answers.

Explain: 鈥淧oliticians would make more rational economic decisions if they weren鈥檛 running for re-election every few years.鈥

Consider a specific example of the special-interest effect and the collective-action problem. In 2012, it was estimated that the total value of all corn-production subsidies in the United States was about \(3 billion. The population of the United States was approximately 300 million people that year.

a. On average, how much did corn subsidies cost per person in the United States in 2012? (Hint: A billion is a 1 followed by nine zeros. A million is a 1 followed by six zeros.)

b. If each person in the United States is willing to spend only \)0.50 to support efforts to overturn the corn subsidy, and if anti-subsidy advocates can only raise funds from 10 percent of the population, how much money will they be able to raise for their lobbying efforts?

c. If the recipients of corn subsidies donate just 1 percent of the total amount that they receive in subsidies, how much could they raise to support lobbying efforts to continue the corn subsidy?

d. By how many dollars does the amount raised by the recipients of the corn subsidy exceed the amount raised by the opponents of the corn subsidy?

Does traditional one-person-one-vote (1p1v) majority voting allow voters to directly express differences in strengths of preference? Does quadratic voting do any better? Discuss the differences and then explain which system you prefer, and why.

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