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Automatic stabilizers refer to economic mechanisms that help to automatically stabilize an economy during economic downturns or booms without the need for explicit government intervention. They typically work through the tax system and government transfer payments, such as unemployment benefits and other forms of social assistance.

Some examples of automatic stabilizers include: 1. Unemployment benefits - When more people lose their jobs, unemployment benefits increase automatically, providing individuals with financial support and increasing aggregate demand in the economy. 2. Progressive taxation - When individuals and businesses earn more income during a boom, they pay more taxes due to a progressive taxation system, effectively redistributing wealth and preventing excessive spending and inflation. 3. Social welfare programs - When economic conditions deteriorate, more people may qualify for social assistance programs, thereby increasing government transfers and stabilizing the economy.

The primary reason why automatic stabilizers function "automatically" is because they are built into the economic system and respond to changes in the economy without requiring deliberate intervention by policymakers. Their automatic functioning is possible due to the following reasons: 1. They respond to changes in the economy in real-time, as they are triggered by changes in income or employment levels. 2. They are inversely related to the business cycle, meaning that they increase during economic downturns and decrease during economic expansions, providing a counter-cyclical effect. 3. They help to dampen fluctuations in aggregate demand and promote economic stability, without the need for governments to pass new legislation or take any explicit action.

Automatic stabilizers offer several benefits, including but not limited to: 1. Timely response to economic fluctuations - since they operate automatically responding to changes in income and employment. 2. Reducing the need for government intervention - as they stabilize the economy without the need for governments to enact new policy measures. 3. Smoothing out economic fluctuations - by redistributing income and boosting aggregate demand during an economic downturn and promoting stability during an upturn. 4. Reducing the impact of economic shocks - by providing an automatic adjustment mechanism that helps to cushion the economy from external shocks and preventing them from becoming too disruptive. In conclusion, automatic stabilizers function "automatically" because they are built into the economic system and do not require explicit government intervention to operate. They provide a counter-cyclical buffer during economic fluctuations by adjusting to changes in income and employment levels, thus promoting economic stability.