People drive faster when they have auto insurance. This example illustrates

  1. adverse selection.
  2. asymmetric information.
  3. moral hazard.

Short Answer

Expert verified

Option (c): Moral hazard

Step by step solution

01

Step 1. People driving faster after getting auto insurance

People drive faster after getting auto insurance is a problem of moral hazard. Moral hazard refers to the problem of asymmetric information that results in a cost for one party due to the other party's actions that occur after a contract/agreement or market exchange.

People know any accidents that could damage the vehicle will be covered by the insurance company, and therefore, they can choose to drive faster. The outcome of the bad decisions will put a cost on the insurance company that they did not know when selling the insurance.

02

Step 2. Reasons for incorrect options

Adverse selection is the problem of lemons. This happens when one party is unaware of certain information about the other party before entering into a contract or market exchange. This leads to a selection of bad goods or services, which are referred to as lemons. Since driving faster happens after buying auto insurance, this is not a part of the adverse selection problem.

Asymmetric information problems can result in both adverse selection and moral hazard depending on the reason and time of generation of cost for one party due to another party. Moral hazard is a more precise answer.

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Most popular questions from this chapter

Look at Tables 4.1 and 4.2 together. What is the total surplus if Bob buys a unit from Carlos? If Barb buys a unit from Courtney? If Bob buys a unit from Chad? If you match up pairs of buyers and sellers so as to maximize the total surplus of all transactions, what is the largest total surplus that can be achieved?

PersonMaximum willingness to pay (\()
Actual price (\))

Consumer surplus (\()
Bob1385 (=13-8)
Barb1284 (=12-8)
Bill1183 (=11-8)
Bart1082(=10-8)
Brent981 (=9-8)
Betty880(=8-8)
PersonMinimum acceptable price (\))
Actual price (\()
Consumer surplus (\))
Carlos385 (=8-3)
Courtney
484 (=8-4)
Chuck
583 (=8-5)
Cindy
682 (=8-6)
Craig
781 (=8-7)
Chad
880 (=8-8)

Refer to Table 4.2. If the six people listed in the table are the only producers in the market, and the equilibrium price is \(6 (not the \)8 shown), how much producer surplus will the market generate?

PersonMinimum acceptable price (\()Actual price (\))
Carlos36
Courtney46
Chuck56
Cindy66
Craig76
Chad86

What divergences arise between equilibrium output and efficient output when (a) negative externalities and (b) positive externalities are present? How might government correct these divergences? Cite an example (other than the text examples) of an external cost and an external benefit.

Refer to Tables 4.1 and 4.2, which show, respectively, the willingness to pay and the willingness to accept of buyers and sellers of bags of oranges. For the following questions, assume that the equilibrium price and quantity depend on the following changes in supply and demand. Also assume that the only market participants are those listed by name in the two tables.

a. What are the equilibrium price and quantity for the data displayed in the two tables?

b. Instead of bags of oranges, assume that the data in the two tables deal with a good (such as firework display) that can be enjoyed by free riders who do not pay for it. If all the buyers in the two tables free ride, what quantity will private sellers supply?

c. Assume that we are back to talking about bags of oranges (a private good), but the government has decided that tossed orange peels impose a negative externality on the public that must be rectified by imposing a \(2-per-bag tax on sellers. What is the new equilibrium price and quantity? If the new equilibrium quantity is the optimal quantity, by how many bags were oranges overproduced before?

PersonMaximum price willing to pay (\))
Bob
13
Barb12
Bill11
Bart10
Brent9
Betty8
PersonMinimum acceptable price ($)
Carlos3
Courtney4
Chuck5
Cindy6
Craig7
Chad8

Which of the following are moral hazard problems? Which are adverse selection problems?

  1. A person with a terminal illness buys several life insurance policies through the mail.
  2. A person drives carelessly because she has automobile insurance.
  3. A person who intends to torch his warehouse takes out a large fire insurance policy.
  4. A professional athlete who has a guaranteed contract fails to stay in shape during the off-season.
  5. A person who anticipates having a large family takes a job with a firm that offers exceptional child care benefits.
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