True or False: A market may collapse and have relatively few transactions between buyers and sellers if buyers have more information than sellers.

Short Answer

Expert verified

The statement “A market may collapse and have relatively few transactions between buyers and sellers if buyers have more information than sellers” is false.

Step by step solution

01

Step 1. Effect of asymmetric information 

Asymmetric information is a problem of insufficient information to make an informed decision in a market. Here, one party suffers due to a lack of information that the other party (seller) possesses.

For example, a second-hand car buyer does not have the information that the owner/seller of the second-hand cars possesses. A buyer may end up buying a lemon/bad used car.

The said lack of information increases the risk of choosing a “bad” good or service. Due to this, the buyer’s demand falls short of what would have been in case there was no asymmetry or more information. Hence, the scarce resources are inefficiently allocated.

02

Step 2. Effect on the market if buyers have more information than sellers

If buyers have more information than sellers, they will be able to make better-informed decisions. There will be lower or no risk associated with purchasing a good or service; hence, the demand will be higher. The sellers will sell the goods to the buyers who value their goods the most, and producers will do production at the lowest cost possible.

Thus, there will be both allocative and productive efficiency, with no wastage of resources. The transactions will be relatively higher, and the total surplus will be maximum. The market will not collapse.

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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)

What information does a government need if it wants to attempt to reduce a widespread negative externality like air pollution? Who, typically, is actually in possession of that information? How do markets in tradable emissions permits solve the asymmetric information problem affecting pollution abatement efforts?

Match each of the following characteristics or scenarios with either the term negative externality or the term positive externality.

a. Resources are overallocated.

b. Tammy installs a very nice front garden, raising the property values ofall the other houses on her block.

c. Market demand curves are too far to the left (too low).

d. Resources are under-allocated.

e. Water pollution from a factory forces neighbors to buy a water purifier

An apple grower’s orchard provides nectar to a neighbor’s bees, while the beekeeper’s bees help the apple grower by pollinating his apple blossoms. Use Figure 4.5b to explain why this situation of dual positive externalities might lead to an underallocation of resources to both apple growing and beekeeping. How might this underallocation get resolved via the means suggested by the Coase theorem?

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
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