Exam 11: Public Goods and Common Resources

Figure 11-1 -Refer to Figure 11-1. Which of the following items is not a clear-cut example of the type of good represented by Box D?

Table 11-2 Consider a small town with only three families, the Greene family, the Brown family, and the Black family. The town does not currently have any streetlights so it is very dark at night. The three families are considering putting in streetlights on Main Street and are trying to determine how many lights to install. The table below shows each family's willingness to pay for each streetlight. -Refer to Table 11-2. Suppose the cost to install each streetlight is $900. How many streetlights should the town install to maximize total surplus from the streetlights?

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has determined that 100 workers are exposed to a hazardous chemical used in the production of diet soft drinks. The cost of imposing a regulation that would ban the chemical is $10 million. OSHA has calculated that each person saved by this regulation has a value equal to $10 million. If the benefits are exactly equal to the costs, what probability is OSHA using to assess the likelihood of a fatality from exposure to this chemical?

Why do elephants face the threat of extinction while cows do not?

Table 11-1 Consider the town of Springfield with only three residents, Sophia, Amber, and Cedric. The three residents are trying to determine how large, in acres, they should build the public park. The table below shows each resident's willingness to pay for each acre of the park. -Refer to Table 11-1. Suppose the cost to build the park is $24 per acre and that the residents have agreed to split the cost of building the park equally. If the residents decide to build a park with size equal to the number of acres that maximizes total surplus from the park, how much total surplus will Amber receive?

National defense is a classic example of a public good because

Table 11-2 Consider a small town with only three families, the Greene family, the Brown family, and the Black family. The town does not currently have any streetlights so it is very dark at night. The three families are considering putting in streetlights on Main Street and are trying to determine how many lights to install. The table below shows each family's willingness to pay for each streetlight. -Refer to Table 11-2. Suppose the cost to install each streetlight is $360 and the families have agreed to split the cost of installing the streetlights equally. If the residents choose to install the number of streetlights that will maximize total surplus from the streetlights, how much total surplus will the Greene family receive?

London drivers who choose to drive in "congestion zones" pay a tax designed to reduce traffic congestion.

Table 11-3 This table describes the police protection demands for three equal sized groups of people in Safetyville. The second, third, and fourth columns show the number of person-hours of police protection per day that a group will demand for a given price (the first column). -Refer to Table 11-3. If the marginal cost of police protection is constant at $72 per person-hour, what is the efficient level of police protection to provide?

If no one can be prevented from using good x, then good x is one of two types of goods. What are those two types?

Which city currently charges drivers a "congestion toll" to drive into the heart of the city's financial, legal, and entertainment district?

In a cost-benefit analysis, the value of a human life is sometimes calculated on the basis of

Table 11-1 Consider the town of Springfield with only three residents, Sophia, Amber, and Cedric. The three residents are trying to determine how large, in acres, they should build the public park. The table below shows each resident's willingness to pay for each acre of the park. -Refer to Table 11-1. Suppose the cost to build the park is $24 per acre and that the residents have agreed to split the cost of building the park equally. To maximize his own surplus, how many acres would Cedric like Springfield to build?

Figure 11-1 Rival in Consumption? -Refer to Figure 11-1. The box labeled A represents what type of good?

Congressman Smith and Congresswoman Johnson both consider themselves advocates for the national parks and are introducing different bills designed to benefit the parks. Congressman Smith's bill calls for an increase in the entrance fees. Congresswoman Johnson's bill calls for a decrease in the entrance fees. Which of the bills would be more effective at ensuring the quality of the national parks?

The provision of a public good generates a

What do clean air in New York City and elephants in Africa have in common?

In what way do public goods give rise to positive externalities?

Scenario 11-3 Consider the following goods: -a fish fillet served at a restaurant -fish in the ocean -exotic fish in a huge aquarium in a privately-owned building -Refer to Scenario 11-3. Which of these goods is the best example of a common resource? Briefly explain.

It is common knowledge that many U.S. national parks have become overused. One possible solution to this problem is to