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Externality: What It Means in Economics

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Externality: What It Means in Economics

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In economics, an externality refers to a cost or benefit that affects a party who did not choose to incur that cost or benefit. It is an effect of a purchase or use decision by one set of parties on others who did not have a choice and whose interests were not taken into account.

Externalities can be both positive and negative.

Positive externalities occur when the product and/or production benefits those who are not directly involved in the buying or selling of the product. For example, a company that improves the road infrastructure in its community provides benefits to other businesses and individuals in the area, not just to itself.

Negative externalities occur when the product and/or production harms those who are not directly involved in the buying or selling of the product. For example, a factory that pollutes the environment creates a cost for those living in the area, even though they did not buy or sell the factory's product.

Externalities are a form of market failure because they can lead to an inefficient allocation of resources and a lower overall societal welfare. This is because the private costs or benefits to the parties directly involved in a transaction do not fully reflect the true costs or benefits to society as a whole.

To correct for externalities, governments often intervene in the market through policies such as taxes, subsidies, regulations, and property rights.

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Define external growth of firms

In book and documentary, The Corporation, much was made of "externalities." What does this term mean?Group of answer choicesCharitable giving by corporate executives.Effects arising from the production process, the costs of which are passed to a third party.The draining effects on profits by external actors, such as labor unions.The organization of capitalist production exclusively outside of the United States.

When a externality exists, the socially optimal level of output will be less than that resulting from a market.

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