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Question
Microeconomics
Posted 11 months ago
Discuss the role of 'information asymmetry' in causing market failures.
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Answer from Sia
Posted 11 months ago
Answer
Information asymmetry can lead to market failures such as moral hazard and adverse selection, which distort the efficient allocation of resources in a market.
Solution
a
Definition of Information Asymmetry: Information asymmetry occurs when one party in a transaction has more or better information than the other
b
Adverse Selection: Adverse selection arises when buyers or sellers have information that the other party to the transaction does not have, leading to an inefficient market outcome. For example, in the market for used cars, sellers may have more information about the quality of the car than buyers. This can result in a market where only low-quality goods are sold (the 'lemons' problem)
c
Moral Hazard: Moral hazard occurs when one party to a transaction changes their behavior in a way that is disadvantageous to the other party, after the transaction has taken place, because the latter cannot effectively monitor the action of the former. For example, after purchasing health insurance, an individual might take more health risks because they do not bear the full cost of their medical care
Key Concept
Market Failure due to Information Asymmetry
Explanation
Information asymmetry can lead to adverse selection and moral hazard, both of which prevent markets from functioning efficiently and can cause market failures.

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