Government intervention will result in a more efficient allocation of resources if

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Question: Government intervention will result in a more efficient allocation of resources if

Option A. it leads to a reduction in the consumption of demerit goods

Option B. consumers are charged for the provision of public goods

Option C. it reduces the number of competing firms in an industry

Option D. it leads to a reduction in the subsidies received by firms

Option A: A reduction in the consumption of demerit goods can improve overall welfare because demerit goods often generate negative externalities (such as health costs or social harm) that are not reflected in market prices. Government intervention (taxation, regulation, or bans) aims to correct this market failure by discouraging use, which can move resources toward a more efficient allocation. This aligns with standard welfare analysis that internalizes external costs to improve efficiency.

Option B: Charging consumers for the provision of public goods is typically not how efficiency is achieved. Public goods are non-excludable and non-rivalrous, and they generate positive externalities. Charging users can lead to under-provision due to the free-rider problem, reducing efficiency rather than improving it.

Option C: Reducing the number of competing firms tends to reduce contestability and can lead to higher prices and less innovative products or services. Diminished competition generally harms allocative and productive efficiency, so this would not create a more efficient allocation of resources.

Option D: Subsidies to firms are a form of government intervention that can misallocate resources if not targeted correctly. Reducing subsidies could improve efficiency if subsidies were propping up unproductive activities or distorting incentives; however, in isolation, simply reducing subsidies does not inherently guarantee a more efficient allocation, and it may even reduce welfare if subsidies supported welfare-improving activities. Overall, this option is less clearly associated with creating a more efficient allocation compared to addressing negative externalities from demerit goods.

In summary, among the given options, reducing consumption of demerit goods is the clearest route by which government intervention can move resources toward a more efficient allocation, by internalizing negative externalities and correcting market failures.

Government intervention will result in a more efficient allocation of resources if

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Government intervention will result in a more efficient allocation of resources if

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