Skip to ContentGo to accessibility pageKeyboard shortcuts menu
OpenStax Logo
Principles of Microeconomics 2e

Key Terms

Principles of Microeconomics 2eKey Terms

additional external cost
additional costs incurred by third parties outside the production process when a unit of output is produced
biodiversity
the full spectrum of animal and plant genetic material
command-and-control regulation
laws that specify allowable quantities of pollution and that also may detail which pollution-control technologies one must use
externality
a market exchange that affects a third party who is outside or “external” to the exchange; sometimes called a “spillover”
international externalities
externalities that cross national borders and that a single nation acting alone cannot resolve
market failure
When the market on its own does not allocate resources efficiently in a way that balances social costs and benefits; externalities are one example of a market failure
marketable permit program
a permit that allows a firm to emit a certain amount of pollution; firms with more permits than pollution can sell the remaining permits to other firms
negative externality
a situation where a third party, outside the transaction, suffers from a market transaction by others
pollution charge
a tax imposed on the quantity of pollution that a firm emits; also called a pollution tax
positive externality
a situation where a third party, outside the transaction, benefits from a market transaction by others
property rights
the legal rights of ownership on which others are not allowed to infringe without paying compensation
social costs
costs that include both the private costs incurred by firms and also additional costs incurred by third parties outside the production process, like costs of pollution
spillover
see externality
Order a print copy

As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.

Citation/Attribution

This book may not be used in the training of large language models or otherwise be ingested into large language models or generative AI offerings without OpenStax's permission.

Want to cite, share, or modify this book? This book uses the Creative Commons Attribution License and you must attribute OpenStax.

Attribution information
  • If you are redistributing all or part of this book in a print format, then you must include on every physical page the following attribution:
    Access for free at https://openstax.org/books/principles-microeconomics-2e/pages/1-introduction
  • If you are redistributing all or part of this book in a digital format, then you must include on every digital page view the following attribution:
    Access for free at https://openstax.org/books/principles-microeconomics-2e/pages/1-introduction
Citation information

© Jun 15, 2022 OpenStax. Textbook content produced by OpenStax is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License . The OpenStax name, OpenStax logo, OpenStax book covers, OpenStax CNX name, and OpenStax CNX logo are not subject to the Creative Commons license and may not be reproduced without the prior and express written consent of Rice University.