Consumer Surplus
Consumer surplus along with aggregate
profits allow us to evaluate:
1) Costs and benefits of different market
structures
2) Public policies that alter the behavior
of consumers and firms Example:
The Value of Clean Air
Air is free in the sense that we need not pay
to breathe it.
The Clean Air Act was amended in 1970.
Question: Were the benefits of cleaning up
the air worth the costs? Example:
The Value of Clean Air
People pay more to buy houses where the
air is clean.
Data for house prices among neighborhoods
of Boston and Los Angeles were compared
with the various air pollutants. Valuing Clean Air
Value
($ per pphm
2000
of reduction)
1000
0
5
NOX (pphm)
10 Pollution
Reduction Valuing Clean Air
Value
($ per pphm
2000
of reduction)
1000
0
5
NOX (pphm)
10 Pollution
Reduction Valuing Clean Air
Value
($ per pphm
2000
of reduction)
A
1000
0
5
The shaded area gives the
consumer surplus generated
when air pollution is
reduced by 5 parts per 100
million of nitrous oxide at
a cost of $1000 per
part reduced.
NOX (pphm)
10 Pollution
Reduction
Individual and Market Demand 9
of 6
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