Reference no: EM132200767
Question: Quantity | Total Private Benefit | Total External Damage | Total Private Cost
1 | 12 | 2 | 8
2 | 20 | 4 | 10
3 | 24 | 6 | 11
4 | 26 | 8 | 12
5 | 28 | 10 | 13
First column: output of an activity undertaken by person 1.
Second column: total benefit for person 1.
Third column total damage to person 2.
Fourth column: total private cost to person 1.
(a) What is the optimal choice for person 1 if he does not take into account the damage to person 2?
(b) What is the socially optimal choice that sums the welfare of the two individuals?
(c) Assume now that person 1 is liable for the damages caused to person 2. What would person 1 choose now?
(d) What does the Coase theorem say about the case in which player 1 isnot liable for damages? Specifically, how does output compare to part (c)?
(e) Does your answer to part (d) imply that person 2 is worse, or better off (or just as well off) when player 1 is not liable for damages than when he is liable?