CH 13 REVIEW QUESTIONS WITH
CORRECT ANSWERS 2025
InWwhatWwayWdoWCompanyWinvestmentsWinWresearchWandWdevelopmentWcreateWpositiveWexternalities?W-
WcorrectWanswer-
NewWtechnologies,WonceWdiscovered,WcanWbeWusedWbyWotherWfirmsWwhoWdidWnotWpayWtheWcostWofWdevel
opment
WellWtheWdemandWforWborrowingWandWinvestingWinWR&DWbeWhigherWorWlowerWifWthereWareWnoWexternalW
benefits?W-WcorrectWanswer-
IfWtheWexternalWbenefitsWcouldWbeWinternalize,WtheWdemandWwouldWbeWhigher.WHowever,WifWtheWpositive
WexternalityWsimplyWdisappeared,WdemandWshouldWbeWunchanged,WsinceWfirmsWonlyWcareWaboutWprivateW
benefits
WhyWamWIWaWprivateWmarketsWtendWtoWprovideWtooWfewWincentivesWforWtheWdevelopmentWofWnewWtechn
ology?W-WcorrectWanswer-
SinceWprivateWinvestorsWdoWnotWreapWtheWsocialWbenefitsWofWtheirWinvestments,WtheyWmayWinvestWatWaWr
ateWbelowWtheWsociallyWoptimalWlevel
WhatWcanWgovernmentWdoWtoWencourageWtheWdevelopmentWofWnewWtechnology?W-WcorrectWanswer-
GovernmentWcanWtryWtoWinternalizeWsomeWofWtheWexternalitiesWthroughWpatentWandWtradeWsecretWlaws
WhatWareWtheWtwoWkeyWcharacteristicsWofWpublicWgoodsW-WcorrectWanswer-
PublicWgoodsWareWnonWrivalWandWnonexcludable
NameWtwoWpublicWgoodsWandWexplainWwhyWtheyWareWpublicWgoodsW-WcorrectWanswer-
AWfireworksWdisplayWisWaWpublicWgood,WbecauseWoneWpersonWisWenjoymentWofWitWdoesWnotWexcludeWothe
rsWfromWenjoyingWit,WandWitWisWdifficultWtoWpreventWsomeoneWfromWseeingWit.WRadioWbroadcastWcouldWals
oWbeWconsideredWaWpublicWgood,WisWanyoneWwithWtheWreceiverWcanWlistenWtoWthemWinWoneWpersonsWcons
umptionWdoesWnotWdiminishWthatWofWothers
WhatWisWtheWfreeWriderWproblem?W-WcorrectWanswer-
TheWfreeWriderWproblemWisWwhenWpeopleWrefuseWtoWpayWforWaWpublicWgood?WBecauseWtheyWcannotWbeWe
xcludedWfromWitsWuse.WIfWmanyWpeopleWbehaveWinWthisWwayWtheWgoodWmightWnotWbeWproducedWinWtheWfi
rstWplace
CORRECT ANSWERS 2025
InWwhatWwayWdoWCompanyWinvestmentsWinWresearchWandWdevelopmentWcreateWpositiveWexternalities?W-
WcorrectWanswer-
NewWtechnologies,WonceWdiscovered,WcanWbeWusedWbyWotherWfirmsWwhoWdidWnotWpayWtheWcostWofWdevel
opment
WellWtheWdemandWforWborrowingWandWinvestingWinWR&DWbeWhigherWorWlowerWifWthereWareWnoWexternalW
benefits?W-WcorrectWanswer-
IfWtheWexternalWbenefitsWcouldWbeWinternalize,WtheWdemandWwouldWbeWhigher.WHowever,WifWtheWpositive
WexternalityWsimplyWdisappeared,WdemandWshouldWbeWunchanged,WsinceWfirmsWonlyWcareWaboutWprivateW
benefits
WhyWamWIWaWprivateWmarketsWtendWtoWprovideWtooWfewWincentivesWforWtheWdevelopmentWofWnewWtechn
ology?W-WcorrectWanswer-
SinceWprivateWinvestorsWdoWnotWreapWtheWsocialWbenefitsWofWtheirWinvestments,WtheyWmayWinvestWatWaWr
ateWbelowWtheWsociallyWoptimalWlevel
WhatWcanWgovernmentWdoWtoWencourageWtheWdevelopmentWofWnewWtechnology?W-WcorrectWanswer-
GovernmentWcanWtryWtoWinternalizeWsomeWofWtheWexternalitiesWthroughWpatentWandWtradeWsecretWlaws
WhatWareWtheWtwoWkeyWcharacteristicsWofWpublicWgoodsW-WcorrectWanswer-
PublicWgoodsWareWnonWrivalWandWnonexcludable
NameWtwoWpublicWgoodsWandWexplainWwhyWtheyWareWpublicWgoodsW-WcorrectWanswer-
AWfireworksWdisplayWisWaWpublicWgood,WbecauseWoneWpersonWisWenjoymentWofWitWdoesWnotWexcludeWothe
rsWfromWenjoyingWit,WandWitWisWdifficultWtoWpreventWsomeoneWfromWseeingWit.WRadioWbroadcastWcouldWals
oWbeWconsideredWaWpublicWgood,WisWanyoneWwithWtheWreceiverWcanWlistenWtoWthemWinWoneWpersonsWcons
umptionWdoesWnotWdiminishWthatWofWothers
WhatWisWtheWfreeWriderWproblem?W-WcorrectWanswer-
TheWfreeWriderWproblemWisWwhenWpeopleWrefuseWtoWpayWforWaWpublicWgood?WBecauseWtheyWcannotWbeWe
xcludedWfromWitsWuse.WIfWmanyWpeopleWbehaveWinWthisWwayWtheWgoodWmightWnotWbeWproducedWinWtheWfi
rstWplace