Roommate Total Willingness to Pay Consumer Surplus (Dollars) (Dollars) Manuel Shen Antonio Dmitri In order to split the cost in a way that ensures that everyone benefits, the cost could be divided up based on the benefits each roommate receives. The practical problem with this solution is that each roommate has an incentive to the value of the movies to him. Suppose they agree in advance to choose the efficient number and to split the cost of the movies equally. True or False: When Manuel is asked his willingness to pay, he will have an incentive to understate the value of the movies to him. True False This examples teaches you that the optimal provision of a public good will occur if individuals an incentive to hide their valuation of the good.

Wo firms, a and b, each currently dump 50 tons of chemicals into the local river. the government has decided to reduce the pollution and from now on will require a pollution permit for each ton of pollution dumped into the river. it costs firm a $100 for each ton of pollution that it eliminates before it reaches the river, and it costs firm b $50 for each ton of pollution that it eliminates before it reaches the river. the government gives each firm 20 pollution permits. government officials are not sure whether to allow the firms to buy or sell the pollution permits to each other. what is the total cost of reducing pollution if firms are not allowed to buy and sell pollution permits from each other? what is the total cost of reducing pollution if the firms are allowed to buy and sell permits from each other? a. $3,000; $1,500 b. $4,500; $3,500 c. $4,500; $4,000 d. $4,500; $2,500