Market failure is a situation in which there is inefficient
allocation of goods and services in a free market situation. There
are many types of market failure, but most important among them
are-
- Externalities - It means the positive or negative effect of the
economic activities performed by one person on the other person. If
the economic activities of one person does some good for other for
which he/she doesn't have to pay then it is an example of positive
externalities. And if the activity of one person has some bad
effect on other for which he/she is not paid then it is the case of
Negative externalities. An example of an externality may be the
pollution caused by a factory in its nearby areas. This pollution
effects the health of people living around the factory and they
incurr cost of treatment because of others but they have to pay
themselves, this causes externality. The solution to this
externality may be to put a fine on the factory to compensate the
people, and this is an example of command-and-control
approach.
- Public goods- Public goods are those goods which are mostly
provided by the government free of cost but the main
characteristics of a public good is the Non- excludable and
Non-rivelary. This creates market failure because public goods are
provided by the money which are collected through taxes but the non
excludability characteristics of the public good allows everyone to
use it even those who do not pay for it. An example for this type
may be a tree planted by someone but the fruits and oxygen which is
given by tree can be used by any one because it possesses the
characteristics of non-excludability because you can't stop someone
to breath near your tree. But to compensate the person who planted
the tree government can provide financial support to plant more
trees or maintain it, this will be an example of incentive
compatible approach.