"If production of a good creates an external cost, then, when production is such that the marginal private costs are equal to the marginal private benefits, the market outcome will be inefficient
" Explain whether this assertion is correct or incorrect.
The assertion is correct. Efficiency requires that the marginal social benefit equal the marginal social cost. If the production of a good creates an external cost, then the marginal private cost does not equal the marginal social cost. So, even if the marginal private benefit equals the marginal social benefit, setting the marginal private cost equal to the marginal private benefit creates inefficiency because the marginal social benefit does not equal the marginal social cost.
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