Topics
Unintended Consequences
Unintended consequences are outcomes that are not foreseen and intended by a purposeful action when a policy is introduced.
In government intervention in markets there is usually at least one and often many unintended consequence.
This is partly because economics is a social science and we cannot predict accurately how producers and consumers will react to an intervention
Unintended consequences can be positive in the sense that the unintended behaviours make things better than forecast
Unintended consequences are outcomes that are not the ones intended by a particular action or decision. These consequences can be positive or negative, and they can occur in a variety of different contexts, including social, economic, and political.
Unintended consequences can arise from a variety of sources, including incomplete or inadequate analysis, incomplete understanding of a problem or system, or the complexity of the system in which the action or decision takes place. It is often difficult to predict or identify unintended consequences in advance, and they can have significant impacts on individuals, groups, and society as a whole.
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Law of Unintended Consequences
Topic Videos
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Evaluating Government Intervention
Exam Support
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Evaluating government intervention
18th April 2018
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Government intervention - Paris announces car ban for central districts
23rd February 2022
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UK government offers consumer subsidy for heat pumps
19th October 2021
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Maximum prices - Why rent control isn’t working in Sweden
27th August 2021
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Pigouvian Taxes - Beyond Meat boss backs tax on meat consumption
3rd August 2021
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Government Failure - Topical Examples
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Economics of NHS Car Parking Charges
28th December 2016
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Revision Presentation on Government Failure
Study Presentations
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Minimum Prices - 2021 Revision Update
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Market Failure and Government Intervention - Head Start activity
Quizzes & Activities
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Introduction to Economics and the Operations of Markets - take the Yes/No challenge
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Unintended consequences: Does a plastic ban harm the environment?
9th January 2020
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Should the sugar tax be scrapped?
16th July 2019
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Market for Electric Vehicles (Revision Essay Plan)
Practice Exam Questions
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Key Micro Diagrams (Government Intervention)
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Synoptic Economics Revision - Solar Energy Policy
Exam Support
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Energy Price Cap - Analysis and Evaluation Arguments
Exam Support
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Rent Controls - Analysis and Evaluation points
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Producer support in markets
Study Notes
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Plastic Bottle Tax (Chain of Analysis)
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Chief Medical Officer calls for extended sugar and salt bans
21st December 2018
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Minimum Alcohol Pricing (Revision Essay Plan)
Practice Exam Questions
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Government Failure
Study Notes
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Unintended consequences of setting targets
16th May 2018
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Policies to Improve Food Affordability (Revision Essay Plan)
Practice Exam Questions
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Elasticity of Demand in Action: Sugary Drink Demand and Higher Prices
17th October 2017
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Uberisation - what are the consequences?
24th September 2017
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Unintended Consequences in Development Economics
5th July 2017
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Unintended consequences of cigarette packaging rules
21st May 2017
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Government regulation: minimum wage and the homecare industry
30th March 2015
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Unintended consequences of the 5p bag charge
6th October 2015