Question

Suppose that the federal government grants a 50 cent per gallon subsidy to buyers of gasoline and that the demand for gasoline is highly inelastic while the supply is highly elastic. Under these circumstances, the benefit of the subsidy
a. will go primarily to producers.
b. will go primarily to consumers.
c. will be split equally between consumers and producers.
d. cannot be determined because the actual benefit of a subsidy is not influenced by the elasticities of supply and demand.

Answer 1

Answer:

The correct answer is b. will go primarily to consumers.

Explanation:

Inelastic demand is that demand that is not very sensitive to a change in price. In this way, before a variation in the price the quantity demanded reacts in a less than proportional way. For example, if the price increases by 10% and in response the quantity demanded is reduced by less than 10%, then the demand is said to be inelastic.

While the elasticity of the offer presents the degree of response of the quantities offered to variations in the price of the good considered, the price of other goods, the costs of productive factors or business expectations.