Quasi-Linear Preferences and the Straight-Line Pareto Efficiency Curve in the Browneville Model

MRS in the Browneville Model as the Marginal Utility of Wages

In a particular economic model of well-being, an individual's total satisfaction is derived from their wage and the quality of their local environment. The model is based on two principles: 1) The additional satisfaction gained from a one-dollar increase in wages decreases as the wage level rises. 2) The additional satisfaction gained from a one-unit improvement in environmental quality is constant, regardless of the individual's wage or the current environmental quality. Consider two individuals, Sam and Pat, who earn the exact same wage. Sam lives in an area with very high environmental quality, while Pat lives in an area with very low environmental quality. If both are offered an identical trade-off—a specific wage increase in exchange for a specific decrease in their local environmental quality—how would their willingness to accept the offer compare according to this model?

Policy Impact on Citizen Well-Being

Evaluating a Model of Economic Well-Being

Comparing Public Policy Support

Consider an economic model where an individual's well-being is determined by their wage and the quality of their local environment. The model assumes two things: (1) the additional well-being from a one-dollar wage increase diminishes as the wage level gets higher, and (2) the additional well-being from a one-unit improvement in environmental quality is constant, regardless of the wage or environment level. Based on these assumptions, an individual with a high wage would be willing to give up a larger amount of their wage for a specific, one-unit improvement in environmental quality compared to an individual with a low wage.

In an economic model where an individual's satisfaction is derived from their wage and local environmental quality, specific assumptions are made. The extra satisfaction from a wage increase gets smaller as the wage gets higher, while the extra satisfaction from an environmental improvement is always the same. Match each concept from the model with its correct description.

In an economic framework where an individual's utility is derived from their wage and the quality of their environment, two assumptions are made: 1) The marginal utility from wages diminishes as wage levels increase. 2) The marginal utility from environmental quality is constant. Given these principles, a policy that results in a one-unit improvement in environmental quality would be valued more, in monetary terms, by an individual with a __________ wage.

An economic model describes citizen well-being based on wages and environmental quality. It assumes that the additional satisfaction from a wage increase shrinks as wages rise, while the satisfaction from an environmental improvement is always the same. A new city-wide policy is implemented that causes a small increase in wages for everyone but also a small decrease in environmental quality. To determine which resident group (low-wage or high-wage) is more likely to experience a net loss in well-being, you must follow a logical sequence of analysis. Arrange the following analytical steps in the correct order.

Calculating Willingness to Pay for Environmental Improvements

Evaluating a Model's Core Assumptions