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Principles of Microeconomics / Unit 2   MIC 0132 short lesson, about 20 seconds

Deadweight Loss

Captions available

The idea

Deadweight loss is the social surplus that disappears when a market trades less than the equilibrium quantity, or more: the wanted trades that did not happen.

In practice

On the diagram it is the triangle between the curves, restricted quantity to equilibrium.

Where people slip

Deadweight loss is not a transfer: money moved from sellers to buyers still exists; the loss is value nobody receives.

Your place on the trail

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