Inefficiencies in Public Policies

'Government failures,' or inefficient public policies, can be classified broadly into two groups: those whose faults fall on the supply side and those that are imperfect on the demand side. The former are further divided into X-inefficiencies and those deriving from the failure to adequately perceive the actual policy benefits or costs. The latter result when policy demands are either inflated or lower than the socially optimal level. This article examines each of these groups in turn with the help of microeconomic analytical tools, proposing remedial political/policy measures for each.