The Harberger Triangle is a concept in public economics that illustrates the economic inefficiencies resulting from taxation, particularly on capital. It is named after the economist Arnold Harberger, who highlighted the idea that taxes create a deadweight loss in the market. This triangle visually represents the loss in economic welfare due to the distortion of supply and demand caused by taxation.
When a tax is imposed, the quantity traded in the market decreases from to , resulting in a loss of consumer and producer surplus. The area of the Harberger Triangle can be defined as the area between the demand and supply curves that is lost due to the reduction in trade. Mathematically, if is the price consumers are willing to pay and is the price producers are willing to accept, the loss can be represented as:
In essence, the Harberger Triangle serves to illustrate how taxes can lead to inefficiencies in markets, reducing overall economic welfare.
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