| Lesson Plan |
| Grade: |
Date: 05/03/2026 |
| Subject: Economics |
| Lesson Topic: consequences of government failure |
Learning Objective/s:
- Describe the main causes of government failure.
- Explain how government failure can create dead‑weight loss and equity distortions.
- Evaluate policy interventions using a cost‑benefit and unintended‑effects checklist.
- Apply the concepts to a real‑world example (e.g., carbon tax) to identify potential failures.
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Materials Needed:
- Projector and screen
- Slide deck summarising market vs. government failure
- Printed worksheet with case‑study questions
- Whiteboard and markers
- Calculator or spreadsheet template for DWL calculations
- Graph paper (optional)
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Introduction:
Begin with a quick poll: “What happens when a well‑intentioned policy makes things worse?” Connect to the previous lesson on market failure and outline the success criteria – students will identify causes and consequences of government failure and assess policies using a checklist.
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Lesson Structure:
- Do‑now (5') – Write one example of a government policy that back‑fired; share a few responses.
- Mini‑lecture (10') – Review causes of government failure with slides and a supply‑and‑demand diagram.
- Guided analysis (12') – In pairs, examine the policy‑tool table and pinpoint potential government failures for each tool.
- Case study (15') – Carbon‑tax worksheet: calculate the optimal tax, discuss under‑/over‑tax scenarios and political influences.
- Checklist application (8') – Groups apply the evaluation checklist to a chosen policy and present their findings.
- Formative check (5') – Exit ticket: one sentence summarising the biggest risk of government intervention.
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Conclusion:
Recap that while intervention can correct market failures, mis‑design creates new welfare losses. Collect exit tickets, remind students to read the textbook chapter on cost‑benefit analysis, and assign a short reflection on how political motives can shape policy outcomes as homework.
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