Market distortion

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

A market distortion is a specific type of market failure brought about by deliberate government regulation which prevents economic agents from freely establishing a clearing price.

Examples:

  • Prescribing a certain price (setting price caps as well as price floors) by non-market means (e.g. price regulation - cf. socialist economy)
  • Restricting the manufacture or importation of a certain good, which thereby restricts supply.