Fallos de Mercado y la Justificación de la Intervención Pública: Estudio de Casos para una Clase Práctica

• Aurelia Valiño Castro ^[1]
  1. [1] Universidad Complutense de Madrid

     Universidad Complutense de Madrid

     Madrid, España

     
• Localización: e-pública: revista electrónica sobre la enseñanza de la economía pública, ISSN-e 1885-5628, Nº. 38, 2026, págs. 78-105
• Idioma: español
• Títulos paralelos:
  • Market Failures and the Justification for Public Intervention: Case Study for a Practical Class
• Enlaces
  • Texto completo (pdf)
• Resumen
  • español

    Este trabajo propone cinco casos reales para analizar en prácticas docentes cómo diversos fallos del mercado justifican la intervención del sector público. En primer lugar, se presenta, a modo de introducción, un marco teórico sobre las principales formas de fallos de mercado y por qué su existencia puede conducir a resultados ineficientes.

    A continuación, se examinan cinco casos que ilustran el tema desde distintas perspectivas: (1) la crisis del agua en Flint, Michigan; (2) la “guerra del agua” de Cochabamba, Bolivia; (3) el escándalo “Dieselgate” de Volkswagen; (4) la crisis de los opioides en Estados Unidos; (5) las disfunciones en el mercado de las vacunas COVID-19. Para cada caso se identifica el tipo de fallo de mercado implicado, sus consecuencias económicas y sociales, las respuestas implementadas por las autoridades y su eficacia, así como propuestas de regulación o políticas públicas alternativas para corregir o evitar situaciones similares. Se ofrece un “Manual para el Profesor” con orientaciones pedagógicas para docentes de Economía Pública interesados en utilizar estos casos en el aula

  • English

    This paper presents five real-world cases to analyze how market failures justify public sector intervention.

    Firstly, it introduces a theoretical framework addressing the main types of market failures and why their occurrence can lead to inefficient outcomes. Subsequently, five illustrative cases are examined from different perspectives: (1) the water crisis in Flint, Michigan; (2) the Cochabamba "Water War" in Bolivia; (3) Volkswagen’s "Dieselgate" scandal; (4) the opioid crisis in the United States; and (5) dysfunctions in the COVID-19 vaccine market. For each case, the paper identifies the specific type of market failure involved, its economic and social consequences, the effectiveness of governmental responses, and alternative regulatory or policy measures to rectify or prevent similar situations. Finally, an "Instructor's Guide" provides pedagogical guidance for Public Economics educators interested in using these cases in the classroom.

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