The decrease in total surplus that results from a market distortion, such as a tax, is called a:

• A. producer surplus
• B. consumer surplus
• C. marginal cost
• D. deadweight loss

Answer: (D)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand the concept of total surplus, which is the sum of consumer surplus and producer surplus in a market without any distortions.
2. Recognize that a market distortion, such as a tax, creates a wedge between what consumers pay and what producers receive, reducing the quantity traded.
3. Identify that this reduction in trade causes a loss in total surplus that is not transferred to any party; this loss is called deadweight loss.
4. Recall that producer surplus is the benefit producers receive from selling at a market price above their cost, and consumer surplus is the benefit consumers receive from paying less than their maximum willingness to pay.
5. Conclude that deadweight loss measures the inefficiency caused by the distortion, representing the decrease in total surplus that neither consumers nor producers gain.