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What is the black market and what can you buy from the black market? How does this affect the economy?

User Araspion
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The black market denotes illicit economic activities conducted outside of government regulation and taxation. It offers a variety of goods and services, usually illegal. The black market negatively affects the economy by disrupting legal demand and supply, evading taxation, and contributing to economic instability.

The black market is an illegal market where goods and services are traded without government regulation. This might include anything from illegal drugs, stolen goods, counterfeit items, to services like hiring a hacker or a hit person. Economically speaking, these markets operate outside of legally sanctioned demand and supply channels.

Looking at it from an economics perspective, these black markets can affect the economy negatively. This happens because they circumvent regulations, avoid taxes, and can distort supply and demand in a legal market. For example, the sale of counterfeit goods on the black market can decrease demand for legitimate goods, as some consumers choose cheaper, albeit illegal, alternatives. Furthermore, since taxes aren't paid on illegal transactions, governments lose out on potential tax revenue which could otherwise be used for public goods and services. These factors can lead to economic instability.

Thus, the black market refers to illicit economic activity that falls outside of government regulation and taxation. The goods and services you can buy from these markets are wide and diverse, and often illegal. The effects of these markets on the economy are largely negative, with impacts on legal demand and supply, tax revenue, and overall economic stability.

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User Stackdave
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