Subsidies are given by governments to encourage certain economic activity or to support broader national subsidy programs and the legislative process goals. They typically come in the form of cash payments, grants, tax breaks or low-interest, guaranteed loans. Subsidies could help communities in need gain access to healthcare, education, or housing. They also can provide benefits to businesses, including lower taxes and government purchases of their products.
Many critics of subsidy programs point to the distorted incentives that result from their. They claim that subsidies foster an entanglement between the public and business and encourage them to give to campaigns and demand preferential treatment from the policymakers. They also point out that subsidies can deter innovation and inefficiency since they make firms that rely on them less likely than others to invest in new technologies or modify their business model in order to meet the demands of consumers.
No matter what the goal the impact of these subsidies could be hard to calculate and contain significant costs that are not projected by the government. They could also derail more equitable and efficient public spending.
When governments subsidize the production of energy, they are able to lower the cost of solar panels for homeowners, and aid companies selling these panels, by providing tax credits or cutting their costs. They can also promote the consumption of a product or service, for instance by providing families with subsidies that will pay for a portion of health insurance premiums. A similar way, the government can encourage people to get federal student loans, by guaranteeing that they will be able to repay them at low rates and offering perks such as deferment and flexible payment schedules.