A subsidy is the opposite of a tax. With a $0.50 tax on the buyers of ice-cream cones, the government collects $0.50 for each cone purchased; with a $0.50 subsidy for the buyers of ice cream cones, the government pays buyers $0.50 for each cone purchased.

a. Show the effect of a $0.50 per cone subsidy on the demand curve for ice-cream cones, the effective price paid by consumers, the effective price received by sellers, and the quantity of cones sold.

b. Do consumers gain or lose from this policy? Do producers gain or lose? Does the government gain or lose?