Chapter 15: Q.25 (page 378)
How has the inequality of income changed in the
U.S. economy since the late 1970s?
Short Answer
The income inequality has increased since 1970s.
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Chapter 15: Q.25 (page 378)
How has the inequality of income changed in the
U.S. economy since the late 1970s?
The income inequality has increased since 1970s.
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How does the TANF attempt to loosen the poverty trap?
Exercise 15.2 and Exercise 15.3 asked you to
describe the labor-leisure tradeoff for Jonathon. Since,
in the first example, there is no monetary incentive for
Jonathon to work, explain why he may choose to work
anyway. Explain what the opportunity costs of working
and not working might be for Jonathon in each example.
Using your tables and graphs from Exercise 15.2 and
Exercise 15.3, analyze how the government welfare
system affects Jonathan’s incentive to work.
Suppose there are two possible income distributions in a society of ten people. In the first distribution, nine people would have incomes of \(30,000 and one person would have an income of \)10,000. In the second distribution, all ten people would have incomes of $25,000.
a. If the society had the first income distribution, what would be the utilitarian argument for redistributing income?
b. Which income distribution would Rawls consider more equitable? Explain.
c. Which income distribution would Nozick consider more equitable? Explain.
The poverty rate would be substantially lower if the market value of in-kind transfers were added to family income. The largest in-kind transfer is Medicaid, the government health program for the poor. Lets say the program costs \(10,000 per recipient family.
a. If the government gave each recipient family a \)10,000 check instead of enrolling them in the Medicaid program, do you think that most of these families would spend that money to purchase health insurance? Why? (Recall that the poverty level for a family of four is about $25,000.)
b. How does your answer to part (a) affect your view about whether we should determine the poverty rate by valuing in-kind transfers at the price the government pays for them? Explain.
c. How does your answer to part (a) affect your view about whether we should provide assistance to the poor in the form of cash transfers or in-kind transfers? Explain.
Describe how each of these changes is likely to affect poverty and inequality:
a. Incomes rise for low-income and high-income workers, but rise more for the high-income earners.
b. Incomes fall for low-income and high-income workers, but fall more for high-income earners.
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