Tutorial 2 - Michael King
Transcription
Tutorial 2 - Michael King
Economics of Policy Issues EC3060 Spring 2015 Tutorial Notes 2 Michael King EC3060b Economics of Policy Issues 1 Outline Purpose of Tutorial • Opportunity to ask questions • Revision Contents 1. Summer Examination 2. FSIC and the Real World 3. Attributes and consequences of entitlements EC3060b Economics of Policy Issues 2 1. Summer Examination • 3 hour exam • Section A: John O’Hagan – 4 Questions – Must answer 2 questions • Section B: Michael King – 4 questions (3 Questions as advised plus one other) – Full year students must answer 2 questions (45 mins per question) – Module B only: Students must answer 2 questions from Section B (45 minutes per question) EC3060b Economics of Policy Issues 3 Advice on Answering Exam Questions • Make sure you answer all parts of the question! • To strengthen introduction/conclusions – Refer to some other relevant material, cross referencing material – Interpret the material in slightly more innovative ways • Use of Examples – Political Competition: New labours economic policies in 1997 or the election between Gore, Bush jr and Ralph Nader in 2000. – Examples from the real world of absenteeism? EC3060b Economics of Policy Issues 4 What Will Achieve High Marks? 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Each answer should have an introduction and conclusion. Each paragraph should have a specific theme, argument or purpose. Using all relevant material covered in class and in the core text book to answer each question. Using material in the supplementary readings. Arguments from elsewhere will receive bonus marks. Presenting clearly and explaining well the technical details through diagrams, algebra, including reference to assumptions. Enlightened discussion of relevant material that is precise, skillfully ties the material together, recognises alternative perspectives and makes reference to useful examples where possible. EC3060b Economics of Policy Issues 5 2. The Graph to Remember • Introducing the Feasible Social Insurance Curve (FSIC) with 1. Diminishing Marginal Utility 2. The Leaky Bucket of Redistribution 3. The Laffer Curve for any shape of social welfare function The three effects combine to determine the feasible welfare outcomes as redistribution takes place EC3060b Economics of Policy Issues 6 EC3060b Economics of Policy Issues 7 Net Taxes by HH Type (2007) EC3060b Economics of Policy Issues 8 Results for Social Welfare • Choice of the social insurance contract through choice of a social welfare function is a choice between greater ex-post equality and greater efficiency/overall better off through higher utility Choice is between B2 and G2. EC3060b Economics of Policy Issues 9 Back to the Real World….. • Issue 1: Debate on whether to increase taxes on high earners to cover the fiscal crisis Answer depends on level of the Laffer curve (labour mobility, effect on FDI) Leaky bucket of redistribution (reduction of labour supply) Notions of Social Justice: Strong calls in favour EC3060b Economics of Policy Issues 10 • Issue 2: To increase taxes on medium taxpayers? • Answer depends on level of the Laffer curve (labour mobility of young highly skilled Europeans, low mobility for most workers) Leaky bucket of redistribution (reduction of labour supply, not likely to be that high except for parents) Suggested by Mireelss Notions of Social Justice: Politically difficult EC3060b Economics of Policy Issues 11 • Issue 3: Debate on whether to reduce welfare payments in the current unemployment crisis Answer depends on level of the Leaky bucket of redistribution (welfare traps) Notions of Social Justice: Occurred at budget 2010, many people appalled but not that much opposition. Strong arguments to actually increase welfare payments! EC3060b Economics of Policy Issues 12 • Issue 4: Debate on whether society should now focus on building a more equal society, what social welfare function do we believe in Answer depends on level of the Laffer curve (a focus on Bentham eliminates potential impact) Leaky bucket of redistribution (a focus on Bentham reduces the impact, maybe helps out of recession by generating growth, lower DWL) Notions of Social Justice: Larger political grouping in support of redistribution, crisis can be used for moving towards either extreme EC3060b Economics of Policy Issues 13 Perceptions rather than estimations of the LBR or Work Ethic Alesina and Glaeser (2004) and Gottschalk and Spolaore (2002) United States Europe 29 percent of Americans surveyed believe that the poor are trapped in poverty 60 percent of Americans believe that the poor are lazy. 60 percent of the members of the bottom quintile of the income distribution in the U.S. in 1984 remained in that quintile in 1993. 60 percent of Europeans believe that the poor are trapped. 26 percent of Europeans share that belief that poor are lazy (Alesina and Glaeser, 2004). 46 percent of Germans in the bottom quintile of their income distribution remained in that bottom quintile 9 years later. In addition the bottom quintile of the American income distribution works far more hours than their counterparts in many European countries. EC3060b Economics of Policy Issues 14 3. Entitlements • Types of entitlements include: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Universal entitlements (not covered today) Targeted entitlements (not covered today) Cash transfers In kind transfers Vouchers (not covered today) Wage subsidies (not covered today) Income Transfers (not covered today) EC3060b Economics of Policy Issues 15 Income v’s In-kind Transfer: Recipients Perspective 1. Initial pre-transfer budget constraint is AB 2. Income entitlement of AE 3. Slope of budget lines represents relative price of education 4. Each household has a different preference for education 5. ICC traces combination of goods chosen as the budget constraint is relaxed (determined by utility indifference curves) 6. Alternatively, transfer is in kind AG or BD of education 7. Household 1 can only reach G (lower utility than at C2) 8. Recipients prefer entitlements in terms of income rather in-kind because of greater freedom of choice EC3060b Economics of Policy Issues 16 EC3060b Economics of Policy Issues 17 Income v’s In-kind Transfer: Taxpayer Perspective 1. Two HHs with different incomes but the same preference for education (common ICC) 2. YH, YL = pre-tax income 3. When no government schooling education chosen at H and L respectively 4. Govt now sets QG > Q1 and ex-ante equality is achieved when both sent their children to govt schools EC3060b Economics of Policy Issues 18 EC3060b Economics of Policy Issues 19 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. In-kind transfer to HL of (QG – Q1) and continues to pay for Q1 through taxes, with excess burden (although not drawn in graph) HH pays (YH – SH) = (SL – YL) for the in-kind transfer Even with the lower income HH wants Q2 rather than QG as a result is compelled to be at point B at a lower utility level Instead the HL could receive (SL – YL) and would chose point D. To reach QG, HL would require income transfer V, where the two HHs have the same income in this example higher taxation and DWL Taxpayers prefer in-kind transfers as the objective is to provide everyone with QG EC3060b Economics of Policy Issues 20 Rejection of Government in-kind Transfer • The decision to reject a government’s schooling entitlement • Assume public and private schools are pure substitutes (same cost, reflected in slope of budget line) • We consider households with – Same incomes – Different preferences regarding spending on schooling – The excess burden of taxation is omitted graphically but is present from the figures EC3060b Economics of Policy Issues 21 1. Two HHs have same pre-tax income OA 2. Govt introduces QG as an in-kind entitlement 3. Introduce option to reject QG and forgo the taxes paid 4. OC is disposable income after tax AC EC3060b Economics of Policy Issues 22 EC3060b Economics of Policy Issues 23 6. 7. 8. Point J along HD provides higher utility and as a result pays for Q3. Without the tax the HH would chose Q2 at point F Hence, the entitlement reduces utility for a household that rejects the entitlement HH would be prepared to pay JF to end the entitlement EC3060b Economics of Policy Issues 24 Rejection Determined by Slope of IC curves: Case of Acceptance • HH accepts entitlement because G exceeds the utility attainable through after tax spending at any point along HD • HH is prepared to pay FN to avoid entitlement • The entitlement reduces utility for a household that accepts the entitlement EC3060b Economics of Policy Issues 25 • Note: Curvature of the indifference curves revealed the relative valuation of additional education • Each household was better off, by its own valuation of its own well-being, without the government entitlement • Who loses more? – Both households lose from the entitlement but the household that more highly values education loses more EC3060b Economics of Policy Issues 26 Questions? EC3060b Economics of Policy Issues 27