Scenario 20-3 Suppose That a Society Is Made Up of Five Families

question 136

Multiple Choice

Scenario 20-3
Suppose that a society is made up of five families whose incomes are as follows:
$120,000; $90,000; $30,000; $30,000; and $18,000.
The federal government is considering two potential income tax plans:
Plan A is a negative income tax plan where the taxes owed equal 1/3 of income minus $20,000.
Plan B is a two-tiered plan where families earning less than $35,000 pay no income tax and families earning more than $35,000 pay 10% of their income in taxes. The income tax revenue collected from those families earning over $35,000 is then redistributed equally to those families earning less than $35,000.
-Refer to Scenario 20-3. Assuming that utility is directly proportional to the cash value of after-tax income, which government policy would an advocate of libertarianism prefer?

• A)Plan A
• B)Plan B
• C)either Plan A or Plan B
• D)neither Plan A nor Plan B because any plan that forcibly redistributes income is against the philosophy

---

Definitions:

Medium of Exchange

A mediating tool or mechanism designed to support the buying, selling, or exchanging of goods and services among participants.

Easily Divisible

Characteristic of a good or asset that can be divided into smaller parts without losing its value proportionately.

Backed by Gold

A financial system or currency that has its value directly linked to gold reserves, ensuring its stability and security.

Federal Open Market Committee

The branch of the Federal Reserve System responsible for overseeing the nation's open market operations and managing the money supply and interest rates.