The Table Below Reflects the Levels of Total Utility Received

question 146

Essay

The table below reflects the levels of total utility received from income for each of four members of a society.

a.Assume that the society has the following income distribution:
Peter $3
Paul $7
Mary $5
Jane $3
Is it possible for the government to increase total aggregate utility by redistributing income among members of society? Explain your answer.
b.Assume that the government has $19 to allocate among the four members of society.(Assume that no one has any income to start with.)If the government is interested in distributing income in a way that maximizes aggregate total utility,how should it distribute the $19 of income?
c.Does the table above describe a situation characterized by diminishing marginal utility? Explain your answer.

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Definitions:

Modernization Theory

A theory that suggests societies progress through a series of stages toward stability, democracy, and prosperity, often through technology and industrialization.

Functionalist Theory

A sociological perspective that interprets each part of society in terms of how it contributes to the stability and functionality of the whole society.

Multinational Corporations

Large companies that operate and provide goods or services in multiple countries outside of their home country.

Modernization Theory

A theory that argues that the development of nations follows a linear trajectory from traditional to modern systems of social, economic, and political organization.