Welfare economics Need systematic framework to assess the desirability of various government actions. Welfare economics is concerned with the social desirability of alternative economic states. Distinguishes cases when private markets work well from cases where government intervention may be warranted
Optimal Commodity Taxation Assume that the goal is to finance expenditures with a minimum of excess burden. Assume lump sum taxes are infeasible 3 commodities: Good X. Y, and leisure
Introduction There is substantial dissatisfaction with the federal personal and corporate income tax systems. One possibility is to adopt a consumption tax whose base is actual consumption. Another possibility is a tax on wealth, whose base is accumulated saving