DQ 1
Trace the history of government spending in the United States in the 20th century. How do you account for the large increase in the size of government? Do you view this growth as desirable or undesirable? Why?
DQ 2
Why does the operation of a market system presuppose that individual rights are protected? Describe an economy in which individual rights are not protected. What institutions of government protect individual rights, and how do these institutions work?
DQ 3
Could a private consumption good be transformed into a collective consumption good by producing more of it? Explain.
DQ4
What is a collective consumption good? Explain the argument that the private sector will produce too little of a collective consumption good.
DQ 5
Explain the role of the government in protecting the rights of individuals in a market economy. What government institutions are employed to protect individuals rights? How are the basic protective functions divided up among those institutions?
DQ 6
When markets fail to allocate resources efficiently, perhaps because of an externality or lack of consumer information, the government often intervenes by regulating an industry. How can regulation improve the allocation of resources? What problems might arise that could prevent regulation from leading to the optimal allocation of resources?
DQ7
What is meant when a voter is said to have multiple-peaked preferences? If all voters do not have single-peaked preferences, will this necessarily produce a cyclical majority? Explain the role of multiple-peaked preferences in creating cyclical majorities.
DQ 8
Explain how the government acts as an interest group. What are the implications of government agencies acting like special interests?
DQ 9
Government redistribution programs in the United States focus mainly on those within the U.S. borders, even though the poor in other nations are much worse off than the poor in the borders. Should those less fortunate individuals in other nations be given equal consideration? Defend the value judgments you make to frame your answer.
DQ10
Explain the concept of welfare dependency. Why can people become dependent on government programs for their support? What keeps welfare recipients from finding entry-level jobs so they can work up to better paying jobs and escape the welfare system?
DQ 11
What are some examples of regulated communities holding the most power over governments regulatory authority? What are the risks under this scenario?
DQ 12
What examples of regulatory efforts might prohibit entrance into a free market? Would regulatory oversight of environmental pollution for a cement factory create any externalities?
DQ 13
Cite examples of privatized services that were traditionally under the purview of federal, state, or local government.
DQ 14
What sorts of contract oversight are necessary to ensure privatized services remain in line with the intention of policymakers?
DQ 15
Cite three challenges the Urban Institute identifies to the future success of Medicaid as a program.
DQ 16
Are there any drawbacks from states seeking to maximize federal contributions to their Medicaid programs?
Reference: Holcombe, R. (2006). Public sector economics: The role of government in the American economy. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education.