Deck 16: Economic Justice and Economic Inequality

Question 1

Talk about:
-Anarchist

Answer 1

someone who rejects the legitimacy of all governments and thinks that government ought to be abolished.

Question 2

Talk about:
-Conservative

Answer 2

someone who wants to preserve the status quo and endorses policies designed to do so.

Question 3

Talk about:
-Difference principle

Answer 3

the principle that says that when distributing resources and opportunities, societies are required to give the greatest priority to the interests of the worst off among us.

Question 4

Talk about:
-Distributive justice

Question 5

Talk about:
-Economic egalitarianism

Question 6

Talk about:
-Economic inequality

Question 7

Talk about:
-Estate tax

Question 8

Talk about:
-Inheritance tax

Question 9

Talk about:
-Level down

Question 10

Talk about:
-Maximin principle

Question 11

Talk about:
-Net worth

Question 12

Talk about:
-Original position

Question 13

Talk about:
-Wealth Inequality

Question 14

Those who argue that reducing inequality is good because it might enable those who are relatively poor to have access to better health care, educational opportunities, legal defense, and improved career options claim that closing the wealth gap would be of great _______ value.

A) instrumental
B) intrinsic
C) exponential
D) None of the above

Question 15

Which term describes decreasing the resources or benefits of the better-off?

A) Escalating
B) Status quo
C) Levelling down
D) Meeting ends

Question 16

What is the conclusion of the Leveling Down Argument?

A) Equality is not instrumentally valuable.
B) Equality is instrumentally valuable.
C) Equality is intrinsically valuable.
D) Equality is not intrinsically valuable.

Question 17

Which of these views says that it is morally important to distribute wealth and income equally?

A) Economic elitism
B) Economic contrarianism
C) Economic altruism
D) Economic egalitarianism

Question 18

Which of the following is a line of reasoning that opposes economic egalitarianism?

A) Robin Hood had the right approach to promoting economic justice.
B) It would be better if the rich were much closer in economic status to the poor than they are currently.
C) We can best improve the economic status of the worst off by allowing for inequalities.
D) The plight of the poor is of deep moral importance.

Question 19

The Legal Argument is a(n)

A) argument for economic egalitarianism.
B) argument against economic egalitarianism.
C) liberal argument.
D) assumes that the tax code is a bad moral code.

Question 20

The Liberty Argument

A) attempts to disrupt the status quo.
B) assumes that existing tax codes are morally correct.
C) opposes constant government interference in free exchanges.
D) All of the above

Question 21

Which of the following is a premise in the Liberty Argument?

A) If one obeys the law (including paying all legally required taxes), then one is morally entitled to all of one's remaining wealth and income.
B) Governments should adopt policies that maximize the chance that every citizen has an equal opportunity to live a sufficiently good life.
C) The correct principles of social justice are those that would be chosen in the original position.
D) The government can ensure economic equality only by constantly interfering with its citizens to adjust for any inequality, even when it arises from free exchanges.

Question 22

The text argues that unless you are a(n) _______ you should believe that some taxes are morally legitimate.

A) economist
B) conservative
C) anarchist
D) libertarian

Question 23

According to the Insufficiency Argument,

A) economic egalitarianism is true.
B) economic egalitarianism is false.
C) anything that is legal is morally permissible.
D) anything that promotes equality is morally permissible.

Question 24

Which of the following claims does the Insufficiency Argument rely on?

A) Guaranteeing economic equality would fall far short of giving the most vulnerable people what they need to live a decent life.
B) If we could guarantee economic equality, we would put all people in the best possible position to live a decent life.
C) It is not appropriate for the government to determine what people need to live a decent life.
D) None of the above

Question 25

According to proponents of the Insufficiency Argument, _______ requires that we do what we can to ensure that everyone has an equal chance at living a sufficiently good life.

A) economic egalitarianism
B) the maximin principle
C) the original position
D) distributive justice

Question 26

Which of the following is the basis of an objection to the Insufficiency Argument discussed by the text?

A) Many societies lack the resources to ensure that even the neediest can live a decent life.
B) Distributing equal resources to citizens would be fair to the very rich and the very poor, but not to those in the middle.
C) The argument requires the government to take a stand on what constitutes a good life.
D) Both a and c

Question 27

Which principle says that, when distributing resources and opportunities, societies are required to give the greatest priority to the interests of the worst-off among us?

A) The difference principle
B) The liberty principle
C) The merit principle
D) The principle of economic egalitarianism

Question 28

Which of the following is true of negotiators in Rawls's original position?

A) They are real people.
B) They do not know which values they embrace.
C) They do not know basic facts about human psychology.
D) They know their age, economic status, religion, sex, and gender.

Question 29

The maximin principle says we must

A) maximize overall happiness and minimize overall pain.
B) pick the option that will guarantee you the worst of the best outcomes.
C) pick the option that has the best of the worst-case scenarios.
D) None of the above

Question 30

Which of the following is an objection to the Rawlsian Argument for the Difference Principle?

A) Whether we should give priority to some citizens over others depends not on the condition they find themselves in, but how they got there.
B) When you are unsure about your choices, you should do your best to protect against disaster.
C) No matter how hard a government works to ensure economic equality, some people are going to end up better off than others.
D) No matter how hard a government works to ensure economic equality, some people are going to end up worse off than others.

Question 31

What is the conclusion of the Effort Argument?

A) Economic equality is a worthy moral ideal.
B) The government is not morally obligated to meet all the needs of its citizens.
C) The government is morally obligated to meet all the needs of its citizens.
D) Economic equality is not a worthy moral ideal.

Question 32

If the Effort Argument is sound, then most

A) millionaires work much harder than the average plumber.
B) CEOs should earn much more than most construction workers.
C) CEOs should earn no more than most construction workers.
D) millionaires who inherited their wealth without working are fully entitled to it.

Question 33

The view that needs do not entail rights gives rise to which of the following arguments?

A) The Legal Argument
B) The Needs Argument
C) The Insufficiency Argument
D) The Liberty Argument

Question 34

What is economic egalitarianism? In your opinion, what is the best argument against economic egalitarianism discussed in this chapter? Present and defend that argument, and then offer what you take to be the strongest response to that argument on behalf of economic egalitarianism.

Question 35

Explain in your own words what the Rawlsian original position is and what it is supposed to show us. In your explanation, be sure to defend the maximin principle and the difference principle. Is Rawls right in the conclusions he draws from this thought experiment? Defend your answer.

Question 36

Present and defend the Insufficiency Argument. One criticism of the Insufficiency Argument is that it is too difficult to determine what counts as a good life. Do you agree that this is an insurmountable difficulty? Why or why not?

Question 37

Recall that a consequence of the Effort Argument is that most CEOs should earn no more than most schoolteachers. Do you think this consequence of the argument is true? In defending your answer, explain and motivate the premises of the Effort Argument and identify what you take to be the strongest objection to this argument.

Question 38

Explain the Needs Argument. Is this argument sound? Do you agree that needs do not entail rights? Why or why not? Illustrate your position with reference to specific examples.

Question 39

Rawls's view of the principles of justice is called justice as

A) difference.
B) equality.
C) fairness.
D) liberty.

Question 40

In Rawls's original position, what method do the negotiators use to arrive at the principles of justice?

A) Each person advocates for their unique needs and interests.
B) Rational reflection
C) Trial and error
D) They consult scientific evidence about what maximizes well-being.

Question 41

Under the veil of ignorance, no one knows his or her

A) talents or natural abilities.
B) their class or social status.
C) their intelligence or personality.
D) All of the above

Question 42

Which of the following is true of the veil of ignorance, according to Rawls?

A) It is a possible state for real people to enter.
B) It protects against bias and partiality in the selection of principles of justice.
C) Only an individual's conception of what is valuable informs how they decide what justice requires.
D) All of the above

Question 43

One of Rawls's principles of justice

A) is the principle of utility.
B) is the principle of autonomy.
C) requires a merit-based assignment of basic rights and duties.
D) requires equality in the assignment of basic rights and duties.

Question 44

Rawls says he is seeking a conception of justice that

A) nullifies the accidents of natural endowment.
B) nullifies the contingencies of social circumstance.
C) leaves aside morally arbitrary features of persons.
D) All of the above

Question 45

The difference principle says that social and political inequalities are to be arranged so they are

A) reasonably expected to be to everyone's advantage.
B) attached to positions and office open to all.
C) Both a and b
D) Neither a nor b

Question 46

What is the name of the principle that says laws should give priority in the distribution of opportunities and resources to the worst-off members of society?

A) The difference principle
B) The maximin rule
C) The deterrence principle
D) The merit rule

Question 47

The maximin rule says we must rank alternatives by their outcomes and choose the alternative in which the

A) best outcome is most likely to come about.
B) worst outcome is the least likely to come about.
C) worst outcome is superior to the worst outcomes of the others.
D) best outcome is superior to the best outcomes of the others.

Question 48

According to Rawls, the two principles of justice have which advantage?

A) They insure themselves against the worst eventualities.
B) They protect people's basic rights.
C) They are unbiased.
D) All of the above

Question 49

In your own words, explain the difference principle and why Rawls thinks the negotiators behind the veil of ignorance would choose it. Do you think this is the right principle for him to adopt? Is it better or worse than the principle of utility? Defend your answer.

Question 50

What is the maximin rule? What role does it play in the selection of the principles of justice? Do you think this is the right rule to employ for this purpose? Do you think this rule would recommend any principle other than the difference principle?

Question 51

Rawls thinks it is important for the principles of justice to be what negotiators behind the veil of ignorance would rationally choose. Why does he think this is important? Do you think this is a good standard? Why or why not? In presenting your answer, explain what the veil of ignorance and the original position are.

Question 52

Scanlon's position on inequality is called

A) egalitarianism.
B) pluralism.
C) prioritarianism.
D) libertarianism.

Question 53

According to _______, inequality is intrinsically bad.

A) pluralists
B) Scanlon
C) prioritarians
D) None of the above

Question 54

According to _______, we should be concerned with improving the lives of the poor rather than reducing inequality.

A) pluralists
B) Scanlon
C) prioritarians
D) None of the above

Question 55

According to Scanlon, we have reason to object to inequality based on

A) its effects.
B) the unjustifiability of the institutions that produce it.
C) Both a and b
D) Neither a nor b

Question 56

According to Scanlon, equality of opportunity is _______ for the justice of unequal outcomes.

A) a necessary condition
B) a sufficient condition
C) Both a and b
D) Neither a nor b

Question 57

Scanlon argues that inequality is objectionable when it leads some members of society to

A) experience shame.
B) have an unacceptable degree of control over the lives of others.
C) be regarded as inferior.
D) All of the above

Question 58

According to Scanlon, equality of opportunity requires

A) procedural fairness.
B) substantive opportunity.
C) Both a and b
D) Neither a nor b

Question 59

Which of the following institutional mechanisms generate inequality according to Scanlon?

A) Intellectual property laws
B) Laws governing limited liability corporations
C) Anti-labor laws
D) All of the above

Question 60

How does Scanlon think the existence of an institution that generates unequal outcomes can be justified?

A) By appealing to property rights
B) By appealing to the fact that it benefits the worst off
C) By appealing to ideas of just deserts
D) All of the above

Question 61

Which of the following principles does Scanlon endorse?

A) The Difference Principle
B) The Principle of Utility
C) The Categorical Imperative
D) The Principle of Equality

Question 62

Explain the difference between the prioritarian and pluralist approaches to inequality. Is either approach more compelling in your view? If so, which one and why?

Question 63

What are the possible ill effects of inequality according to Scanlon? Do you think inequality has these effects? If inequality does have these effects, do you think they are sufficient to make inequality objectionable and in need of redress? Defend your answer.

Question 64

Scanlon subscribes to the difference principle but does not arrive at it by way of Rawls's argument. Compare Scanlon and Rawls's respective arguments for the difference principle. Is either argument more compelling in your view? If so, which one and why?

Question 65

Bleeding heart libertarianism is distinguished from other forms of libertarianism by its

A) emphasis on government intervention.
B) advocacy for increased redistributive welfare policies.
C) central concern for the plight of the poor.
D) championing of economic freedom.

Question 66

Freedom from interference is known as

A) positive liberty.
B) civic liberty.
C) economic freedom.
D) negative liberty.

Question 67

Freedom to do as one wants is known as

A) positive liberty.
B) civic liberty.
C) economic freedom.
D) negative liberty.

Question 68

Bleeding heart libertarianism takes _______ to be the normatively primary value in the organization of a just state.

A) economic equality
B) social justice
C) negative liberty
D) positive liberty

Question 69

According to Cohen, markets increase

A) inequality.
B) wealth.
C) human welfare.
D) All of the above

Question 70

According to the principle of _______, even someone with an absolute advantage in producing a good may be better off trading for that good from someone else.

A) negative liberty
B) comparative advantage
C) equality
D) absolute advantage

Question 71

The bleeding heart libertarian stance is to be morally unconcerned with _______ and very concerned with _______.

A) liberty; markets
B) inequality; suffering
C) suffering; inequality
D) economic freedom; poverty

Question 72

Why is the sort of inequality that exists in contemporary society morally problematic according to Cohen?

A) Because some people use their wealth to influence government in ways that improve their lot at the expense of others
B) Because many people on the low end of the economic spectrum suffer
C) Both a and b
D) Neither a nor b (Contemporary inequality is not morally problematic on Cohen's view.)

Question 73

Why does government interference introduce immorality into market systems according to Cohen?

A) Because it renders mutual benefit through consent impossible
B) Because it is an attempt to ensure negative freedom as a matter of law
C) Because it represents a form of legal plunder
D) All of the above

Question 74

When does Cohen think government interference with the operation of markets is justified?

A) When it uses import tariffs to protect domestic markets from foreign competitors
B) When it protects property rights and the consensual actions of market participants
C) When it regulates industries and grant licenses
D) None of the above (Cohen thinks governments should never interfere.)

Question 75

Cohen claims that inequality is not, in itself, morally problematic. How does Cohen argue for this claim? Is his argument convincing? Why or why not?

Question 76

Cohen thinks that several moral problems are contingently associated with inequality. What are these problems? Are these the only moral problems with inequality in your view? Defend your answer.

Question 77

Cohen claims that government interference introduces immorality into market systems. How does Cohen argue for this claim? Is his argument convincing? Why or why not?

Question 78

Anderson argues that Locke

A) thought that no one has duties of charity.
B) didn't oppose certain forms of taxation.
C) opposed all forms of taxation.
D) None of the above

Question 79

On Anderson's interpretation, Locke would

A) not oppose contemporary welfare states.
B) oppose the notion of private property.
C) oppose contemporary welfare states.
D) deny that we have duties of charity.

Question 80

Which of these claims does Anderson argue for?

A) No amount of personal income gained through trading with others in the free market is owed to the government.
B) Government should help protect its citizens from predictable market volatility.
C) The market distributes income and goods in proportion to a person's virtue or moral worth.
D) All of the above