Question 1

The political philosophy that views the redistribution of income as a form of social insurance is

Accepted Answer

Liberalism, particularly as articulated by John Rawls, views redistribution as a form of social insurance to ensure fairness and equality of opportunity.

Question 2

Ms.Spring currently earns $100,000 a year,while her junior partner,Mr.Fall,earns $55,000 a year.From the perspective of a utilitarian,if both of their incomes are subject to diminishing marginal utility,taking a dollar from Ms.Spring and giving it to Mr.Fall will

Accepted Answer

Taking a dollar from Ms. Spring, who has a higher income, and giving it to Mr. Fall, who has a lower income, will increase society's total utility because the marginal utility of income is higher for Mr. Fall than for Ms. Spring due to diminishing marginal utility.

Question 3

Raising the welfare of the worst-off person in society is an important goal of which political philosophy?

Accepted Answer

Liberalism, particularly in the form of John Rawls' theory of justice, emphasizes improving the welfare of the least advantaged in society through principles like the "difference principle."

Question 4

In the parable of the leaky bucket,a fundamental problem with government redistribution programs is identified.As long as the government only has "leaky buckets" at its disposal,

Accepted Answer

The Parable of the Leaky Bucket suggests that government redistribution programs are limited in their ability to achieve complete income equality because of the leaky nature of the programs. No matter how much the government tries to redistribute income or resources, some will always be lost due to administrative costs, inefficiencies, and unintended consequences. Therefore, it is not realistic to try to achieve complete income equality through government redistribution programs. This means that choice B, "it should not try to reach complete equality in income," is the best choice.

Question 5

Liberalism is the political philosophy espoused by

Accepted Answer

The answer of Liberalism is the political philosophy espoused by
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Question 6

Suppose that income is subject to constant marginal utility.From a utilitarian perspective,

Accepted Answer

If income is subject to constant marginal utility, it means that each additional unit of income provides the same amount of utility regardless of the individual's current income level. Therefore, redistributing income would not change the total utility, and could potentially reduce social welfare due to administrative costs or inefficiencies.

Question 7

Which of the following statements illustrates diminishing marginal utility?

Accepted Answer

The answer of Which of the following statements illustrates diminishing...

Question 8

"An extra dollar of income gives more additional satisfaction to a poor person than to a rich person." This is an important assumption of which political philosophy?

Accepted Answer

This assumption is a key principle of utilitarianism, which holds that the greatest happiness for the greatest number of people is the ultimate goal of society. Utilitarianism values equality and seeks to distribute resources in a way that maximizes overall well-being, rather than simply maximizing individual freedoms or protecting existing power structures.

Question 9

Liberalism is founded on a premise that behind a "veil of ignorance,"

Accepted Answer

Liberalism is based on the idea that behind a "veil of ignorance," individuals would agree to a set of rules that would reallocate income and resources fairly. This is known as the concept of the "original position" in political philosophy. The goal is to ensure that everyone has an equal opportunity to pursue their own goals and interests, rather than relying solely on the arbitrary distribution of resources or privileges based on factors such as race, gender, or wealth.

Question 10

The maximin criterion is attributed to which political philosophy?

Accepted Answer

The maximin criterion is generally associated with the political philosophy of liberalism, which emphasizes the protection of individual rights and the minimization of harm to the most vulnerable members of society. The maximin criterion prioritizes minimizing the worst possible outcome, even if it means sacrificing potential gains in overall well-being. This approach is consistent with the liberal viewpoint of valuing the protection of individual rights, especially those of marginalized or disadvantaged groups.

Question 11

The English philosophers Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Mill founded the school of thought called

Accepted Answer

Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Mill founded the school of thought called utilitarianism, which holds that the best action is the one that maximizes overall happiness or pleasure, and minimizes overall pain or suffering.

Question 12

The maximin criterion for government policies is associated with

Accepted Answer

The answer of The maximin criterion for government policies is...

Question 13

Suppose that income is subject to increasing marginal utility.From a utilitarian perspective,

Accepted Answer

The answer of Suppose that income is subject to increasing...

Question 14

Suppose that Jamal is moving to a state where personal incomes are distributed randomly.If Jamal believes in liberalism,he would prefer

Accepted Answer

Liberals tend to advocate for more equal distribution of wealth and opportunities. Jamal's belief in liberalism would lead him to prefer an income distribution that is relatively equal.

Question 15

A society consists of three individuals: Arthur,Billie,and Chris.In terms of income and utility,Arthur is currently best-off,Billie ranks in the middle,and Chris is worst-off.Which of the following statements is correct?

Accepted Answer

Utilitarianism holds that the government should aim to maximize overall social welfare or utility. Therefore, the correct statement is that government policies should strive to maximize the sum of all three individuals' utility.

Question 16

"The government should choose policies deemed to be just,as evaluated by an impartial observer behind a 'veil of ignorance.'" This statement is most closely associated with which political philosophy?

Accepted Answer

This statement is closely associated with the political philosophy of "Rawlsian liberalism," named after philosopher John Rawls. In his book "A Theory of Justice," Rawls argues that policies should be evaluated based on how they would impact society if people were placed behind a "veil of ignorance" about their own social position and talents. In other words, policies should be chosen as if people didn't know what their own race, gender, socioeconomic status, etc. would be, so that they would choose what they believe to be the most fair and just policies for everyone.

Question 17

Which political philosophy believes in balancing the gains from greater equality against the losses from distorted incentives?

Accepted Answer

Utilitarianism believes in balancing the gains from greater equality against the losses from distorted incentives.

Question 18

The philosopher John Rawls argued that

Accepted Answer

John Rawls argued for the concept of "the original position" in which people are creating a new society and don't know their place in it. In this scenario, Rawls believed that people would choose a more equal distribution of income as a safeguard against potential negative outcomes for those who end up in a less favorable position in society.

Question 19

According to the doctrine of liberalism,principles of justice are the result of

Accepted Answer

According to the doctrine of liberalism, principles of justice are the result of fair agreement and bargain, where individuals have equal opportunities to pursue their own interests and achieve their own goals. This emphasizes the importance of individual autonomy and free markets, where individuals are able to make voluntary transactions without any coercion or interference from the government or other external forces. Therefore, the liberal approach emphasizes voluntary cooperation and agreement as the basis for establishing principles of justice.

Question 20

Suppose a society consists of only two people: John and Jane.A utilitarian would say that the proper role of government in this society is to

Accepted Answer

As per utilitarianism, the government's goal is to maximize the overall happiness or utility of society. In this case, the only society consists of John and Jane, so the government's role is to maximize the sum of their utilities. This would ensure that the society's overall happiness is maximized, and both individuals are satisfied. Therefore, option D is the best choice.

Quiz 20: Income Inequality and Poverty