4 Suppose the population of the United States increases What will happen to the demand for national defense? What will happen to the efficient quantity of defense? How could a program that redistributes income from rich to poor be considered a public good? We noted that local governments typically supply tennis courts but not bowling alleys Can you give a public choice explanation for this phenomenon? How about a public interest explanation? Find out the turnout at the most recent election for student body president at your school Does the turnout indicate student apathy? Some welfare programs reduce benefits by $1 for every $1 that recipients earn; in effect, this is a tax of 100% on recipient earnings Who pays the tax? Suppose the quality of elementary education is a public good How might we infer the demand for elementary school quality from residential property values? 10 V.I Lenin, founder of the former Soviet Union, wrote that “the State is a machine for the oppression of one class by another.” Explain whether Lenin’s view typifies the public interest or the public choice school of public sector choice 11 Sugar prices in the United States are several times higher than the world price of sugar This disparity results from a federal government program that keeps enough foreign-produced sugar out of the United States to hold U.S sugar prices at a high level The program raises the price of all sweetened foods produced in the United States; it boosts food costs for the average household by more than a hundred dollars per year Who benefits from the program? Why you suppose it exists? Attributed to Libby Rittenberg and Timothy Tregarthen Saylor URL: http://www.saylor.org/books/ Saylor.org 837