4. optimality condition for low-wage individuals, which should be
written as
... )(1 L Lw= − ,
in which the term in ellipses (“…”) is for you to determine.
Display the final
expression clearly by drawing a box around it. Provide
important algebraic steps.
d. (5 points) Based on the results obtained above, construct the
consumption-leisure
optimality condition for the high-wage individuals, which
should be written as
... )(1 HH w= − ,
in which the term in ellipses (“…”) is for you to determine.
Display the final
expression clearly by drawing a box around it. Provide
important algebraic steps.
8. your first meeting
with Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, he informs you that
lump sum taxation is
pointless because it is institutionally difficult to collect lump
sum taxes from a broad swath
of people.
After further discussion, you both agree that the “operational”
or “working” definition of
Ricardian Equivalence (or “quasi-Ricardian Equivalence”) is:
“Holding constant the flow of government spending across time
periods, Ricardian
Equivalence occurs if period-one private consumption c1 does
not change despite
a change in the timing of proportional asset taxation between
period 1 and period
2.”
Secretary Mnuchin asks you to attempt to design a tax system
that satisfies this modified
version of the Ricardian Equivalence Theorem.
Neither lump-sum taxes nor consumption sales taxes can be
used in the tax system you
attempt to design.
However, asset taxes (aka, wealth taxes) imposed on the private
sector can be used.
More precisely, the new policy tools available for the design of
the tax system are:
9. ,1w : period-1 tax rate on end-of-period-1 (aka, beginning of
period-2)
private-sector assets 1a .
,2w : period-2 tax rate on end-of-period-1 (aka, beginning of
period-2)
private-sector assets 1a .
The period-1 and period-2 budget constraints of the
representative consumer are:
1 ,1 1 1 0
2 2 2 , 2 1 1
(1 () 1 )
(1 )
w
w
c a y r a
c a y a ra
+ − = + +
+ = + − +
The period-1 and period-2 budget constraints of the government
are:
12. b. (20 points — DIFFICULT) Based on the limitations of the
tax system (i.e., no lump-
sum taxes and no proportional consumption sales taxes) that
Secretary Mnuchin has
informed you about, is it possible to design a tax system that is
consistent with the
modified version of Ricardian Equivalence above (i.e., a change
from an initial setting
of tax rates ,1w and , 2w to a different setting of tax rates ,1w
and , 2w )?
If it is impossible to design such a tax system, carefully,
clearly, and briefly describe
to Secretary Mnuchin why it is impossible. Your informative
brief “memo” must use
some combination (which is left up to you) of both mathematics
and economic
interpretation.
If it is possible to design such a tax system, carefully, clearly,
and briefly describe to
Secretary Mnuchin how such a tax system can indeed be
designed. Your informative
brief “memo” must use some combination (which is left up to
you) of both
mathematics and economic interpretation.
(Note: If your step-by-step analysis is unclear and/or
confusing, your solution
may be awarded ZERO points.)
14. Tasks to be completed.
Document #1 requires a detailed outline (MS Word) of the topic
Document #2 requires a report discussing the advantages and
Document #3 requires a presentation (PPT) presenting detailed
advantages and disadvantages of the topic selected (200 points
max) ( 5 ppt slides)
Appropriate Topics: Select one of the following research areas
to investigate: i) Biometrics ii) Drones iii) Robotics iv) Virtual
Reality (VR) v) Intelligence Apps (I-Apps) vi) Cognitive Cloud
Computing vii) Web Sports Technology viii) Search Engine
Optimization ix) Disaster Recovery Methodologies x) 3D
Printing