曼昆《经济学原理》（微观）第五版测试题库 (20)

1、chapter 20/income inequality and poverty v 1405chapter 20income inequality and povertytrue/false1.the poverty line is set by the government so that 10 percent of all families fall below that line and are thereby classified as “poor.”ans:fdif:1ref:20-1nat:analyticloc:the study of economics, and defin

2、itions of economicstop:poverty linemsc:definitional2.the united states has more income inequality than japan, germany, and canada.ans:tdif:1ref:20-1nat:analyticloc:the study of economics, and definitions of economicstop:income inequalitymsc:definitional3.the united states has more income inequality

3、than brazil and south africa.ans:fdif:1ref:20-1nat:analyticloc:the study of economics, and definitions of economicstop:income inequalitymsc:definitional4.standard measurements of the degree of income inequality take both money income and in-kind transfers into account.ans:fdif:2ref:20-1nat:analyticl

4、oc:the study of economics, and definitions of economicstop:in-kind transfers | income inequalitymsc:definitional5.john rawls, who developed the way of thinking called liberalism, argued that government policies should be aimed at maximizing the sum of utility of everyone in society.ans:fdif:2ref:20-

5、2nat:analyticloc:the role of governmenttop:utilitymsc:interpretive6.one existing government program that works much like a negative income tax is the earned income tax credit.ans:tdif:2ref:20-3nat:analyticloc:the role of governmenttop:negative income taxmsc:interpretive7.one existing government prog

6、ram that works much like a negative income tax is medicaid.ans:fdif:2ref:20-3nat:analyticloc:the role of governmenttop:negative income taxmsc:interpretive8.the invisible hand of the marketplace acts to allocate resources efficiently, but it does not necessarily ensure that resources are allocated fa

7、irly.ans:tdif:1ref:20-0nat:analyticloc:efficiency and equitytop:income inequalitymsc:applicative9.when the government enacts policies to make the distribution of income more equitable, it distorts incentives, alters behavior, and makes the allocation of resources less efficient.ans:tdif:1ref:20-0nat

8、:analyticloc:the role of governmenttop:income inequalitymsc:applicative10.in the united states in 2005, the bottom fifth of the income distribution had incomes below $19,250.ans:fdif:1ref:20-1nat:analyticloc:efficiency and equitytop:income inequalitymsc:applicative11.the top 5 percent of u.s. annual

9、 family income in 2005 was $184,500 or more.ans:tdif:1ref:20-1nat:analyticloc:efficiency and equitytop:income inequalitymsc:applicative12.a u.s. family earning $80,000 would be in the top 20 percent of income distribution in 2005.ans:fdif:1ref:20-1nat:analyticloc:efficiency and equitytop:income ineq

10、ualitymsc:applicative13.free trade and economic growth have reduced poverty worldwide.ans:tdif:1ref:20-1nat:analyticloc:efficiency and equitytop:povertymsc:applicative14.although globalization has reduced income inequality, the number of people living in extreme poverty has remained unchanged.ans:fd

11、if:2ref:20-1nat:analyticloc:efficiency and equitytop:povertymsc:interpretive15.the measured poverty rate may not reflect the true extent of economic deprivation because it does not include some forms of government assistance.ans:tdif:1ref:20-1nat:analyticloc:efficiency and equitytop:poverty ratemsc:

12、applicative16.the poverty line is an absolute standard and is based on the cost of providing an adequate diet.ans:tdif:1ref:20-1nat:analyticloc:efficiency and equitytop:poverty linemsc:definitional17.the poverty line is based on the percentage of people who cannot afford an adequate diet.ans:fdif:2r

13、ef:20-1nat:analyticloc:efficiency and equitytop:poverty linemsc:interpretive18.the poverty rate is a measure of people unable to meet the governments poverty line.ans:tdif:2ref:20-1nat:analyticloc:efficiency and equitytop:poverty linemsc:interpretive19.the elderly represent the largest demographic g

14、roup in poverty.ans:fdif:1ref:20-1nat:analyticloc:efficiency and equitytop:povertymsc:applicative20.about half of black and hispanic children in female-headed households live in poverty.ans:tdif:1ref:20-1nat:analyticloc:efficiency and equitytop:povertymsc:applicative21.the economic life cycle descri

15、bes how young people usually have higher savings rates than middle-aged people.ans:fdif:1ref:20-1nat:analyticloc:efficiency and equitytop:economic life cyclemsc:applicative22.many economists believe that a family bases its spending decisions on its permanent, or average, income rather than on transi

16、tory income.ans:tdif:1ref:20-1nat:analyticloc:efficiency and equitytop:economic life cyclemsc:applicative23.about four out of five millionaires in the united states earned their money rather than inherited it.ans:tdif:2ref:20-1nat:analyticloc:efficiency and equitytop:economic mobilitymsc:applicative

17、24.fewer than three percent of families are poor for eight or more years.ans:tdif:1ref:20-1nat:analyticloc:efficiency and equitytop:economic mobilitymsc:applicative25.utilitarians believe that the proper goal of the government is to maximize the sum of the utilities of everyone in society.ans:tdif:1

18、ref:20-2nat:analyticloc:the role of governmenttop:utilitarianismmsc:interpretive26.the utilitarian justification for redistributing income is based on the assumption of diminishing marginal utility.ans:tdif:1ref:20-2nat:analyticloc:the role of governmenttop:utilitarianismmsc:interpretive27.if a gove

19、rnment could successfully achieve the maximin criterion, each member of society would have an equal income.ans:fdif:2ref:20-2nat:analyticloc:the role of governmenttop:liberalismmsc:interpretive28.according to libertarians, the government should redistribute income from rich individuals to poor indiv

20、iduals to achieve a more equal distribution of income.ans:fdif:2ref:20-2nat:analyticloc:the role of governmenttop:libertarianismmsc:interpretive29.libertarians believe that the government should enforce individual rights to ensure that all people have the same opportunities to use their talents to a

21、chieve success.ans:tdif:1ref:20-2nat:analyticloc:the role of governmenttop:libertarianismmsc:interpretive30.the poverty rate is an absolute level of income set by the federal government for each family size below which a family is deemed to be in poverty.ans:fdif:1ref:20-1nat:analyticloc:efficiency

22、and equitytop:poverty rate, poverty linemsc:definitional31.an income distribution may not give an accurate picture of families standards of living because it does not include in-kind transfers.ans:tdif:2ref:20-1nat:analyticloc:efficiency and equitytop:income inequalitymsc:interpretive32.a goal of li

23、bertarians is to provide citizens with equal opportunities rather than to ensure equal outcomes.ans:tdif:2ref:20-2nat:analyticloc:efficiency and equitytop:libertarianismmsc:interpretive33.temporary assistance for needy families (tanf) is an example of a negative income tax program.ans:fdif:2ref:20-3

24、nat:analyticloc:efficiency and equitytop:welfaremsc:applicative34.when poor families in developing countries experience an increase in family income, their children supply fewer hours of labor.ans:tdif:2ref:20-3nat:analyticloc:efficiency and equitytop:child labormsc:applicative35.education is the mo

25、st important factor explaining reductions in child labor in vietnam.ans:fdif:2ref:20-3nat:analyticloc:labor marketstop:child labormsc:applicative36.internet access is the most important factor explaining reductions in child labor in vietnam.ans:fdif:2ref:20-3nat:analyticloc:labor marketstop:child la

26、bormsc:applicative37.since 1959 the united states income distribution has become more equal.ans:fdif:2ref:20-1nat:analyticloc:efficiency and equitytop:income inequalitymsc:applicative38.in 2005 the top fifth of income earners accounted for over 50% of all income received by united states families.an

27、s:fdif:2ref:20-1nat:analyticloc:efficiency and equitytop:income inequalitymsc:applicative39.in 2005 the top 5 percent of income earners accounted for over 50% of all income received by united states families.ans:fdif:2ref:20-1nat:analyticloc:efficiency and equitytop:income inequalitymsc:applicative4

28、0.from 1935 to 2005 the share of total income earned by the bottom fifth of income earners rose and then fell.ans:tdif:2ref:20-1nat:analyticloc:efficiency and equitytop:income inequalitymsc:applicativeshort answer1.explain the relationship between labor earnings and the distribution of income.ans:a

29、person's earnings depend on the supply and demand for that person's labor, which in turn depends on natural ability, human capital, compensating differentials, discrimination, and so on. because labor earnings make up about three-fourths of the total income in the u.s. economy, the factors t

30、hat determine wages are also largely responsible for determining how the economy's total income is distributed among the various members of society.dif:1ref:20-0top:income inequalitymsc:interpretive2.what is meant by a perfectly equal distribution of income? use a graph to depict such a situatio

31、n.ans:if income were equally distributed across all families, each one-fifth of families would receive one-fifth of income. that is, 20 percent of all families would receive 20 percent of all income, 60 percent of all families would receive 60 percent of all income, etc.dif:2ref:20-1top:income inequ

32、alitymsc:analytical3.given the table shown, which country has a more equal income distribution? explain your answer.countrybottom fifthsecond fifthmiddle fifthfourth fifthtop fifthcountry a9.0%13.5%17.5%22.9%37.1%country b4.8%10.5%16.0%23.5%45.2%ans:country a has a more equal income distribution. if

33、 income were equally distributed across all families, each one-fifth of families would receive one-fifth of income. country a is closer to that situation than country b.dif:2ref:20-1top:income inequalitymsc:interpretive4.explain what information is contained in the poverty rate statistic. are there

34、problems in using an absolute scale to measure poverty? if so, explain them.ans:the poverty rate is the percentage of the population whose family income falls below an absolute level called the poverty line. the poverty line is set by the federal government at roughly three times the cost of providi

35、ng an adequate diet. there are several problems associated with measuring poverty using an absolute scale. for example, the cost of living may differ across broad geographic regions. families may be better off than their income level indicates if they receive in-kind transfers. finally, it is very d

36、ifficult to measure a true "standard of living."dif:2ref:20-1top:poverty rate | poverty linemsc:analytical5.compare and contrast the "life cycle" hypothesis and the "permanent income" hypothesis. what are their respective implications for inequality in the income distri

37、bution?ans:life-cycle variation in income suggests that peoples spending patterns vary less over their lifetimes than their income patterns. young people may borrow so that they can spend more than they earn. an example of this would be a young person borrowing to go to college, buy a car, or buy a

38、house. annual earnings peak around age 50. not surprisingly, many people save more in middle-age than at other times in their life. their savings allow them to pay off the debts incurred when they were younger and to put away money that they will use to supplement their incomes once they retire.the

39、permanent income hypothesis tries to account for random and transitory forces that affect income. people may borrow when they experience a temporary reduction in income and may save unexpected increases in income (e.g. a holiday bonus from an employer). the two theories are not mutually exclusive. b

40、oth theories would indicate that standard measures of income distribution overstate inequality in the distribution of well-being.dif:2ref:20-1top:economic life cyclemsc:interpretive6.explain the concept of diminishing marginal utility, and describe the role that it plays in the utilitarian argument

41、for the redistribution of income.ans:diminishing marginal utility refers to the principle that as a person's income rises, the extra well-being derived from an additional dollar of income falls. the utilitarian argument of redistribution from rich to poor hinges on the fact that a dollar of addi

42、tional income to the poor is valued more than a dollar of additional income to the rich. if this is not true, then the transfer from rich to poor would actually reduce the well-being of society.dif:2ref:20-2top:diminishing marginal utility | utilitarianismmsc:interpretive7.explain how a "leaky

43、bucket" can be used to illustrate the utilitarian argument that governments should not attempt to completely equalize individual incomes.ans:utilitarians reject complete equalization of income because they believe that people respond to incentives. as such, redistribution will reduce some peopl

44、es work efforts, which can actually lead to less total income generated in the economy. if the government attempts to redistribute income from the rich to the poor through taxes, some of the money will be lost due to the distorted incentives and deadweight losses associated with the taxes. we can th

45、ink of the government as transporting the redistributed income in a “leaky bucket.”dif:2ref:20-2top:utilitarianismmsc:interpretive8.briefly describe the three prominent schools of thought in political philosophy. identify one of the most well-known philosophers in each school.ans:according to utilit

46、arianism, the government should choose policies to maximize the total utility of society by attempting to achieve a more equal distribution of income. jeremy bentham and john stuart mill were the founders.according to liberalism, the government should choose policies deemed to be just, as evaluated

47、by an impartial observer behind a "veil of ignorance." the main decision-making rule is called the maximin criterion, which says that the government should aim to maximize the well-being of the worst-off person in society. john rawls developed the liberalism philosophy in his book a theory

48、 of justice.according to libertarianism, the government should punish crimes and enforce voluntary agreements but not redistribute income that was fairly earned (not stolen). libertarians argue that society itself earns no income; only individual members of society earn income. robert nozick was a l

49、ibertarian.dif:2ref:20-2top:income redistributionmsc:analytical9.the table below reflects the levels of total utility received from income for each of four members of a society.incomepeterpaulmaryjane$115 32 2016$229 61 3830$342 87 5442$454110 6852$565130 8060$675147 9066$784161 9870$89217210372a.as

50、sume that the society has the following income distribution:peter $3paul $7mary $5jane $3is it possible for the government to increase total aggregate utility by redistributing income among members of society? explain your answer.b.assume that the government has $19 to allocate among the four member

51、s of society. (assume that no one has any income to start with.) if the government is interested in distributing income in a way that maximizes aggregate total utility, how should it distribute the $19 of income?c.does the table above describe a situation characterized by diminishing marginal utilit

52、y? explain your answer.ans:a.no. if a dollar is taken from anyone, the possible net gain in utility to any other person is less than or equal to the loss incurred by the person it is taken from.b.peter $4paul $7mary $5jane $3c.yes. marginal utility declines as income increases for each person.dif:3r

53、ef:20-3top:income redistributionmsc:analytical10.assume that the government proposes a negative income tax that calculates taxes owed by the following formula,taxes owed = (1/3 income) - $10,000.compute the tax that would be owed given each level of income.a.$120,000b.$90,000c.$60,000d.$30,000e.$0an

54、s:a.$30,000b.$20,000c.$10,000d.$0e.no taxes will be owed. instead, the family/person would receive a subsidy of $10,000dif:3ref:20-3top:negative income taxmsc:analytical11.assume that the government proposes a negative income tax that calculates taxes owed by the formula, taxes owed = (a income) - b

55、. a family with an income of $40,000 pays $5,000 in taxes, and a family with an income of $12,000 receives an income subsidy of $2,000.a.what is the value for “a”?b.what is the value for “b”?c.what is the tax liability of a family with an income of $50,000?d.at what level of income will a family nei

56、ther pay taxes, nor receive an income subsidy?ans:a.0.25 or 25%b.$5,000c.$7,500d.$20,000dif:3ref:20-3top:negative income taxmsc:analytical12.explain what is meant by "in-kind transfer" programs. briefly outline the advantages and disadvantages of an in-kind transfer program.ans:an in-kind transfer program distributes specif