Compared to other developed countries, the divorce rates in the US are much higher than that of the former. Divorce is often looked at in a very negative manner.  Social conservatives often frown upon the high divorces rates in the U.S. and some even want to go as far as restricting divorce or at minimum making it harder to obtain. First, why is divorce rate so high in the US (causes of divorce)? Second, should divorce be harder to obtain in the U.S. and if so, why?

The National Health Service (NHS) in the UK was founded in 1948 and was the first state-run free health service in the world. It originated at a time of national euphoria following victory in World War II, which generated a sense of confidence and solidarity among politicians and public. In particular it was felt that class distinctions were finally disappearing. The extensive rationing of products, both during and after the war, played a big part. Not only did this result in queuing for goods by rich and poor alike, but it gave the government a sense that state control of distribution was not only possible but in many cases desirable. The basic objective was to provide all people with free medical, dental and nursing care. It was a highly ambitious scheme that rested on various premises that have since proved flawed. These were: 1 The demand for health care was finite; it was assumed that some given amount of expenditure would satisfy all of the nation’s health wants. 2 Health care…

What makes the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) different from other poverty-fighting programs? The amount of the credit is doubled if the head of household is attending college. The tax credit is phased out gradually, rather than at a specific income cutoff point. The amount of the credit is not determined by the number of dependent children in the household. The EITC doesn't require the recipient to pay a minimum amount of income tax in order to receive the credit. It creates less of an incentive to work than other programs.

Fill in the blanks below. The info reported in the graphic shows that the current estimate is that    ___________% of the global population now live in extreme poverty, using a measure based on a $1.90 per day wage. The figure is adjusted using the cost of living and inflation, and it also takes into account the minimum needed for daily essentials in places where poverty is prevalent. In comparison, some 1.9 billion, then about  __________%  of the world population, were living in extreme poverty in 1980.

Do individuals have a right to free health care? Do they have a right to force others to provide them with free health care?

Suppose that Hubert, an economist from an AM talk radio program, and Kate, an economist from a school of industrial relations, are arguing over health insurance. The following dialogue shows an excerpt from their debate: Kate: A popular topic for debate among politicians as well as economists is the idea of providing government assistance for health benefits. Hubert: I think it is oppressive for the government to tax people who take care of themselves in order to pay for health insurance for those who are obese. Kate: I disagree. I think government funding of health insurance is useful to ensure basic fairness.   The disagreement between these economists is most likely due to (DIFFERENCE IN SCIENTIFIC JUDGEMENT, DIFFERENCE IN VALUES, DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PERCEPTION VERSUS REALITY)   .   Despite their differences, with which proposition are two economists chosen at random most likely to agree? A. Employers should not be restricted from outsourcing work to foreign nations.…

GDP per capita does not account for distribution; consequently, economic growth may actually reduce inequality equality

Ronald Coase in his classic October 1960 article “The Problem of Social Cost” (Journal of Law and Economics 3[1], pp.1-4) discussed collective ownership of resources.  Collective ownership often means that no one takes care of resources, or at minimum that resources are not cared for as well as if they were privately owned.  What are some of problems with collective ownership in the health care industry? Can you think of some examples in which collective ownership works?  In what situations does it not work?

The theory of distributive justice that I found to be the most convincing was the Utilitarianism theory. In current times there is a large amount of economic inequality. It states in the textbook, "The top 0.1 percent of American families owns 22 percent of the nation’s wealth–exactly the same share as the bottom 90 percent" (Shaw, 2017, p. 85). The Utilitarianism theory believes that there should be a greater equality of income. They believe that if there was a more equal distribution of income, then the happiness of that population would vastly increase. The textbook mentions that countries that have a more equal distribution of income tend to have lower rates of infant mortality, life expectancy, malnutrition, obesity, teenage pregnancy, economic insecurity, personal anxiety, and other measures, in comparison to countries that have a larger income inequality, such as the United States (Shaw, 2017, p. 92). It is even believed that income equality can promote economic growth (Shaw,…