Posted: May 21, 2013 2:55 am
Ihavenofingerprints wrote:Loren Michael wrote:How do we determine efficiency here? Like, what's the intent with welfare and what is the value we're putting on that?
There's a couple of things I'm thinking of here.
First of all I was just wondering if businesses get most of the tax they pay in this area back through people spending their welfare money? But now I'm also wondering if giving the poorest welfare increase the number of consumers within an economy, and increases demand enough to benefit the economy more than removing this area of tax altogether.
I know we can just point at societies with a welfare system and show it works. But I'm wondering what it is that makes this system work, so we can know how to maximize it's benefits or reduce it's losses.
I think I see what you're talking about. I'm pretty sympathetic. I don't have particularly well-formed (specific) views on welfare, but I like the outcomes that I see in a lot of places with what I would generally regard as a lot of welfare.
America actually spends a ton on welfare. It mostly is directed at the elderly though. I think there is a lot of room for specific critiques of welfare policies, and I think I'm reading that that's what you're asking about.