Agricultural Economics Department
Date of this Version
2020
Citation
G. D. Lynne, Metaeconomics, Palgrave Advances in Behavioral Economics, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-50601-8_13
Abstract
Taxes are the price we pay in order to obtain many of the outcomes pursued in the shared Other-interest. So, Metaeconomics in contrast to Microeconomics gives a substantive analytical system for dealing with the tax question, because of recognizing the Other-interest. Metaeconomics clarifies that taxation is about paying for, and thus bringing forth the payoffs from that which we share, like recording deeds and titles to private property; enforcing property rights, which is essential to a Market; licensing, registering, and enforcing patents; military, police, and fire services; road and harbor construction and maintenance; dams and reservoirs to provide for water in the desert Southwest US and for flood control in the humid Eastern US; safety nets for the poor; helping people transition to a new job; public education; scientific research that provides new equipment and techniques, and new drugs; environmental quality and sustaining Spaceship Earth Systems and the free work done by same; providing safe and reliable water supplies, and waste water management, and, yes, helping with pandemics, to list a few: All have a price.
Comments
© The Author 2020