Studied by 7 peopleWhat does Hume consider to be the function of the institution of justice?
Mutual advantage, public utility
How does Hume argue that we may mistakenly think that the equal division of goods is desirable
It sounds desirable because it would make everyone better off; however it would lead to widespread poverty because a lack of incentive to work, impractical, instability over time (others would do more work)
Humes useful rules of property
People have the right to retain the fruits of their labor, bequeath their property to their descendants, buy and sell property, and use contracts when making agreements
Under what conditions does justice hold?
When people are in between generous and nasty and in between rich and poor
Under what conditions does justice not hold
When people are extremely nasty, extremely nice, extreme scarcity, extreme riches
Does greater abundance incline people to give more to charity?
Greater abundance does not incline people to give more to charity
What is Hume’s view of political communities that practice the communal ownership of goods
He does not agree with this system as states above
There are two interpretations of what Hume consider to be permissible under extreme necessity
Every man must provide for themself; the state can step in and spread resources equally
Provide one argument in Lockean style and one argument in Humean style against estate taxes
Lockean: When someone mixes their labor with something it becomes theirs under Locke's theory so they should have the right to pass it down. This would be against estate taxes.
Humean: If you're transferring wealth from generation to generation this would incentivize wealth and working which is what Hume pushes for
Provide one argument in Lockean style and one argument in Humean style in favor of estate taxes.
Lockean: Locke thinks that that justification of property ownership is mixing your labor with something. However, passing down property to someone else does not involve that person mixing their labor with it so the government can step in and impose taxes.
Humean: Estate taxes promotes public utility because it allows the state to use resources in the most efficient way; it is a tax that doesn’t affect a person that
How is the COVID eviction moratorium similar to Hume’s example of opening the granaries in times of famine
The COVID eviction moratorium similar to Hume's example of opening the granaries in times of famine is because COVID creating a time of famine for society and the moratorium gave them free rent which can be compared to opening the granaries.
Hume also states that in extreme conditions rules of ownership should not apply which is a direct example of what happened with the moratorium.
How might the eviction moratorium be harmful in the long run for lower SES renters
Landlords will most likely sell their properties because they aren’t being paid and the companies they sell too are harsher on renters
Explain the incentive and the capacity problems in the uptake of Federal Emergency Assistance due to the eviction moratorium
The incentive problems are the renters not applying for the assitance because of the moratorium and the landlords wont apply because they want the tenants out of their property
Three reasons smith provides as an explanation of why the division of labor increases production
Increased skill, decreased downtime, increased automation
What two reasons does Smith provide for the division of labor leading to greater automation in production?
The specialization by individuals in one industry will lead to increased productivity which in turn leads to automated machinery and processes, another reason is the scale of production increasing, this just means that as the level of production is getting bigger it would lead to greater automation.
How will the division of labor affect lower SES groups, according to Smith?
The wealth produced through the division of labor will trickle down to benefit all members of society.
What human propensity, for Smith, makes the division of labor possible?
The propensity of bartering makes the division of labor possible. This is because when people start to trade they specialize in one thing and trade to get other resources.
What is the link between population density, transportation links, and innovation in industry in Smith?
When the market is larger people are able to specialize in one thing and there are more people to supply those things with and more competition for people to innovate.
Give three reasons for the trade imbalance between China and the US. Provide an explanation for each reason you mention. Explain. (We addressed five reasons in class.)
There's low production costs in China as a result of lenient labor laws, government control over Chinese companies which results in high Barries to entry, and China undervalues its currency which makes it easier to export products from there.
Give three reasons as to why the US might want to impose tariffs on imports. Explain. (We mentioned four in class.)
The US wants to protect manufacturing jobs in the US, correct for trade imbalance between two countries so that we aren't getting so many products from China, protect against unfair trade practices.
Give three reasons why tariffs may negatively affect the US economy and its political position in the world. Explain. (We mentioned four reasons in class.)
It can negatively affect the US economy as it causes prices to rise, it can also cause tension between the US and other countries in the world, imported intermediate goods' prices would rise, and other countries could impose tariffs on us in retaliation.
How might tariffs positively and negatively affect national security?
It helps keep materials in the US which would be very necessary in the case of conflict with other countries, but on the flip side of that tariffs could also cause tension between other countries.
Explain the displacement and the productivity effects of automation on employment.
The displacement effect decreases employment as automation replaces real people as employees and the productivity effect is how automation creates more jobs as efficiency rises.
Following Acemoglu and Restrepo, what is the effect of the exposure to robots in commuting zones (i) for men versus women; (ii) on unemployment versus wages; and (iii) for different levels of education?
The effect of the exposure to robots has a larger impact on men because they work in more factories and this is where the automative systems are taking jobs. In terms of different levels of education it affects those that have lower degree certifications like a high school diploma because those are the people that are being replaced and those with college degrees are usually those that are making more money from efficiency and productivity.
What did Smith overlook when he failed to predict the pauperization of the workers that capitalism would bring about?
Overlooked the barriers of entry caused by things becoming more expensive as they got more advanced. (He claimed that the wealth would just trickle down to workers as things became more advanced)
Why did Smith think that the invisible hand would lead to a roughly equal distribution in society?
He thought that the rich would be willing to share with the poor
According to Marx, the workers are alienated from their labor under Capitlist production, Discuss two aspects of how the workers are alienated from the product of their labor. Discuss two aspects of how the workers are alienated from the productive activity.
Product of labor alienation: Mystification alienates workers from the product they are helping create, workers have no control they are controlled by the economy and boom and bust cycles
Productive activity: Lack of collaboration which alienates people, and lack of creativity as workers are being told what to do and what to create
Explain marx’s appeal to the labor theory of value to explain the exploitation of the worker and the origin of profit in Capitalism
Exchange value of labor which determines what is a fair price/wage for the production of a product and how the exchange value does not match the wage, their is a surplus and workers aren't getting paid fair wages due to capitalists seeking a PROFIT
Why does capitalism rely on an “industrial reserve army of the unemployed” for its proper functioning
There are more people to work than there are jobs which puts workers in a bad position to bargain for wages because there will always be someone to work
How does Marx’s theory of Historical Materialism view the relationship between technology, politics, economics, and the law?
Technology determines the economic structure as more things develop and innovate the more efficient production will become which grows an economy. The economy shapes the governmental structure because capitalists have the power to influence the political landscape
Why does Marx believe that the relative size of the proletariat will increase and the proletariat will become increasingly more impoverished?
As the population of workers increases the more replaceable workers become
Marx believed that the Communist Revolution would come about as a necessary consequence of certain social forces within Capitalism. Explain
he believed that as capitalism continued to exploit workers they would eventually realize it and come together to form a communist revolution
What is reflexivity in the social sciences, and how might this explain why Marx’s prediction of the Communist revolution failed?
People's predictions of doom are self-falsifying, This explains the failure of the Communist Revolution because it was a prediction by Marx that did not come true as people heard his prediction and did not follow through to prove him right
What two interpretations might one give of Marx’s “Hunter, fisherman, herdsman or critic” passage in the German ideology
Having a division of labor and specialization would allow for advancement and automation. The automation can lead to people having more leisure time, less work, etc….
In the Critique of the Gotha Progra,, Marx writes, “from each according to the ability, to each according to need!” Explain what he meant by the “from each…” and the ‘to each’ part
FROM EACH refers to people specializing in goods and producing based on their ability TO EACH refers to things being given to people based on need
List three types of functions does Marx envision for the state in the Communist society in The Communist Manifesto? (There is no need to list the particular policies — just three categories from the slide “Interpretation” will do.)
Functions for state: public education, state control of essential sector (like banks), economy avoiding boom/bust cycle by having governmental control over it (public goods)
How is the Federal Poverty Level calculated? How is the relative poverty level calculated? Which one is greater? Why?
FPL: Three times the cost of a 1963 minimal diet in today’s prices, based on Cash Income
Relative PL: Set at 50% or 60% of the median household income, where there are 50% poorer household and 50% richer household
The relative PL is greater because the relative PL is based on income disparities which can put more individuals below the poverty level as a result of varying incomes,
What happened to poverty rates over the last half-century for Blacks, Hispanics, and Whites since 1990?
They are decreasing ??
Name four of the five dimensions that enter into multidimensional poverty assessment
Low house hold income, lack of education, no health insurance, jobless household
How do Whites, Blacks, and Hispanics compare on multidimensional poverty assessment?
Whites aren’t as impoverished
Hispanics deal with lack of education and health insurance more and blacks deal with living in impoverished areas and having a jobless family
Explain GINI coefficient and the axis’
The GINI coefficient is a measure of wealth inequality in a society. The higher it is the greater the inequality
The Lorenz curve is where we get the Gini coefficient
The x axis is the % of population and the y axis is the % of income
A/A+B
Three factors that may account for rising income inequality in the US over the last 40 years
Increased CEO income, skill based technological change, immigration of low skilled workers
Why it is somewhat deceptive to compare the GINI coefficient of the US with, say, the GINI coefficient of Luxembourg
Since the US has a larger population and a larger share of income, assets, etc they have a larger gap or GINI coefficient, the more people you have in a country the higher the GINI coefficient and more inequality
If two countries were relatively the same and had a similar GINI coefficient why could lower SES groups be better off in one country over the other
One country could have policies in place that better support impoverished individuals
Mill’s example of the corn dealers draws a line between actions covered by freedom of speech and actions that are not covered. Explain.
Mill draws a line between inflammatory words that directly incite harm and those that are just advocating for a cause that could potentially cause harm
Chaplinsky v New Hampshire 1942 states that “fighting words” are not protected by the First Amendment. What two conditions make an expressive act into fighting words
If it inflicts injury or tends to insight an immediate breach of the peace
Present two Supreme Court cases in which the action deemed offensive was protected by the First Amendment and one case in which the action deemed offensive was protected by the First Amendment. Explain the issue in each case
Cohen v. California: Showed up to court with an offensive shirt and the court decided that he was innocent because it was his opinion/free speech
Snyder v Felps; Protest at a gay soldiers funeral and it was protected by first amendment
Morse v. Frederick: Flag brought to a school that says “bong hits 4 jesus” which was not protected by first amendment because it was a school sponsored event
Present one epistemic, one political, and one argument based on moral character that Mill offers in freedom of expression.
Epistemic: Defending your opinion helps you to understand your opinion, and if you’ve never had to defend it you have no basis or evidence to stand on “Marketplace of ideas”
Political: Democracy requires free-flowing information
Moral Character: As a person if you can’t talk, think, and express yourself the way you want you are being suppressed but you should also hear other people’s opinions
What is Mill’s Harm Principle, and how does it relate to paternalism?
The harm principle states that people should be able to act the way they wish AS LONG AS they aren’t causing HARM to anyone else which is an ANTI-paternalism view
What, according to Mill, may one permissibly do to stop people from doing harm to self?
People can persuade them not to but not FORCE them not to
What two arguments does Mill offer to defend his position that the government should respect the freedom to choose a way of living within the constraints of the Harm Principle
A free society needs room for experimental living as we are autonomous agents and should be able to live the way we want
Societies will stay the same if they don’t have experiment and progress
What six types of interventions can government impose to protect public health. Rank these interventions from most to least intrusive
Banning, Subsidizing alternatives, Taxes, Nudging, Appealing to emotions, Providing information
BSTNAP
What is Mill’s view of the taxation of stimulants? Explain the reasoning.
Mill believes that tax stimulants are permissible because they can still be used to maximize profits economically and he especially feels this way for things that aren’t “necessary” good so luxury items
What is the NC House Bill 527? What was the motivation?
A bill that reaffirms absolute rights to free speech on campus (2017) no one can sanction free speech or stop public speakers from coming on campus if they are invited. Protesting is okay but they can’t do it in a way that takes away from that persons free speech
List two arguments in favor of HB527 and two arguments against HB527. Explain.
In favor: Students ought to learn how to respond to ideas that are unconventional or different from their own, silencing someone makes them a martyr and looks bad for the university
Against: Campus is supposed to be a place where students feel comfortable and certain speakers take that away, College campus is a place that supports higher education and learning and if a speaker is spewing false information that is not upheld, hard for a university to enforce (expensive security, defiant students, etc)
What four features characterize a nudge?
It’s in the interest of the nudgee, Changes the choice architecture, No restriction on range of choices, exploit behavioral mechanisms
Explain why (i) Save More Tomorrow, and (ii) Cafeteria are nudges.
Cafeteria is a nudge when the healthier food is placed first and it inclines people to eat more of the healthy food given the choice architecture. This is the saliency effect (based on visuals)
Save More Tomorrow is a nudge because people are given the choice to save their future earnings for retirement because they are less likely to do it in the present. This is the endowment effect
How might Mill respond to Nudges? What would he find attractive about them? What
might he find problematic?
Mill would like the fact that the individual is still given a choice but he wouldn’t like the paternalistic aspect of it having influence on the person’s autonomy
Why was Locke’s view of slavery inconsistent in the treatise vs the fundamental constitutions of the carolinas (3 reasons)
He was just a scribe, there was monetary gain in him writing in favor of slavery, and he could have just changed his mind in the 20 years between the two works
What type of forced labor did Locke approve of? How does this apply to situation in the Carolinas? Why is this not a feasible strategy to defend slavery in the carolinas?
He approved of slavery when prisoners were captured and enslaved from a just war. This does not apply to the situation in the Carolinas because those slaves were not captured from a just war.
What is the view on property that Locke is opposing in the Treatise?
Locke is opposed to the divine right of kings, the feudal system, and tragedy of commons (he believed in leaving enough and as good for other people)
What are Locke’s implicit targets in “Of Property”? What does he aim to establish?
The implicit targets are the justification of divine right of kings, and the justification for inequality of goods, and justification of confiscation of Native American land
Private property, according to Locke, is in line with God’s purpose for humanity. Explain.
God gave the world to us to share and by mixing your labor with resources it is how you obtain property
Locke’s justification of the appropriation land from the commons as private property is based on a particular view about the human body. Explain.
You own your own body which means you own your own labor so when you mix your labor with something you then own it.
What two conditions does Locke impose on the appropriation of land from the commons without consent before the establishment of the state? Explain what each condition means
Enough and as good: Europeans leave enough and as good for the native americans
No waste: hunter-gatherer technology is inferior to the european approach
Why does Locke believe that inequality enters the world with the introduction of money? What is the role of the no-waste condition in this argument?
Locke believes this because when money is introduced people begin to hoard it unlike food which would spoil if they tried to hoard it and the idea of money makes them take more than they need. The No Waste condition keeps people from taking too much but with money they can take too much
How does the appropriation of land in the commons proceed in the England of Locke’s time?
In Locke’s time since all of the land in England was ruled by a common government and property ownership no one could just take land
How is Locke’s argument for private property relevant to the takings clause in the Fifth Amendment?
The Fifth Amendment states that the government can not take someone’s private property without just compensation and in Locke’s argument public consent is needed to take land from the commons
Why does Locke think that his view of property justifies the appropriation of land by settlers in the Americas? How might one argue that it does not satisfy the enough-and-as-good condition? How might Locke respond that it does satisfy the enough-and-as-
good condition?
He doesn’t think there is a governing body in the Americas to prevent them from taking the land. The indigenous people use different technology and need more land than the European people. Locke would say that it is enough land if the Europeans continue using the European techniques and they share the techniques with the indigenous people
Locke might argue that the appropriation of land by settlers in America satisfies the no-waste condition in production rather than consumption. Explain
They’re wasteful because they used inefficient methods (hunter and gatherers) and his methods are more efficient
Locke opposes religious justifications for the alienation of Indian lands, yet he does appeal to a passage in Genesis to justify the enclosure of land by white settlers on Indian lands. How does this justification proceed?
In Genesis, there is a justification of taking land because the people on it didn’t use it efficiently
What can be said for and against the claim that the Revolutionary War was fought to preserve slavery? What is the relevance of the Somerset v Stewart 1772 court case and the Dunmore Proclamation? How might one argue against the claim that the British were intent on abolishing slavery in the American colonies?
For: Somerset v Stewart where England deemed slavery unlawful and the Dunmore Proclamation where the governor of Virginia offered freedom to escaped enslaved people to join the British army
Against: British didn’t abolish slavery til 60 years after the war and only as a result of external pressure
What can be said for and against the claim that the Founding Fathers were intent on preserving slavery in the Union?
a. What is the relevance of the Fugitive Slave Clause and the Calling Forth Clause in
the Constitution?
b. How was the issue of the international slave trade addressed in the
Constitution?
c. What is the relevance of the Northwest Ordinance?
For:
Fugitive Slave Clause: A compromise made during the Constitution that required all runaway slaves to be returned
Calling Forth Clause: Gave Congress the power to call forth militia to suppress slave rebellions and repel invasions
Against:
International Slave Trade was only allowed for a limited time before it was dissolved
Northwest Ordinance: Prohibit slavery from expanding into the Northwest
What was the issue at hand in the Supreme Court Dred Scott case about? How does
Nikole Hannah Jones argues that the Dred Scott Supreme Court case was a means to
make the Constitution into a consistent document?
The issue at hand was that Dredd Scott wasn’t considered a citizen and was forced to go back to being enslaved after he had already lived as a free man. Nikole Hannah Jones argues that the Dredd Scott Supreme Court case makes the constitution consistent in the sense that it upholds the core ideals of slavery
How does Trump’s defense of waterboarding by the claim that ‘we have to fight fire with fire’ fit in with Hume’s views of justice?
In a war, there is extreme nastiness so there’s no need for justice
Note
Flashcard