1. Go to the Department of Finance Website (www.fin.gc.ca) and find and download the Fiscal Reference Tables for 2019. Use the Fiscal Reference Tables to answer the following questions. (10 marks)
a. Go to Table 15 and obtain data on the federal gross public debt, net debt and the value of federal financial assets. Use this information to construct a measure of net debt for the period XXXXXXXXXXto XXXXXXXXXXGo to the Statistics Canada CANSIM site on the LU Li
ary web site and obtain data on Canadian nominal GDP from 1966 to 2018 and then plot two graphs: 1) gross federal debt and net federal debt and 2) the federal gross and net debt to GDP ratios
. Go to Tables 3 and 4, which provide information on federal revenues. Construct a pie graph showing the composition of Federal budgetary revenues in XXXXXXXXXX, in XXXXXXXXXXand compare it with another graph constructed for XXXXXXXXXXWhat are the trends and differences that have emerged over time in the composition of federal revenues?
2. A family in Thunder Bay with much time on their hands decorates their home with a lavish display of Christmas decorations every year. People come from miles around to look at the decorations. Consequently, the roads in their part of town become congested. The family’s neighbors complain that at times the roads become impassable and they are virtual prisoners in their homes. The family maintains it is providing a public good by maintaining this display. Analyze this situation using public finance theory and explain what the problem(s) is (are) and how it might be resolved.
3. With growth in car and truck populations, the demand for new and improved highways has rapidly increased, causing some policy makers to suggest that private businesses should operate portions of our highway system, charging tolls and using the money to maintain the highways. Critics are concerned that this policy would lead to profiteering and wonder why the government could not run the roads as efficiently as private companies. Using public finance theory, explain the case that can be made both for and against privatizing roads.
4. Personal income taxation is said to have economic effects on labor supply. Write an essay explaining what these incentive effects are and illustrate your answers with graphs. What empirical evidence can you provide as to the magnitude of these effects? Based on the evidence you have mustered, what advice would you provide the Ontario government with respect to the implementation of a Basic Annual Income program?
5. Using graphs, please illustrate and discuss the conditions for the optimal provision of a public good in both the partial equili
ium and the general equili
ium cases. When it comes to public good provision, what is the free rider problem?