A few years ago, I looked at the arguments for and against a tax on ‘fatty foods‘. Generally, I supported the idea of a tax on unhealthy foods because it is a way to price the full social cost of the good. It is an example of a Pigovian tax. A tax which internalises the …
The argument was that the poll tax was so bad that anything had to be an improvement. So with little thought, the Conservative government brought out the Council Tax. The council tax aims to introduce a degree of proportionality and fairness by charging a tax equal to the value of a house. The argument is …
For those studying Economics A-Level at the moment, you will probably not remember the poll tax. This tax introduced by Mrs Thatcher was probably one of the most unpopular taxes ever introduced. It was widely condemned as being unfair and inequitable. The principle of the council tax was that everyone would pay the same. Whether …
It’s been a good few decades for the top 1%, with big rises in income and wealth. But, what does it take to be in the top 1% by income, wealth, land-ownership and house values? If we look at the metric of wealth, a Swiss would need $8.5m, an American would need $5.8 million and …
America is the richest country in the world, but America is also a story of two economies. Since 1980, real GDP has increased 300%, someone is definitely getting rich. But, it isn’t the average worker, because in the same period median wages have barely increased. In recent years, the US economy has outperformed the rest …
In 1957, the British Prime Minister Harold Macmillan proclaimed to the electorate “You’ve never had it so good”. And he had a point, full employment, a growing economy, debt falling rapidly, record house building, rising wages, universal health care and a growing sense of optimism that things would keep getting better. But, can you imagine …
Why are Americans dying early? Why The US Has WORST Life Expectancy in Developed WorldWatch this video on YouTube The US is one of the richest countries in the world. In recent years, its economy has grown far faster than Europe. But, there is another kind of American exceptionalism, Americans are dying earlier. In 1970, …
Thatcher introduced a break with the post-war consensus introducing new economic ideas such as Monetarism Free-market supply side policies Privatisation Tax cuts (especially for high income earners) Reduced power of trade unions. The impact was far ranging. Did Thatcher Ruin or Save the UK Economy?Watch this video on YouTube The 1970s Economy The 1970s was …