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TopicTop 20 things economists agree on. How many do you agree with, CE?
Balrog0
12/04/17 5:59:04 PM
#12:


Sativa_Rose posted...
EnterTheTekken posted...
Sativa_Rose posted...
As someone with a Bachelor's degree in Economics, I agree with virtually all of them. The only one that stands out to me as something I am skeptical about is

12. Cash payments increase the welfare of recipients to a greater degree than do transfers-in-kind of equal cash value.

The only reason I am skeptical is that I worry that cash payments may have a tendency to get squandered in drugs, alcohol, gambling, and other frivolous spending as opposed to being invested in something related to education or something, but I can also see how giving people cash would make it easier for them to use it on the things they need. Also it could improve perceived well-being which might be what really matters to people more than how one performs on things typically measured to make inferences about one's well-being.


I'm glad you mentioned this one. So what is a "transfer-in-kind"? Is that what food stamps, or WIC represent? I also agree that straight cash can lead to suspect purchases, but people even find loopholes with the WIC (tobacco products, booze).


That is how I interpreted it, also stuff like housing vouchers would apply I think.


yes, anything that isn't generally accepted as cash is a transfer in kind

most 'welfare' in the US is of that variety
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