What Are The Two Conflicting Principles Of Fairness That Apply To A Tax System

One brother has 4 cookies. Another brother has 2 cookies. The brother with 4 cookies did 2x the work to get these cookies. Big brother come along and takes 3 of the first brother’s cookies but only 1 of the second because it’s only fair they have the same amount. How does the first brother feel? This analogy shows the current progressive system of tax and one reason it is flawed and unfair. If America had a flat tax it would leave the first brother with 3 cookies and the second with 1 and 1/2. Sound more fair? This is why America should have a modified flat tax system because it is more fair to the people, it will promote economic growth, and it will make paying taxes easier.

John Stuart Mill’s principle of utility or the greatest happiness principle is the foundation of his ethical theory. The principle of utility holds that an individual must always act in a manner that produces the greatest happiness for the greatest number. He defines happiness as pleasure or the

Discuss whether the most effective way to have income and wealth equality is to tax income more progressively.

Utilitarianism also known as the principle of utility is an ethical theory proposed by early philosophers. This theory implies that actions are only judged by its consequences whether they are good or bad. One should perform a particular action because it will yield the best results for all. This approach also analysis the cost and benefit relationship. The downfall with this theory is that not everyone benefits (Fremgen, 2016).

“The weight must be distributed equally — not upon each man an equal amount, but a tax proportionate to his ability to pay.” — Representative Justin Morrill (Republican — Vermont) (Shepard, 2010). Graduated income tax is a system of taxation in which people are assessed at a greater percentage of their

Within the United States, there is an unequal collection and distribution of resources. The current unequal or socially unjust tax system is a direct contrast to the social justice theories of John Rawls. The taxation discrepancy has ramifications on many important aspects of our society, such as health care, employment, old age security, and education. These issues affect everyone in our society, regardless of age, race, gender, or sexual orientation. Thorough more equal taxation, we have the potential to create a more society as a whole.

About 5 trillion dollars were given up by American citizens in 2014, why, taxes, they are all around us from your groceries, your clothes, your community roads, libraries, and many many more American items. The amount of money devoted to taxes is crazy and it only can get worse if we do not end this issue of unfairness and inequality among citizens. Which is why more people are becoming independant on higher classes and causing tax standards to raise and drop for many citizens. When others argue it is fair and acceptable for different based tax percentages and incomes to be applied so that it is put in more for higher class and less for lower classes. However, tax fairness has been debated and changed over many years, do you think taxes

The theory of utilitarianism is an ethical philosophy in which the happiness of the greatest number of people in society is considered the greatest good. The implementation of a no-fault compensation system would effectively provide a system of distributive justice and would be molded to be economically efficient and to incorporate feminist theories of equality.

Unfortunately some people do not have the ability to earn a living in a market economy. Others benefit from inherited wealth, hard dedicating work, or owning their business. Governments in market economies inevitably engage in programs that redistribute income, and they often do so with the overt intention of making tax policies. On the other hand, advocates of extensive redistribution disagree and allege that role of government limits the concentration of wealth and maintains a wider diffusion of economic power among households, presently as antitrust laws are designed to maintain competition and a wider diffusion of power and resources among producers. Those who oppose major redistribution programs counter that additional taxes on high-income families decrease the incentives

Utilitarianism states that the moral worth of an act is completely determined by its practicality in reducing negative service and exploiting utility as summed in every sentient being. The utility principle states that an act is right if it produces more pleasure of all people affected by and immoral if it doesn't. It is founded on the idea that happiness and pleasure are naturally treasured and suffering and pain are not, and that all else has value if it is generating pleasure and inhibiting happiness. In his article Marx on Utilitarianism, Ronald West states, “There are several systems of Utilitarianism, each looking to overcome the flaws within it. For example, the meaning of “the totality of human pleasure,” even when defined following Mill in terms of the maximum price someone would be ready to pay for something, is problematical. If the total mass of utility is increased while its ownership is concentrated in fewer hands, can this be deemed to be right?” (West, 3)

This principle also applies to less extreme situations, the same idea could be used to justify stealing. The actions of Robin Hood would also be justified using this same idea. Robin Hood would steal from the few rich and gave to the poor, which were the bigger portion of the population. So the act of stealing its self is morally wrong, but when stealing was used to benefit the majority of the population, it would be classified as just, proving that the ends justified the means in a utilitarian view. While others use consequentialism to contend that an action can be justified by its end. The principle of consequentialism considers the amount of good and bad that the action causes and weight the ratio between the two which, “The right action is the one that produces or will probably produce as great a ratio of good to evil as any other action” (Utilitarianism, slide 12). For example someone implying the

There are many different approaches to the justice of distributions in societies and there are arguments that can be made to support each of them. Three types of approaches are distribution justice based on a distributive approach that was introduced by John Rawls, emergent which was advocated by Robert Nozick and a market democratic hybrid supported by Tomasi. This paper will illustrate the basic premise of each of these approaches and the impacts that they have on the economics of a society. After briefly explaining these three approaches to just distribution I will demonstrate why Tomasi 's "Free Market Fairness", or the democratic hybrid approach, is the most logical and productive way to achieve justice of distributions while having a

This theory advocates that the actions worth is determined by maximizing utility (pleasure or happiness).it looks at the consequence of an action as to whether the outcome is good to the majority of people affected by it. According to Bentham, utilitarianism is the greatest happiness or greatest felicity principle. There are many types of this theory which include act vs. rule, two level, motive, negative and average vs. total. (Clifford G., John C. 2009) In act utilitarianism, when people have to make choices, they should consider the consequences of each choice and then choose that which will generate much pleasure.

Taxation systems are usually modeled in such a way that they take into consideration the social welfare of the citizens. The government and other policy makers have the responsibility of ensuring that the system takes into account the needs of the citizens. The bottom line is that taxation should foster equal distribution of resources. The rate of taxation is usually arrived at after several considerations have been made. The rates are not fixed as they depend on the various economic changes. The issue of how taxation should be distributed among the different economic classes is yet to be addressed.

The second concept is based on liberty or the freedom of contract. Individuals should be free to choose how many hours she chooses to work. Additionally, an employee should be free to decide where she wants to work. Based on this theory it is the free choice of an individual to receive unequal benefits. The third concept is entitlement, which is different from the merit-based concepts discussed above. The share of wealth an individual deserves is based on how the wealth was accumulated. Inequality is justified only when it arises without the infringement of somebody’s rights. The fourth concept is the concept of utilitarianism, which is the most well known concept. From a utilitarian perspective, actions can only be ethically good if the actions are useful or have some utility. The argument concludes that goods and services are valuable only when it increases welfare within the society or community.