Question

Suppose you've been asked by the governor of a large state to advise her on proposed legislation aimed at using public resources, including tax revenue raised from workers in the state, to ease the extent of economic inequality. Further suppose that the governor must decide whether to authorize or veto a bill establishing a range of public programs that, when implemented, will somewhat extend the state's policy of reallocating wealth from the most well-off (who will be subject to a small additional tax on their incomes) to the least well-off (who will receive an increase in direct cash transfers, housing allowances, nutritional support). In view of the assigned readings and other materials examined in Week 5 of IDST 400, what criteria – i.e., by what moral philosophical standards – could this legislation be evaluated in terms of its "justness?" When crafting your answer, consider alternative points of view explored in the materials assigned in Week 5. Finally, by what moral philosophical standards should this legislation be evaluated in terms of its "justness?" Explain your answer carefully, supporting your ideas with references to assigned materials.

Ted Talk video: Richard Wilkinson, "How Economic Inequality Harms Societies (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site."

Big Think video, Tamar Gendler, "Nozick: Individual Liberty Trumps All (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site."

Oxford University Podcast, James Grant, "Arguments from Distributive Justice (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site."

Los Angeles Times article, Michael Hiltzik, "America's Explosion of Income Inequality (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site."

World Economic Forum, "Five Maps on the State of Global Inequality (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. "

Julian Lamont and Christi Favor, "Distributive Justice (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.," in The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy