Question 9 of 15intermediate🔧 ApplyNumerical4 marks
Suppose marginal propensity to consume is 0.75 and there is a 20 per cent proportional income tax. Find the change in equilibrium income for the following (a) Government purchases increase by 20 (b) Transfers decrease by 20.
(a)
Answer
Change in equilibrium income = 50 (increase)
(b)
Answer
Change in equilibrium income = -37.5 (decrease)
Explanation
With proportional income tax, the multiplier formulas change because consumption rises by c(1-t) times the increase in income, not just c times. The government expenditure multiplier becomes 1/[1-c(1-t)] and the transfer multiplier becomes c/[1-c(1-t)]. The transfer multiplier is smaller because only a portion (c) of the transfer is spent initially, whereas government spending enters the economy fully in the first round.