Exam 14: Public Goods and Tax Policy

Suppose Stan owns a piece of property with a large lake. Initially, Stan and his family were the only people who swam in the lake. Then Stan started selling tickets to people who wanted to go swimming in the lake. When Stan died, he left the lake and the land it was on to the state, stipulating that the lake be left open to the public for swimming. Due to the lake's remote location, it was never crowded. When Stan started selling tickets to the public, the lake became a ________ good.

The current U.S. income tax system requires taxpayers to pay a higher marginal tax rate on higher levels of taxable income. Suppose that the tax rate is 10 percent on the first $15,000 of taxable income, 15 percent on the next $45,000 of taxable income, 30 percent on the next $60,000 of taxable income, and 35 percent on taxable income above $120,000. This income tax system is: