Flashcards on Public Expenditure, Taxation, and Social Policy
Public Expenditure, Taxation, and Social Policy: A Student Guide
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Public expenditure
46 cards
Card 1
Question: What is the main focus of Chapter 7 on Public Expenditure in this course material?
Answer: Mobilisation and expenditure of resources by governments in market-oriented economic systems (public expenditure and growth).
Card 2
Question: How does the constitutional framework affect public expenditure?
Answer: Constitutional provisions directly or indirectly affect the extent and composition of government expenditure by defining powers, assigning functions,
Card 3
Question: What are 'constitutional entitlements' in relation to public expenditure?
Answer: Rights to certain goods and services conferred by the Constitution that create budgetary constraints (e.g., obligations to take 'reasonable measures'
Card 4
Question: Why can constitutional entitlements create fiscal risks?
Answer: They often leave government discretion (e.g., 'reasonable measures' and 'available resources') which can lead to uncertainty and potentially threaten
Card 5
Question: Give an example from the content where constitutional entitlement raised questions about public expenditure responsibility.
Answer: A 1997 case involving the right to life and access to health care: a kidney patient sought state-funded treatment raising issues about whether the sta
Card 6
Question: How do current public service provisions affect future GDP growth and government revenue?
Answer: Current provision of services like education and health care impacts future growth in GDP and government revenue because investments in human capital
Card 7
Question: What budgeting framework is noted as important for aligning constitutional obligations with fiscal policy?
Answer: The Medium-Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) is important for managing expenditure and future obligations.
Card 8
Question: What two components are distinguished when discussing the economic composition of public spending?
Answer: Capital components and current components of total government expenditure.
Card 9
Question: What long-term trend is noted about the share of resources used by government?
Answer: The share of resource use by government increased but at a diminishing rate; there can be larger decreases during periods of long-term real economic g
Card 10
Question: What does 'functional shifts in public spending' refer to?
Answer: Changes over time in amounts spent on different government functions (e.g., defense, education, public services, economic services).