Sample Test Question: Economic Analysis of Wish Fulfillment
Please analyze and answer the following sample test question, showing all work:
You are walking along the beach when you find an old metal lamp.* You rub the side of it on the off chance that it might contain a genie, and by some good fortune a genie appears and offers to grant your choice of three wishes:(Alternatives for serious environmental economists: (D) An end to all forms of pollution, forever. (E) An end to all misery, suffering, anger, discrimination, and hatred, replaced by eternal bliss and happiness.)
(A) Permanent, everlasting, beneficial world peace.Assuming all of this can be taken at face value, what do you choose? Justify your answer.
(B) An immediate and eternal end to all forms of world hunger.
(C) A hot pastrami sandwich.
*This was inspired by the web comic Casey & Andy. It's rated PG for language, vulgarity, slapstick violence, near-nudity (they don't show anything), and potentially offensive religious themes. Copyright 2002-2004 by Andy Weir. The comic strip used for the above "test question" is rated PG for language, and we've heard worse in class.
posted by Anonymous @ 2:18 PM
1 Comments:
I really would like people to respond to this. I've come to the belief that the hot pastrami sandwich is the safest option, and would put the smallest number of people out of work, but I'd like to get some other opinions. So let's get some economic analysis going.
For example, what if you can market the ideas to governments? Sell the option of no world hunger, and if they pay enough, grant that wish. But then you have a free rider problem, and farmers and ranchers suddenly have little income. What do you do?
Post a Comment
<< Home