In the Guardian article linked to below, Ashley Seager argues that the only way to reduce the extent of social exclusion is to tax the main asset of a large proportion of the population; their house. He argues that the massive increases in land values that have taken place with rising house prices have increased divisions in society and that a land tax is required to address this. It may be interesting to consider this issue along with News Item 4 about global wealth distribution.
A land tax is 200 years overdue Guardian (8/1/07)
Questions
1. | Explain what is meant by a land tax and suggest different ways that this could be levied. |
2. | Discuss the likely impact of a land tax, as proposed by Ashley Seager, on the major economic targets. |
3. | Analyse possible alternative policies to reduce the levels of exclusion in UK society. |