With electricity, we saw that it was important to tax the pollutant rather than the final product itself. In the following cases, will the proposed taxes actually hit at the source of the external cost, or will they only land an inefficient glancing blow? What kind of tax might be better?
a. Gas-guzzling cars create more pollution, so the government should tax big SUVs at a higher rate.
b. All-night liquor stores seem to generate unruly behavior in nearby neighborhoods, so owners of all-night liquor stores should pay higher property taxes.
c. Bell-bottom jeans insist on coming back every few years, and their ugliness creates external costs for all who see them. Therefore, bell-bottom jeans should be taxed heavily.
d. American parents are worried about their children seeing too much profanity on television. Congress decides to tax TV shows based on the number of profane words used on the shows.