Web Activity 1

What nations in the world have the three largest public sectors as measured by total expenditures as a percentage of GDP? What nations have the smallest public sectors as measured in the same manner? You can find data to answer these questions at www.worldbank.org/wdr/2000/fullreport.html, Table 14, Central Government Finances.

Web Activity 2

Find out about market power at http://www.stolaf.edu/people/becker/antitrust/ Choose one recent case to study. What is the source of market power in this case? What are the consequences for the U.S. Economy? What is the proposed government intervention?

Web Activity 3

Data on state taxes and state expenditures are available at www.census.gov/govs/www/state.html. For your own state, find the most important tax and the largest expenditure category. How does your state compare with the total for all states? (See Figures 4.5 and 4.7 in the text).