What type of information is not accessible to the citizens? What is the argument in favour of this?
Answers
A list of criteria against which to evaluate benefits systems could look like this:
Our tax and benefits system should be coherent: that is, its different parts should fit together;
Our tax and benefits system should be simple to administer: to reduce employment disincentives, for cost reasons, and because democratic accountability requires comprehensibility;
Our tax and benefits system should reflect today’s family and household patterns, and should remain serviceable as household and family patterns continue to change.
Our tax and benefits system should not disincentivise public goods such as enterprise, training, long-term relationships between parents of children, and providing financially for oneself and one’s dependents.
Our tax and benefits system should incentivise the efficient allocation of resources and so contribute to an efficient economy.
Our tax and benefits system should treat people with dignity and not stigmatize individuals involved in any part of the system.
Our tax and benefits system should reflect the labour market of today, and should remain serviceable as the labour market changes in the future;
Our tax and benefits system should reduce poverty and injustice, and it should redistribute from rich to poor.