The Social Welfare Losses of Conscription: An Evaluation for the 1980s
Abstract
This thesis estimates the social welfare losses that would result from a hypothetical draft in the United States in the 1980s. A previously developed mathematical model is used to estimate: (1) expenditures on draft avoidance, (2) the excess economic cost which results when a degree of randomness is introduced into the selection process, and (3) the conscription tax - the tax imposed on individuals who either reluctantly volunteer to serve or are inducted into the military. These first two estimates represent social welfare losses. The conscription tax is estimated in order to evaluate the relative efficiency of conscription as a means of taxation. My finding was that when conscription is used to procure military manpower, the social welfare losses that result are significant ($1 billion to $5 billion). I also found conscription to be a very inefficient form of taxation. Keywords: Deadweight loss, Military compensation.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Dec 01, 1986
- Accession Number
- ADA177458
Entities
People
- Michael S. Crouch
Organizations
- Naval Postgraduate School