Assignment
Review these resources on State Lotteries.
State Lottery Funds May Not Help Those Who Need it Most
http://www.aascu.org/policy/publications/policy-matters/StateLotteryScholarships.pdf
See these four short sections:
• Not only are lottery revenues more expensive to collect... pg 6 top left
• Lottery-funded scholarships are typically last dollar programs,... pg 6 bottom left
• The inequity of merit-based scholarship programs intensifies... the.. burden lotteries.. pg 8 top right
• State-run lotteries ... are not subject to the FTC's truth-in-advertising regulations pg 10 lower left
President (then Senator) Obama on the lottery (1:47) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1yrVihsdTVk
Disturbing Facts About State Lotteries (note the hyperlinks in the article go to sources)
http://www.alternet.org/hard-times-usa/disturbing-facts-about-state-lotteries-they-prey-poor-and-trash-economy-and-political?page=0%2C1&paging=off¤t_page=1#bookmark
1. Comment on the content. What do you agree with? Disagree with? Hadn't realized?
2. Consider: How should government handle people making foolish, destructive choices? A) Don't get involved at all. B) actively protect them from their own foolishness. C) discourage foolish decisions through public education efforts, but don't seek to prevent or protect. D) encourage foolish decisions, whenever it is profitable.
• Which of these does lottery advertising represent? Is the State acting ethically?
3. In this article Schools, businesses tackle financial literacy in Arkansas http://www.thecitywire.com/node/37164#.VYwn4_lVhBc it notes:
"Arkansas is in the basement in the ranking of knowledge and education and 47th in planning and daily habits.".... "35% of Americans have unpaid bills or bills referred for collection. In Arkansas that number was 40%."
"Economics Arkansas (State funded initiative) encourages teachers to develop programs to increase K-12 economic literacy and wise decision-making of Arkansas students in kindergarten through 12th grade. "
If you were a teacher (State employee), what would be your recommendation to students on "playing the lottery"?
4. Many lottery commercials focus on students who "would not have been able to go to college without the Arkansas Scholarship Lottery" as if the only way of funding scholarships is a lottery. If education is a Public Good with positive externalities, why doesn't the State fund it with taxes?
5. If it came up for a vote to keep or end the State Lottery, how would you vote? why?