On the social desirability of wealth-dependent fine policies

To determine the rate of fines regulators typically employ two types of fine policies. The first establishes fixed and determined fines that are not contingent on the offender's wealth. The second establishes variable fines that are contingent on the offender's income, or wealth. In this paper we show that, in many situations, fine policies that are independent of the potential offenders' wealth are socially undesirable and are dominated by fine policies that are contingent on offenders' wealth.