Answer: The types of goods that governments would choose to levy excise taxes on are those that have inelastic demand, meaning that the change in quantity demanded due to a change in price is small.
Explanation: Excise taxes are taxes imposed on specific goods or services at the time they are purchased. They are usually paid by the merchants who sell them, and then passed on to the consumers through higher prices. Excise taxes can be either ad valorem (based on a percentage of the price) or specific (based on a fixed amount per unit).
Governments would choose to levy excise taxes on goods that have inelastic demand because they can generate more revenue without affecting the quantity demanded significantly. Inelastic demand means that consumers are not very responsive to changes in price, either because they have few substitutes, they need the good, or they are addicted to it. Examples of goods with inelastic demand are gasoline, tobacco, alcohol, and medical services.
Some excise taxes are also called sin taxes because they are imposed on goods that have negative social or health consequences, such as cigarettes and alcohol. Sin taxes can serve as a way to discourage consumption of these goods, as well as to raise revenue for public health programs or other social causes. However, sin taxes can also be regressive, meaning that they affect low-income consumers more than high-income consumers.
Therefore, governments would choose to levy excise taxes on goods that have inelastic demand and/or negative externalities, as they can maximize their revenue and achieve their policy goals without losing much consumer surplus. Consumer surplus is the difference between what consumers are willing to pay and what they actually pay for a good.
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