Final answer:
A sales tax does not directly satisfy a consumer need as it is a government-imposed charge without direct benefit to the consumer, unlike tangible products such as a jacket, an apple, or a pair of jeans. Option A is correct answer.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question asks which of the given options does not satisfy a consumer need. To satisfy a consumer need, the product or service must provide a direct benefit or fulfill a desire of the consumer.
Looking at the options, 'a sales tax' does not fulfill a direct consumer need because it is a government-imposed charge on goods and services that does not provide direct benefit or satisfaction to the consumer in the same way that a product or service would. This is unlike 'a student dormitory', 'a jacket', 'an apple', or 'a pair of jeans', all of which provide direct use value, shelter, nutrition, or clothing to the consumer.
In contrast, options such as 'police protection', 'roads', and 'primary education' are examples of nonexcludable goods or services. Nonexcludable implies that no one can be effectively excluded from using them. Additionally, in the context of GDP, only transactions that involve a new production are counted. Services like 'child care provided by a licensed day care center' and sales of 'new cars' are included, whereas non-market transactions, such as 'child care provided by a grandmother' or 'used car sales', are not.