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| Chapter 16: Government and Economy |
| You Decide |
| This exercise continues the tax policy debate in the text, and will explore the question of "Who gets what? When and how?" in our tax system. It will examine inequality in state taxes, worker/CEO pay discrepancies, and the general trend toward income and wealth inequality in the United States. |
| 1. From your reading of the chapter, distinguish between progressive and regressive taxes. Give an example of each type. |
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| 2. Read the article located here. Why does Bob Riley argue that the tax structure in Alabama is unchristian? |
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| 3. Go to www.pbs.org/now/politics/executive2.html and click on “Facts and Figures: Executive Pay and Worker Pay Worldwide.” Compare the executive to worker pay ratios in Japan, Britain, Mexico and the United States. |
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| 4. Based on the textbook, has inequality in the United States increased or decreased in recent years? |
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| 5. How does this debate reflect the point that politics is “Who gets what? When and how?” |
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| 6. List one tax that has a social purpose behind it. Explain the reasoning for the way that tax is set up. |
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| 7. Should our tax policy reflect our social values? Does it reflect yours? Explain. |
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| 8. What are the benefits of these tax policies? |
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| 9. What are the future consequences of making the Bush tax cuts permanent? |
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| 10. If you were a member of Congress what would you do? Explain. |
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