Problems in American Democracy Part 60

4. Fetter, _Modern Economic Problems_, chapter xvi.

5. Guitteau, _Government and Politics in the United States_, chapter xvii.

QUESTIONS ON THE REQUIRED READINGS

1. Cla.s.sify the purposes of public expenditures. (Guitteau, pages 187- 188.)

2. What is the "police function" of government? (Fetter, page 241).

3. What is a franchise tax? (Guitteau, pages 201-202.)

4. What is the "magic fund" delusion? (Bullock, page 370.)

5. Distinguish between proportional, regressive, and progressive taxation. (Bullock, page 373.)

6. What is an excess profits tax? (Bullock, pages 382-383.)

7. What is the importance of the license tax? (Bullock, pages 392- 393).

8. Distinguish between direct and indirect taxation. (Ely, pages 710- 711.)

9. What are "taxes on transactions"? (Ely, pages 719-720.) 10. What is meant by the s.h.i.+fting or incidence of taxation? (Fetter, pages 252- 253.)

TOPICS FOR INVESTIGATION AND REPORT

I

1. Make a list of enterprises supported out of public funds and providing services free to all, regardless of the payment of taxes.

2. Discover which of the following taxes are levied in your state: general property tax, income tax, inheritance tax, poll tax, license tax, transaction tax, sales tax, luxury tax, mortgage tax, franchise tax, excess profits tax.

3. Are tax a.s.sessors in your locality appointed or elected? Are there county or state boards of equalization in your state? How are these boards chosen?

4. Interview a friendly tax a.s.sessor concerning the difficulties of determining property values. Does he believe that people systematically undervalue their own property? What proposals does he make for the reform of the present method of a.s.sessment?

5. Interview a friendly taxpayer. What is his att.i.tude toward the poll tax? the general property tax? the income tax? What proposals does he make for the reform of taxation in your state?

6. The general property tax in your state.

7. Status of the income tax in your state.

8. Status of the inheritance tax in your state.

9. The taxation of corporations in your state.

II

10. Federal revenues. (Guitteau, _Government and Politics in the United States_, chapter xxix.)

11. Public expenditures. (Ely, _Outlines of Economics_, chapter x.x.xi; Seager, _Principles of Economics_, chapter xxvi; Plehn, _Introduction to Public Finance_, Part II, chapter i; Bullock, _Selected Articles on Public Finance_, chapter iii; Ford, _The Cost of Our National Government_.)

12. The power of Congress to tax. (Young, _The New American Government and its Work_, chapter v; Beard, _American Government and Politics_, chapter xiii.)

13. Taxation in American cities. (_Annals_, vol. xxviii, pages 155- 172.)

14. Personal taxes. (Fetter, _Modern Economic Problems_, chapter xviii.)

15. The poll tax. (Bullock, _Selected Articles on Public Finance_, chapter x.)

16. Breakdown of the general property tax. (Taussig, _Principles of Economics_, vol. ii, chapter lxix.)

17. Protection against improper state taxation. (Young, _The New American Government and its Work_, chapter xxv.)

18. Double taxation. (Seligman, _Essays in Taxation_, chapter iv.)

19. The corporation tax. (Seligman, _Essays in Taxation_, chapters vi and vii.)

20. Separation of state and local revenues. (Seligman, _Essays in Taxation_, chapter xi; Bullock, _Selected Articles on Public Finance_, pages 445-460.)

21. Excises. (Plehn, _Introduction to Public Finance_, chapter vi.)

22. Customs duties. (Plehn, _Introduction to Public Finance_, chapter vii.)

23. The excess profits tax. (_Annals_, vol. lxxvii, pages 147-159.)

24. The incidence of taxation. (Plehn, _Introduction to Public Finance_, chapter xi.)

25. Financing the United States in the World War. (Plehn, _Introduction to Public Finance_, Part iv; _Annals_, vol. lxxvii, all.)

FOR CLa.s.sROOM DISCUSSION

26. As a principle of taxation, which is more important, the payment of taxes according to the benefit derived, or payment according to ability?

27. What is the remedy when individuals conceal from the tax authorities the amount of their intangible wealth?

28. Does the income tax const.i.tute an undue interference in the private affairs of the individual?

29. To what extent does the inheritance tax tend to discourage the acc.u.mulation of wealth?

30. To what extent should the poor be taxed?

31. Can the adequate taxation of corporations be secured without resorting to a corporation tax which shall be purely Federal in character?

32. Should the national debt be paid? (See Bullock, _Selected Articles on Public Finance,_ chapter xxiv.)