A13. Taxes and Spending at the Federal, State and Local Community Levels

In this course we will investigate U. S. tax policy at the federal, state, and local levels, asking, among other questions: Should the federal income tax be replaced with a flat tax or sales tax or value added tax?  Should it be left in place and be reformed?  Can tax cuts stimulate the economy? Will higher deficits influence economic activity? How do different types of taxes include economic activity?  Who wins and who loses under different tax structures? How does government spending influence economic activity? And what about tariffs?

William O’Brien holds a PhD in Economics from Northeastern University and is Professor of Economics at Worcester State University.  His research interests range from public choice to the effect of taxes on economic behavior to the determinants of MCAS scores to globalization.

NO REQUIRED BOOKS

FOR FIRST CLASS:  Read https://fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/R45145.pdf