Fiction Book Assignment

        The book "The Hunger Games" by Suzanne Collins is about a future society where there is an all powerful Capitol and less powerful Districts. The Capitol controls all the money and power while the Districts have to pay the Capitol by producing certain products. This book is a perfect example of what the United States might turn into if there is not tax reform. In the United States tax system the rich are paying less and less while the middle class pays more to make up for the shortages. If this cycle continues, the United States will likely turn into a country similar to the one depicted in the book "The Hunger Games", where there is one group of people that have complete control. The book reveals a very severe case of social inequality, but this is important because it shows what could happen without reform. It is very possible that one group of people, the rich, will eventually have total control because of the amount of money they have. It may not be as bad as "The Hunger Games" depicts, but something close will likely occur without some changes in tax policy.

        What if? That is the question that scares every American in some way. What if my house burns down? What if I lose my job? But the most important what if is the one many people overlook, what if taxes spiral out of control? Taxes are on every body's minds, people know that tax rates are rising, but do they know why. The government has increased its spending and, even with tax hikes, cannot keep up with the growing debt of the Untied States. The book "The Hunger Games" explores a type of world that is unlike any reality. The book depicts a society where the rich control everyone and everything. That lifestyle may not be as far fetched as people use to think. Over the years taxes have been rising on everyone, except the rich. While the blue-collar Americans have had to cut back on spending the rich have been receiving huge government paid subsides and tax deductions. If the tax system continues to make the rich richer and middle class poorer then a society like "The Hunger Games" may be in the United States' close future.

Annotated Bibliography

        "The Hunger Games" depicts a society where the richest of people have complete control over all of the working class people. This story is about a lot more than that, but I am only going to focus on societal inequality. In the book there are 12 Districts which are controlled by the Capitol, where the richest people live. All the Districts have a certain job to do, each District gives necessary products to the Capitol. The Districts are very poor communities where people are starving and die often. The Capitol is very luxurious and everyone has plenty of food. The social inequality depicted in this book is substantial, but it is important because it shows an extreme case of what could happen if something in the United States tax system doesn't change. This book would help my research by giving an example of what could happen to the United States without tax reform. Using this text, my project will grab peoples attention because of how shocking a society like "The Hunger Games" sounds. This book grasps the main idea of my research and makes people realize the impact tax reform has on the future.

Collins, Suzanne. The Hunger Games. New York: Scholastic, 2008. Print.

Mid-Research Review Paper

        Taxes have been a problem for many people for years, and the problem is getting worse. Americans have been angry about tax rates ever since taxation began, but today tax rates are sky rocketing and it has to be stopped. Over the past few weeks I have been researching and finding a lot of interesting information on the current tax system. The articles, book, and films I have come across all convey the same central message, the current tax system should be changed. Although all these sources have different views on how this should be done, they all believe something needs to change. This project has been focused on the inequality of tax rates, in other words, the difference in tax rates the middle class and poor pay compared to the rich.
        Many people ask the question "why are my taxes so high?", this is exactly what I have been researching. Throughout my research I have found countless sources on how the current tax system should be changed. All of these sources start off by giving an overview of how the current tax system works, then go into what they think should be done. Another important part of this project is where all the tax dollars go, that is why we are paying so much. I found some articles about government spending and they gave me a pretty good idea of what tax dollars are spent on. Certain taxes go to certain things: local property taxes pay for schools, gas tax pays for maintaining roadways, income tax pays for most of the military's expenses, etc. This project has incorporated information about where our tax dollars go, what is being taxed, and who is paying more. Together, those will this project explore why tax rates in the United States are so unfair.
        The pieces of information found so far have all had the same main idea. They all look at government spending, types of taxes, and who is being taxed more. By doing this the sources point to an answer for the big tax problem. All of the sources of information I have used in this project talk about some sort of problem with the current tax system. The authors and producers have their own view on how the tax system should be changed, but they agree that something is wrong. Another similarity between sources is they follow the same pattern. These articles, books, and films begin by giving an overview of the United States tax system, who is paying what. Then go on to talk about some types of taxes: income, estate, local, property, etc. Finally they end by trying to find solutions to the problem. The sources in this project go over the same material in the same order, but each one gives its own twist on what should be done.
        In the future, this project will find more information on where our tax dollars go. Government spending has been talked about seldom in the past and it is quite an important part of the topic. Aside from government spending, I plan to find more sources that add and confirm information that has been given thus far. Finding sources that agree with my views will give my project more credibility, making it even better. Further into this project I may add some sources that think the current tax system should not be changed in order to make the project sound a little less bias. Doing this will allow the reader to agree with whichever view they choose. Continuing with this project, I do not plan on changing the direction of the topic. Although I will find sources to add to this project, it will still be focused on the inequality of tax rates between the middle class and poor compared to the rich.
        Throughout this project I have found many articles, books, and films that believe the current tax system should be changed due to unfair tax rates. The sources that I have found all share a similar view about the tax system and have their own way of how it should be changed. For the most part the sources also follow the same order of how the information is presented. First, they explain the current tax system, then they give their own view on how it should be changed. In the future, more sources will be found that extrapolate on the same type of information already given in the project. Government spending, what is taxed, and who is taxed are the most important things to look at when trying to figure out why taxes are unfair. The information that has been, and will be, found helps answer the question "why are taxes so unfair?" through interviews with experts and the explanation of tax laws and government spending.

Documentary Assignment

Summary
        The documentary "America-From Freedom To Fascism" talks about many different tax laws and government spending. The producer and narrator of the film utilizes many different news articles and videos to back up and add to his ideas. He also interviews experts on different topics: Bob Schulz and Charlie Beall-We the People Foundation, Peter Gibbons-Tax Attorney, Catherine Austin Fitts-former Assistant Secretary of Housing, and many others. This documentary goes into detail about the different types of taxes and what those taxes are spent on by the government.
        There are many different tax deductions and subsidies on the United States tax forms, but what do all the different taxes mean? In the film "America-From Freedom To Fascism" the narrator takes its viewers through countless interviews to find out. Some of the taxes this film explores are the federal income tax, the estate tax, the local tax, and others. The documentary helps clear up some of the misconceptions about taxes and explains what each tax is really for.
        This film does not only talk about how tax is calculated, but where those tax dollars actually go, government spending. The narrator interviews politicians, experts on government spending, to try and find out what each tax actually pays for. Bob Schulz, from the We the People Foundation, goes into detail about what each type of tax pays for. For example, the local property tax pays for most of the education system, the tax on gasoline pays for maintaining roadways, and the income tax pays for most of the military expenses. This film explores taxes in greater detail than I have seen in any of my other research and it is a very good source of information.

Storytelling Techniques

        Throughout the documentary there is a narrator that adds information to what is happening in the film. The story is told through many different peoples perspectives, but they all talk about the same main point, taxes. The documentary does not go off topic or change topics in the middle of the story, it has one plot and mood. Another technique the producer used was having a lot of visuals. While the experts talked, the film showed pictures of other things that were related to what the experts were saying. This kept the viewer from getting bored and also made the viewer feel some emotion toward the topic because of what they were seeing. This documentary uses many storytelling techniques to keep its viewers interested and involved in the story.

Media Elements

        This film utilizes news programs and TV shows to help add and confirm information already given earlier. The short clips of TV shows that the producer added into the documentary add some comic relief to a series topic. Aside from TV shows, news programs play a critical role in confirming what the narrator and interviewees say is actually fact. The documentary is made more credible by adding media elements to give more information on the topic.

Other Sources Brought into Documentary

        This documentary brings in more than just the narrator talking about taxes, and that makes this documentary even more credible. The producer of this film utilizes interviews with experts and people that have been a part of the political system that deals with taxes. Interviews with people that are a part of the tax system and know a lot about how it works occur many times in this film. The narrator conducts over 15 interviews throughout the documentary and most of the information he gets is directly related to the topic, tax laws and where the tax dollars actually go.

Credibility

        There is very little bias in this film, it shows both sides of the arguments about taxes. The narrator might ask a question that sounds a little bias one way, but then the next question has bias from the other point of view. The narrator also asks questions that are open ended, that is, they can be answered supporting or not supporting the United States tax system. Overall, this film does not sound very bias and it is quite a credible source of information because it has interviews and news programs involved.

Connection to my Capstone

        My capstone project is mainly looking at the question, why are taxes so unfair? This documentary explains many different types of taxes and how they are calculated. That information is going to give me a better understanding of how much money an individual has to pay on taxes and why. This will help me figure out why taxes are unfair, it must have something to do with the things that big businesses can deduct and subsidize. The documentary talks about how deductions are calculated and, most importantly, where all the tax dollars go. The increase in government spending is why our taxes are increasing and the increase in taxes is why taxes are so unfair. This documentary brings my capstone full circle back to where it stared with the question, why are taxes so unfair?

Annotated Bibliography

        This documentary is explores many different types of taxes and what each tax pays for. The narrator of this film takes the viewer through countless interviews to find out more about how each tax is calculated and who qualifies for it. Throughout this documentary there are short clips of TV shows and news programs that back up what the narrator is saying. This film has some bias because the narrator finds evidence to support his ideas and overlooks information that contradicts his views. This documentary adds a lot of new information to my project and confirms things I have already talked about. My research has not yet gone into detail about government spending, so this film will add something new to my project. Also, the film talks about how certain types of taxes are calculated, a topic I have already explained, so the film will back up my research.

America-From Freedom To Fascism. Dir. Aaron Russo. All Your Freedoms, Inc, 2005. Youtube. Web. 9 March 2014.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kE8RtL3azDg

Articles Assignment

News Article 1

Berman, Jillian. "Obama Budget Plan Results in 'Back Door' Tax Increase for Middle-Class Households: Analysis." The Huffington Post, 22 Apr. 2013. Web. 3 Mar. 2014. <http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/22/obama-budget-tax-increase_n_3133755.html>.

This article explains president Obama’s plans for taxes in the near future. The author, Jillian Berman, quotes Joseph Rosenberg many times and uses his ideas to build her article. The article talks about the expected increase of taxes in the coming years. She also explains a little about what tax brackets are and connects them to her article. This article is sounds a little biased because it sounds like the author talks about this bill in a negative way. But, the article has many facts about the Obama’s plans that I could incorporate into my research. The author gives some numbers on what people can expect for tax increases. This article parallels my research and will give my project some solid background and extra information.

News Article 2

Sloan, Steven. "Taxes: President Obama's Budget Would Hit Middle Class." POLITICO, 23 Apr. 2013. Web. 03 Mar. 2014. <http://www.politico.com/story/2013/04/obama-budget-middle-class-facing-tax-hikes-90469.html>.

The article “Taxes: President Obama’s budget would hit middle class” by Steven Sloan talks about the new tax bill Obama is pushing for 2015. It says that Obama has always targeted the rich for higher taxes, but now is beginning to target the middle class. The new bill takes away past deductions and changes the way taxes are calculated. The article gives some statistics about the income earned compared to taxes paid by an individual. This article is credible because it has many quoted material from other articles and it sounds as if it has little bias. At first, the author talks a little about Obama’s tax hikes on the rich, but then talks about the tax hikes on the middle class too. He explores both sides of the tax argument making his viewpoint seem less and less bias. This information will backup my other research very well. It will add to my project and give it some more strength because of the statistics and quotes the author utilizes.

Scholarly Article 1

Ellwood, David T., and Jeffrey B. Liebman. "The Middle-Class Parent Penalty: Child Benefits in the U.S. Tax Code." Nber.org. N.p., Jan. 2001. Web. 3 Mar. 2014. <http://www.nber.org/chapters/c10853.pdf>.

“The Middle-Class Parent Penalty: Child Benefits In the U.S. Tax Code” by David T. Ellwood and Jeffrey B. Liebman explains the benefits of the Earned Income Tax Credit. The paper talks about the rich and poor benefiting more from the Earned Income Tax Credit than the middle class. The rich and poor also get more tax deductions for having children while the middle class get very little tax deductions. This paper is very credible because both of the authors are graduates of Harvard University. The paper does not sound bias and the authors quote articles and statistics. The statistics would benefit my project because people always react to numbers and percentages. The paper also explains some types of tax deductions that I could add into my research.

Scholarly Article 2

Bargain, Olivier. "Tax Policy and Income Inequality in the US." Econstar.eu. Econstar, 16 Dec. 2013. Web. 3 Mar. 2014. <https://www.econstor.eu/dspace/bitstream/10419/90145/1/77640329X.pdf>.

This paper asses the effects of taxes on the inequality of the middle class, rich, and poor. It goes into more detail about certain tax laws that create inequality between the classes. The paper does not only talk about unfair tax laws, but the distribution of wealth in the U.S. The rich are getting richer while the middle class and poor are losing out because of higher taxes and inflation, but the same income. This paper is reliable for the most part because it, once again, quotes other material and has statistics. It also has many authors so there is little bias in the paper. This paper would contribute to a lot to my research because it brings in the problem with the distribution of wealth along with tax inequality.

Scholarly Article 3

Zolt, Eric M. "Inequality in America: Challenges for Tax and Spending Policies." By Eric M. Zolt. Social Science Research Network, 27 Jan. 2014. Web. 03 Mar. 2014. <http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2386285>.

This paper talks about the increasing inequality of tax rates in the U.S. over the past 30 years. The problem has been getting even worse because of higher relative tax rates, relative tax rates relate the income earned to the amount paid in taxes. This paper also brings in an aspect not talked about in any of my other research, the problems with government spending, where our tax dollars actually go. Against what many people may believe, the government spends more on tax money on the elderly than on the poorest Americans. This is a shocking fact and makes this paper more interesting, putting facts like this into my project will make people more interested. The paper is reliable because the author is a graduate of the University of California, Los Angeles and has a degree in law. It is also a very recent paper on the issue. The information presented will add the problem with government spending to my project. The shocking statistics and facts this paper has will intrigue readers of my capstone.

Link to PowerPoint

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B3YlgF1nQgSvSGQ4UElFTnZiem8/edit?usp=sharing

Interesting and Shocking Quotations

“President Obama’s budget proposal, released earlier this month, includes a provision that would steadily boost taxes for middle-class households over the next 10 years”(Berman).

“Americans will have to pay more in taxes before their money is worth more”(Berman).

“The president keeps breaking his campaign pledge to not tax the middle class — first with his health care law and now with these tax hikes in his budget”(Sloan).

“the Buffett rule imposing a minimum 30 percent tax rate on income exceeding $1 million”(Sloan).

“Marginal tax rates (including payroll taxes) for two-parent families can reach 50 percent or more among families with incomes near $30,000”(Ellwood).

“Government spending on social programs has increased substantially”(Zolt).

“larger percentage of social spending has been directed to the elderly (without regard to need) and to the upper-half of the income distribution through tax subsidies for healthcare, education, housing, and retirement savings”(Zolt).