Commonly Offered: This course is very likely to be offered in the next one to three years.
This course will review the basic economics of taxation; detail the structure of federal revenues; chart the federal budget process and interrogate proposals for reform; analyze the impact of major federal tax and spending proposals on the deficit and debt; and explore the relationship of tax and budget policy to social and economic issues including retirement, health care, education, and housing. The course will also engage with questions of federalism as well as situate US tax and budget policy in international context. The aim of this course is to equip students with substantive knowledge of contemporary issues in federal tax and budget policy so that they can effectively evaluate the impact of proposed policy changes.