Tax Cuts Research Paper

Tax Cuts Research Paper

Conduct your own research and write a concise but thorough research paper

1) explaining and examining the Laffer Curve and a historical perspective on the balance of tax burdens and revenue generation;

Tax Cuts Research Paper Instructions

Read all instructions and rubrics carefully before writing your research paper. You are responsible for having read and understood these documents.

Public budgeting revolves around two basic powers – the power to raise revenue (e.g., to tax) and the power to use the revenues raised to accomplish legitimate constitutionally authorized goals (e.g., to spend). Both of these actions have a wide range of both intended and often unintended consequences. Economic policies and political realities often arise in issues of taxing and spending policies, their influence on the economy, and the resulting impacts on jobs, incomes, living standards and relative freedom and liberty. Ronald Reagan famously employed “supply side economics” and the Laffer Curve in the national budget and budget decisions.

After carefully reading this week’s reading assignments, you will conduct your own research and write a concise but thorough research paper 1) explaining and examining the Laffer Curve and a historical perspective on the balance of tax burdens and revenue generation; 2)analyzing contemporary proposals and arguments for the tax cuts in tax reform; 3) analyzing the politics of tax cut discussions in contemporary budget and tax reform issues, and 4) providing a Judeo-Christian analysis of the potential role of tax cuts in contemporary tax reform.

This is a graduate-level research assignment designed to test your ability to carefully research, effectively organize and concisely communicate a nuanced understanding of the concepts and issues raised in the assignment. While the minimum page limit is short (as is often the case in public policy/public administration briefings), students are expected to craft efficient, highly substantive papers.

You are expected to comport with the highest writing, research, and ethical standards. Additionally, to do well on this assignment, you must conduct high-quality research and offer rich, well-supported analysis; mere opinion or conjecture will not suffice.

There must be no careless or simple grammatical errors such as misspellings, incomplete sentences, comma splices, instances of faulty noun/verb agreement, etc. Such errors will result in significantpoint deductions.

Plagiarism in any form is strictly prohibited and may result in failure of the assignment, failure of the course, and/or removal from the program. It is your responsibility to ensure that you fully understand what constitutes the various forms of plagiarism and that you avoid all forms of plagiarism.

The text of this research paper must be 5–7 pages (not including title page, reference page, and any appendices). This paper must be in current APA format with 1-inch margins and 12-pt Times New Roman font. You must alsoinclude a title page and reference page. You must include citations to a sufficient number of appropriate professional, scholarly, or other appropriate sources to fully support your assertions and conclusions (which will likely require more than the minimum number of citations); each paper must contain citations to the course texts book, assigned readings, and a minimum of 5 additional sources,not including the course textbooks, assigned readings, and the Bible.

This assignment must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. (ET) on Sunday of Module/Week 4.

Tax Cuts Research Paper Rubric

Criteria

Levels of Achievement

Content

(70%)

Advanced

92-100%

Proficient

84-91%

Developing

1-83%

Not Present

Total

Content

46 to 50 points:

· All key elements of the assignment are covered thoroughly and in a substantive way. Student provides a well-researched, fully developed analysis of each element of the assignment.

· Content is thoroughly, comprehensively, accurate, and exhibits a nuanced rather than superficial understanding of the terms and concepts assigned.

· Major points are thoroughly stated clearly and are supported by appropriate professional and scholarly literature and/or logic. Student employs sound, reasoned discussion, description, explanation, and evaluation of assigned terms and concepts.

42 to 45.5 points:

· Most key elements of the assignment are covered and in a substantive way. Student provides a mostly developed analysis of each element of the assignment.

· Most content is comprehensively, accurate, and exhibits an adequate understanding of the terms and concepts assigned.

· Most points are adequately stated and are supported by appropriate professional and scholarly literature and/or logic. Student mostly employs sound, reasoned discussion, description, explanation, and evaluation of assigned terms and concepts.

1 to 41.5 points:

· Inadequate coverage of key elements of the assignment. Student inadequately provides a fully developed analysis of each element of the assignment.

· Content is inadequate and not presented comprehensively, accurately, or exhibits an adequate understanding of the terms and concepts assigned.

· Major points are inadequately stated clearly and are not supported by appropriate professional and scholarly literature and/or logic. Student inadequately employs sound, reasoned discussion, description, explanation, and evaluation of assigned terms and concepts.

0 points

Not present

Development

36.5 to 40 points:

· Includes meaningful and thorough use of source material and analytical reasoning to elaborate upon the topics or themes.

· Research is thorough and timely for the topic.

· Thoroughly includes the required quality and quantity of cited sources to support positions.

· The context and purpose of the writing is thorough and clear.

33 to 36 points:

· Mostly includes meaningful and adequate use of source material and analytical reasoning to elaborate upon the topics or themes.

· Research is adequate and timely for the topic.

· Adequately includes the required quality and quantity of cited sources to support positions.

· The context and purpose of the writing is adequate and clear.

1 to 32.5 points:

· Includes inadequate use of source material and applies very little analytical reasoning to elaborate upon the topics or themes.

· Research is inadequate and not timely for the topic.

· Inadequately includes the required quality and quantity of cited sources to support positions.

· The context and purpose of the writing is inadequate and vague.

0 points

Not present

Organization

14 to 15 points:

· The introduction provides sufficient and thorough background on the topic and previews major points.

· Ideas flow in a logical and thorough sequence.

· The structure of the paper is clear, thorough and easy to follow. All necessary aspects of the assignment as described in the instructions are clearly identifiable and adequately addressed.

· Paragraph transitions are both present, thorough and logical, and direct the flow of thought throughout the paper.

· Paper is organized into a discussion flowing thoroughly from concept/term to concept/term and includes sufficient introductory, conclusory, and connecting mechanics to make the assignment a research paper, rather than mere a list of terms.

12.5 to 13.5 points:

· The introduction provides sufficient and adequate background on the topic and previews major points.

· Most ideas flow in a logical and adequate sequence.

· The structure of the paper is mostly adequate, clear, and easy to follow. Most necessary aspects of the assignment as described in the instructions are adequately identifiable and adequately addressed.

· Paragraph transitions are mostly present, adequately, and logically, and direct the flow of thought throughout the paper.

· Paper is mostly organized into a discussion flowing from concept/term to concept/term and includes adequate introductory, conclusory, and connecting mechanics to make the assignment a research paper, rather than mere a list of terms.

1 to 12 points:

· The introduction inadequately provides background on the topic and previews major points.

· Ideas flow in an inadequate sequence.

· The structure of the paper is adequate, clear and easy to follow. All necessary aspects of the assignment as described in the instructions are not identifiable and inadequately addressed.

· Paragraph transitions are inadequately presented and lacks a direct flow of thought throughout the paper.

· Paper is not organized into a discussion and inadequately flows from concept/term to concept/term and presents an inadequate introductory, conclusory, and connecting mechanics to make the assignment a research paper.

0 points

Not present

Structure (30%)

Advanced

92-100%

Proficient

84-91%

Developing

1-83%

Not Present

Total

Format/APA

19 to 20 points:

· The paper includes title page, reference page, and 5–7 full pages of content.

· The paper is thoroughly organized effectively, uses headings and subheadings and uses reader-friendly aids, (e.g., section summaries, tables of contents, indices, appendices, etc.) as appropriate.

· The reference page(s) contains complete, properly formatted citations in current APA format for all support utilized.

· The paper follows current APA format guidelines.

· The paper is written in 12-pt Times New Roman font, is double-spaced, and has 1” margins. The work is original, giving credit to all borrowed ideas and quotations.

17 to 18.5 points:

· The paper includes title page, reference page, and mostly 5–7 full pages of content.

· The paper is mostly adequately organized effectively, uses headings and subheadings and uses reader-friendly aids, (e.g., section summaries, tables of contents, indices, appendices, etc.) as appropriate.

· The reference page(s) contains mostly complete, properly formatted citations in current APA format for all support utilized. The paper follows current APA format guidelines.

· The paper is mostly written in 12-pt Times New Roman font, is double-spaced, and has 1” margins. The work is mostly original, giving credit to all borrowed ideas.

1 to 16.5 points:

· The paper does not includes and/or title page, reference page, and lacks 5–7 full pages of content.

· The paper lacks effective use of headings and subheadings and uses reader-friendly aids, (e.g., section summaries, tables of contents, indices, appendices, etc.) as appropriate.

· The reference page(s) is incomplete, improperly formatted citations in current APA format.

· The paper does not follow current APA format guidelines.

· The paper is not written in 12-pt Times New Roman font, lacks double-line spacing, and lacks 1” margins. The work is not original, and lacks giving credit to all borrowed ideas.

0 points

Not present

Grammar/

Punctuation/

Spelling

14 to 15 points:

· Rules of grammar, usage, and punctuation are followed.

· Spelling is correct.

12.5 to 13.5 points:

· Most rules of grammar, usage, and punctuation are followed.

· Most spelling is correct.

1 to 12 points:

· Inadequate rules of grammar, usage, and punctuation are followed.

· Minimal spelling is correct.

0 points

Not present

Readability

/Style

9.25 to 10 points:

· Sentences are complete, clear, and concise.

· Sentences are well-constructed with consistently strong and varied structure.

· Sentence transitions are present and direct the flow of thought.

· Words used are precise and unambiguous.

· The paper employs authoritative, persuasive, statesmanlike voice.

8.5 to 9 points:

· Most sentences are complete, clear, and concise.

· Most sentences are well-constructed with consistently strong and varied structure.

· Most sentence transitions are present and direct the flow of thought.

· Most words used are precise and unambiguous.

· The paper mostly employs

authoritative, persuasive,

statesmanlike voice.

1 to 8.25 points:

· Few sentences are complete, clear, and concise.

· Few sentences are well-constructed with consistently strong and varied structure.

· Few sentence transitions are present and direct the flow of thought.

· Few words used are precise and unambiguous.

· The paper poorly employs

authoritative, persuasive,

statesmanlike voice.

0 points

Not present

Professor

Comments:

Total

/150

Last Updated on February 10, 2019