Understanding Politics Health Sector Reform Political Sciene Discussion
You are an advisor to the President tasked with cutting at least $300 billion from the budget. The president wants your recommendations to cut lines, not large categories. Explain why you chose those cuts.
Note: These are not true US budget numbers.
DOMESTIC PROGRAMS AND FOREIGN AID |
Cut some foreign aid to African countries |
$17 billion |
|
Eliminate farm subsidies |
$14 billion |
|
Cut pay of civilian federal workers by 5 percent |
$14 billion |
|
Reduce the overall federal workforce by 10% |
$12 billion |
|
Cut aid to states by 5% |
$29 billion |
MILITARY |
Cut the number of nuclear warheads, and end the “Star Wars” missile defense program |
$19 billion |
|
Reduce military to pre-Iraq War size and further reduce troops in Asia and Europe |
$25 billion |
|
Cancel or delay some weapons programs |
$19 billion |
HEALTHCARE |
Enact medical malpractice reform by reducing the chances of large malpractice verdicts |
$ 8 billion |
|
Increase the Medicare eligibility age to 68 |
$ 8 billion |
|
Raise the Social Security retirement age to 68. |
$ 13 billion |
EXISTING TAXES |
Return the estate tax to Clinton-era levels, passing on an estate worth more than $1 million to their heirs would have portions of those estates taxed. |
$ 50 billion |
|
End tax cuts for income above $250,000 a year |
$ 54 billion |
|
$ 172 billion |
|
|
Payroll tax increase for people making over $106,000 annually contributing more to Social Security and Medicare. |
$ 50 billion |
NEW TAXES |
Institute a Millionaire’s tax on income above $1 million |
$ 50 billion |
|
Add a national 5% sales tax |
$ 41 billion |
|
Add a tax on carbon emissions |
$ 40 billion |
|
Tax banks based on their sizes and the amount of risk they take. |
$ 73 billion |
Total gap covered by your budget plan |
$_________________ |
Use evidence (cite sources) to support your response from assigned readings or online lessons, and at least one outside scholarly source.
Magstadt, Thomas M. Understanding Politics: Ideas, Institutions, and Issues. Cengage Learning, 2017