For a variety of reasons, the current social security system does an increasingly weaker job over time in allocating its additional revenues to providing protection against poverty in old-age.
[Indianapolis Star] Women Democratic senators recently sent President Bush a letter decrying his proposal to divert some payroll taxes into individual accounts, on the grounds that women would take a financial beating. Although many feminist groups hold this view, little empirical...
The issuance of an interim report by the Social Security Commission sparked a firestorm. Nonetheless, the report may be "under-interpreted" for what it suggests about dealing with the problems of the poor and "over-interpreted" for what it says about the reforms it will finally propose. The best...
Tax credits are being touted as possible mechanisms for expanding health insurance coverage in the United States. Analysts, members of Congress, and the Bush administration have all developed tax credit proposals in the past few years. However, although tax credit approaches are clearly...
The 2001 tax act was only one in a long series of tax laws complicating an already byzantine tax system. Ever the bridesmaid, simplification seems never to get the attention it deserves, no matter which political party is in powermainly because broader agendas are always being pursued.
With support from the Bush administration, the Federal Reserve Board Chairman, and Congress, a major cut in the federal income tax is almost certain. The question now is what type of cut it should be. Proponents often speak as though all tax cuts would benefit all groups. Not all income tax cuts...
The Alternative Minimum Tax albatross just keeps getting bigger and bigger and neither political party yet wants to take responsibility. Fixes are possible, but they require compromise over articles of faith for both parties.
In principle, both American voters and their elected officials want to support marriage and the family. One would expect, then, that our expenditure programs and tax code would reflect this desire. Unfortunately, this is not always the case. Instead of a consistent policy, we have a crazy quilt...
A bipartisan consensus favors public policy initiatives to expand health insurance coverage. This paper summarizes new CPS data on health insurance coverage for the nonelderly and discusses the issues involved in subsidizing health insurance. We outline a tax credit option designed to diminish...
This paper presents alternative measures of actual and projected net benefits (benefits minus payroll taxes) from the Old and Survivors Insurance (OASI) component of Social Security, based on results from a microsimulation model. The simulations take into account marital histories, income, and...
Limitations of the Individual Account Debate
For a variety of reasons, the current social security system does an increasingly weaker job over time in allocating its additional revenues to providing protection against poverty in old-age.
How Women Fare in Social Security Reform
[Indianapolis Star] Women Democratic senators recently sent President Bush a letter decrying his proposal to divert some payroll taxes into individual accounts, on the grounds that women would take a financial beating. Although many feminist groups hold this view, little empirical...
Withholding Judgment on the Social Security Commission Report
The issuance of an interim report by the Social Security Commission sparked a firestorm. Nonetheless, the report may be "under-interpreted" for what it suggests about dealing with the problems of the poor and "over-interpreted" for what it says about the reforms it will finally propose. The best...
Health Insurance Tax Credits
Tax credits are being touted as possible mechanisms for expanding health insurance coverage in the United States. Analysts, members of Congress, and the Bush administration have all developed tax credit proposals in the past few years. However, although tax credit approaches are clearly...
Tax Simplification
The 2001 tax act was only one in a long series of tax laws complicating an already byzantine tax system. Ever the bridesmaid, simplification seems never to get the attention it deserves, no matter which political party is in powermainly because broader agendas are always being pursued.
Designing Tax Cuts to Benefit Low-Income Families
With support from the Bush administration, the Federal Reserve Board Chairman, and Congress, a major cut in the federal income tax is almost certain. The question now is what type of cut it should be. Proponents often speak as though all tax cuts would benefit all groups. Not all income tax cuts...
Moving Beyond the Fight Over the Alternative Minimum Tax
The Alternative Minimum Tax albatross just keeps getting bigger and bigger and neither political party yet wants to take responsibility. Fixes are possible, but they require compromise over articles of faith for both parties.
Valuing Marital Commitment in our Transfer and Tax Systems
In principle, both American voters and their elected officials want to support marriage and the family. One would expect, then, that our expenditure programs and tax code would reflect this desire. Unfortunately, this is not always the case. Instead of a consistent policy, we have a crazy quilt...
First, Do No Harm: Designing Tax Incentives for Health Insurance
A bipartisan consensus favors public policy initiatives to expand health insurance coverage. This paper summarizes new CPS data on health insurance coverage for the nonelderly and discusses the issues involved in subsidizing health insurance. We outline a tax credit option designed to diminish...
Lifetime Distributional Effects of Social Security Retirement Benefits
This paper presents alternative measures of actual and projected net benefits (benefits minus payroll taxes) from the Old and Survivors Insurance (OASI) component of Social Security, based on results from a microsimulation model. The simulations take into account marital histories, income, and...