The Washington Outsider

Tax, Trade, Social Security, and Welfare Reform: An Economic Framework To Make America Great

6/29/2018

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​The US economy needs to be recalibrated to better serve the economic interests of the American People.  US President Donald Trump has attempted to do this by adopting tariffs and pressuring US trade partners to renegotiate trade deals.  He has also facilitated the passage of massive tax cuts, which included an embrace of a territorial tax system.  Although key changes to the personal tax code, such as the doubling of the standard deduction, were overdue and should have been permanent, tax relief mainly benefited wealthier individuals and corporations.  Not only did Trump’s territorial tax code create a perverse incentive for US companies to shift profits overseas, his incendiary negotiation tactics have resulted in politically-charged retaliatory tariffs that are unnecessarily hurting consumers and manufactures.  
With change comes growing pains.  The Trump Administration has tried to mitigate the pain of change by haphazardly issuing tariff exemptions despite the reality that it did not in preparation develop the bureaucratic infrastructure needed to handle such requests along with a massive diplomatic effort to renegotiate most of America’s trade arrangements.  Instead of a strategic and mutually beneficial recalibration of US trade relations, Trump has started a trade war based on special interests-driven policies that are hurting US businesses and consumers.  While China, which Trump branded as the greatest economic threat to US manufacturing, has been able to essentially court the favor of the Trump Administration, America’s allies have been alienated.  Instead of a constructive tax reform, which simplifies the US tax code and eases the burden on those who can least afford it, Trump opted for special interest giveaways.  To boot, Trump has turned his attention to depriving vulnerable Americans of the social welfare system they rely upon.
 
The American People need their political leadership to address their economic interests.  To do this, these leaders need to embrace a policy framework that will facilitate a strategic restructuring of how the US economy distributes wealth.  It starts with a fundamental shift in how political leaders look at economic policies.  Instead of simply embracing policies that directly benefit their constituents, their benefactors, and preferred special interest groups, political leaders need to look at economic policies in terms of the human impact.  Clearly, businesses and economies do not work based on how people feel they should work, but the economy does exist to provide for the needs of the People, government exists to address the needs of the People, businesses exist to solve problems for people.   As such, economic policies need to be formulated based on how they impact people in the real world.  Economic policies need to address the needs of average people.
 
Social welfare programs, for example, are purely government attempts to address the needs of the people that the “free market“ has failed to address.  Today, an inescapable dependence on poverty relief programs, alongside negative public perceptions against public assistance, are fueling the transformation of social welfare programs.  While modern Republicans hope to simply slash funding and benefits, mainly by creating hurdles like work requirements and tightening other eligibility requirements, the1996 welfare reform effort successfully used a work requirement to transform Food Stamps from a budget relieving program to a budget enhancing program.  Food Stamp recipients who worked more began to receive more food aid, even though they received less cash assistance.  
 
Although this policy shift perversely eased the pressure on employers to raise the wages of low-income workers, it removed the punitive nature of getting a low-income job.  Public assistance programs were created for those who are essentially destitute and remain destitute, thus they foster perpetual destitution for those who cannot find employment that offers a living wage.  If the goal is to encourage more people to find more work, public assistance programs need to be less punitive to those who find low-income work and their children, who often cannot save money or work without harming their family’s eligibility for public assistance.  Means testing, for example, needs to be smarter.  In turn, assistance programs need to help more recipients get the help they need to find better jobs.  This can mean robust education assistance, more strategic on-the-job apprentice programs, which do not perpetually give employers cheap labor, and/or increased access to the mental healthcare needed to address the dysfunctions that prevent people from pursuing viable jobs.
 
On the other end of the social welfare spectrum, Social Security and Medicare are prime examples of government avoiding major economic problems.  The Social Security trust fund is set to run out of money by the mid-2030’s while Medicare will likely become insolvent by 2026.  Social Security and Medicaid are a problem today, because the US Federal government spent too much, did not tax enough, and borrowed from the Social Security trust fund to pay for both.  How we got into this predicament does not, however, change the fact that there is a problem.  It must be addressed sooner rather than later or Social Security will collapse, along with the Federal Budget.  The good news is that both programs will continue to be able to pay out most of the benefits owned to beneficiaries without devastating the US National Budget.  Converting the program to a need-based insurance plan, as well as taking other measures, can help avert a major economic and Fiscal disaster without simply placing the burden solely on younger generations.  The real problem, however, is the National Debt and growing income inequality.
 
The only way to address the US National Debt, unless enough people and political leaders agree to embrace a radical Libertarian government, is to increase government revenue, which likely means raising taxes and tarrifs.  Doing so must, however, be done strategically.  The tax code should place a near equal tax burden on all individuals.  There should be a progressive tax code that minimizes the burden on poorer individuals by levying a higher tax rate on wealthier individuals while tax rates should be kept as low as possible for everyone.  Government should avoid discouraging or punishing pro-social behavior, which is why the charitable tax deduction is popular and should be preserved.  This is the only way to minimize the adverse impact government has on the incomes of the American People.  Taxation is not, however, so not straightforward.  Taxes and tariffs, after all, impact job creators, i.e. businesses.
 
Too great of a tax or tariff burden will suppress business development and growth, which will deprive workers of jobs and consumers of the products they need at the prices they can afford.  Like the individual tax code, the business tax code should, therefore, be progressive.  The small and low-income businesses that create the majority of jobs in the US should pay less in taxes than wealthier and larger businesses.  Although proponents of a low business tax rightfully criticized America’s relatively high corporate income before Trump’s reforms, the problem has always been that wealthier and larger businesses are often able to take advantage of tax deductions and loopholes that smaller and lower-income businesses cannot.  As such, wealthier and larger businesses have been able to dodge the taxes they should be paying.  The US needs this tax revenue to relief the US National Debt and, ultimately, relief the tax burden on all, thereby helping the economy grow.  Although Trump empowered “pass-through” businesses by allowing their owners to take advantage of a lower-tax corporate rate, it may be time to consider an alternative minimum tax for corporations and tax brackets in order to ensure businesses pay their fair share without hurting job creators.  
 
Unless businesses are expanding operations, growing their workforce, or increasing employee compensation inside the United States, they should not receive tax breaks, because the US has no interest in giving them tax breaks.    To that end, policymakers should embrace and cap the benefits of a reduced capital gains tax rate, so it can act primarily as an incentive for middle-income households to invest.  In turn, governments might consider subsidizing another type of capital through tax cuts that would drive growth where it is most needed, i.e. intellectual capital.  Innovations and the spread of new technology can create good paying jobs by sparking novel industries.  Coupled with improved patent laws, offering a tax discount on par with current capital gains tax deductions for royalty payments on novel technologies and other innovations would make them far more valuable.  By making patents and other intellectual property more valuable, financial capital would be steered toward innovation, thereby ultimately cultivating new industries and jobs.
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        • Should the Government Control Talk Radio to Make it More "balanced"?
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      • Should One's Faith Influence a Citizen's Vote?
      • Should the U.S. Government Help Fund Election Campaigns?
      • On Defunding Political Science Research
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      • Justice for All: The Case for Legal, Social, Economic, and Personal Justice
      • Why Hardliner Thinking in the NSA and CIA is Doing Damage
      • On the Baby Boomer’s Self-Centeredness
      • The Case for Personal Responsibility
      • What Modern Day Revolutionaries Need to Learn from Leader's like Mandela
      • Rising Western Acceptance of LGBT Primes Culture Clash
      • The Need for Wisdom Beyond the Numbers
      • Perceptions of the United States
      • How Honesty Relates to the Great Recession
      • Why the Middle Class and Rich Need to Support Their Long-term Interests
      • The Aristocratic Republic of the United States of America
      • Discussing the Need for Community Support
      • Why New Forms of Capitalism and Socialism Will Compliment Each Other
      • The Reason We Need to Understand What it is to Be Poor in America
      • Why the World Needs to Reinvest in America
      • Why Are We Against Terrorism?
      • Why Does Terrorism Exist?
      • US Influence: The Value of American Citizenship Around the World
      • Responding to "the Soldier as Sacrficial Victim"
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        • Is Suicide a Cowardly Way Out?
      • Defense Against the Dark Arts of Manipulators
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        • How to Understand Abuse Victims
        • Recognizing Abuse
      • The Role of Substitution in Decision Making
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        • Mental Illness is Not the Cause of Anger and Violence >
          • Trying to Understand the Boston Marathon Bombing and Other Violent Crimes
          • Getting into the Twisted Mind of the Tucson Murder
      • Describing the Mind as Modes of Thought >
        • It’s Just Sex?
      • Relationships, or Arrangement
      • Understanding the Effects of Groupthink in the Workplace
      • Relating Circular, Inductive, and Deductive Reasoning to the Scientific Method and Religion
      • What is a Redneck? Understanding Different Cultures and Thinking
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      • The Need for Greater Economic Leverage >
        • Evaluating NAFTA and TPP
        • Undercutting Logistics with the Underpaid Independent Contractor
        • Unions: Hindrance or Essential to Free Markets
        • Eminent Domain Used Against Banks
        • Haitians Sue the UN for Failure to Help With Cholera
        • Looking at How Corn-based Ethanol and Other Alternative Energy Subsidies Stack Up
      • Empowering the Sovereign Nation-State by Rethinking Trade Policy >
        • Irish Sovereignty Lost Before Bailout
        • Why Sudan's Greatest Long-Term Hurdle is Our Lowest-bidder Economy
        • Reduce US Imports by Buying American Made Products
      • Ending the need for government support and tackling poverty
      • Income inequality: understanding the limitations and psychology of disadvantage
      • Looking at the Future of American Jobs >
        • On Questioning the Need to Address Economic Disparity
        • Minimum Wage is Not the Problem
        • Responding to the "Blip"
        • Why Education Is Not The Civil Rights Issue Of The Twenty-First Century
      • Considering the Impact of the Capital Gains Tax Deduction
      • Embracing a Capitalist Mindset >
        • Capitalism Versus Socialism
        • The Negatives of Socialism
      • Stealing Intellectual Property
      • Changing Business Models: From Enduring Entities to Cash Cows
      • Consumer and Investor Evolution in the Great Recession of 2008-09
      • Dealing with the Issues Surrounding the Patenting of Self-replicating Technologies
      • Is Technology Threatening Jobs?
    • Education >
      • The Role of Education in Creating a More Dynamic Workforce
      • Primary Education in America and the Changing Needs of Society
      • The Greatness of the American Education System
      • Ideas for Improving the United States Education System
      • Are Teachers Treated as Professionals?
      • Is Engaging Parents in Their Children's Education a Major Factor in Turning Around Low-performing Schools?
      • Should Grants Be Awarded to School Districts that Try Innovative Methods to Improve Student Achievement?
    • US Constitution >
      • On Reading the US Constitution
      • The Senate should not do more to limit the powers of the Judicial Branch
      • On the DOJ Justifying the “targeted Killings” of US Citizens
      • Corporations Do Not Have the Same Rights as US Citizens >
        • Corporate America Pleads the First
      • Discussing the Constitutionality of Per Capita Taxes
      • Was the California Supreme Court Right in Legalizing Gay Marriage?
      • Should the Bible Continue to Be Used for Swearing-in Ceremonies and in Courtrooms?
      • Should Religious Student Clubs Be Allowed in Public Schools?
      • Should the Government Control Talk Radio to Make it More "balanced"?
      • The Second Amendment: Not Outdated >
        • Are We Losing Our Second Amendment Rights
      • Eminent Domain Used Against Banks
      • Should a Woman Have the Right to Choose Abortion? >
        • Should Fathers Be Able to Opt Out of Parenthood?
      • Should Smoking Be Allowed in Public Places?
      • Is Teen Driving a Right or a Privilege?
      • Should US Companies Be Required to Provide Equal Pay to Women and Men?
      • Is eighteen too young to vote?
      • First Amendment Rights: The Priviledge of The Press
      • Do Mandatory Seat Belt Laws Violate Individual Rights?
      • Should cell phone use be banned while driving?
      • Dealing with the link between video game violence and children's behavior
      • Should police have to submit to routine drug and alcohol testing?
      • Public schools should not impose mandatory drug testing on students
      • Are High Taxes on Cigarettes Proper?
      • Should pharmacists be required to violate their religious beliefs and dispense the "Morning After Pill?"
      • Should school counselors uphold patient privacy or report students who become unstable?
  • For the record
    • Ongoing Issues >
      • Red Dawn in Ukraine: Understanding the Actions of Russia >
        • On Russia’s Coercion of Ukraine
        • The Russian Annexation of Crimea in the Eyes of the World
        • Putin Has Overplayed His Hand With Crimea
        • Ukraine in Terms of Resovereignization
        • Avoiding a Conflict Between America and Russia Over Ukraine
        • What Drives the World’s Interest in Russia’s Actions in Ukraine
      • China’s Aggressive Pursuit of Interests Demands a Global Response
      • Iran Makes a Deal: A Start to a Long-term Diplomatic Effort to Denuclearize Iran >
        • On the Future of a Nuclear Negotiations with Iran
      • America's Sphere of Influence: Retaking South-East Asia >
        • Power in Asia: Looking at the Power Shift in Japan
        • The China Paradox: Why America is Worried About China
      • Assessing US Support of Israel >
        • Tread Softly Israel for a Heavy Step May Be Your Undoing
      • Understanding the Dysfunctional Nature of the US-Pakistani Relationship
      • Recognizing the True Threat Behind the Current Unrest in the Middle East >
        • Reacting to the Escalating Crackdown in Syria
      • Assessing the Threat of North Korea >
        • Answering North Korea's Call for Food Aid: Breaking the Vicious Cycle Forced Upon Us by a Warring Nation
        • Dealing with the Restarting of the Korean War
        • North Korea Attacks South Korea
      • Dealing with the Ill-effects of Climate Change
      • Racial Inequality and Oppression Do Truly Exist in Today's Society
      • Should energy independence be a high priority in the US?
      • An overview of world wide Human Rights violations
      • Nuclear Threat from Pakistan
      • Return of The Cold War?
    • World >
      • Coverage of FIFA World Cup is a Chance to Focus on Poverty >
        • The FIFA World Cup Offers Benefits for More Than Brazilian Soccer Fans
        • FIFA Can Bring Brazilians Together as a Nation
      • Being Prepared for Any Potential Dangers at the FIFA World Cup Games
      • Treading Softly on the Politicizing of the 2014 Sochi Olympics Over Gay Rights
      • Why NATO Operations in Libya Lack a Well-defined Mission
      • China Hijacks the Web
      • Lessons from the Great Japanese Earthquake of 2011
      • A Modernizing Cuba Offers an Opportunity for Capitalists
      • The Seeds of Democracy Take Root in the Middle East
      • The Rebirth of Democracy in Tunisia
      • What May Come from the Hurt Revolution in Libya
      • Responding to the Violence of Qaddafi and Other Besieged Leaders
      • Embracing the Rise of a Democratic Egypt
      • Protests in Afghanistan Turn Deadly for Coalition Forces and UN Personnel
      • Haiti: Another Failing Humanitarian Investment
      • What Karzai Can Learn from Calderon
      • START II: A Necessary, Easy Success that Nearly Failed
      • Why Does the U.S. Government Support Independence for the Breakaway Serb Territory of Kosovo but Oppose Independence for the Breakaway Georgian Territories of Abkhazia and South Ossetia?
      • Iraq's Electric Issues: When Human Wants Trump Economic Sense
      • The International Community Reacts to Wikileaks: We May Be Moving Toward a Third World War in Cyberspace
      • On Climate Gate
      • Assessing Obama's Afghanistan War strategy
      • 2009 Iranian Presidential Election: The Fallout
      • Resolving Sri Lankan Conflict through Free Media
      • What are the Global Consequences of Russia's Invasion of Georgia
      • The War in Iraq: an assessment of President Bush's surge strategy
      • Drug War: Actions of Venezuela, Columbia, Ecuador in terms of Resovereignization
      • Is the Iraq Refugee Crisis America's Responsibility?
      • US support for a united Kosovo, Abkhazia, and South Ossetia: why?
      • Should the US withdraw from Iraq?
      • Setting a Timetable for Troop Withdrawal from Iraq is a Terrible Mistake
      • War on Terrorism is needed
    • Law and Order >
      • Rape in the US Military
      • Ethics of Force-feeding Guantanamo Bay Detainees
      • Reacting to the Aftermath of the Tucson Massacre
    • Economy >
      • Affordability Drives Fear of Obamacare and the Individual Mandate
      • Is the Economy Built for a Job's Recovery?
      • Gutting Healthcare Reform of the Individual Mandate
      • Arizona Budget Cuts Lead to Lethal Healthcare Rationing:
      • Shameful Collection Practices of American Banks
      • The Fed Reveals it Actually Undertook an International Bailout
      • Thoughts on French Budgetary Reforms
      • Seniors Start Businesses
      • The Case for Slimming Down the US Military to Make it Better
      • Looking at the Obama Administration's New Approach to Economic Policy
      • Should the Government Regulate the Credit Card Industry?
      • The Big Three's Big Chance
      • The Unhealthy Tone of the Healthcare Reform Debate
      • Should the federal government offer a bailout for home owners?
      • Environmentalists: Do They Do More Good Than More Harm?
      • Responding to Scott Walker's Contribution to the War on Unions
    • US Government >
      • America Needs to Focus on the Impending Fiscal Crisis
      • Reacting to the Bush Era-tax Cut Extension Deal
      • Quitting the Obama Revolution: The Fickle Nature of American Politics
      • John Boehner's Circus
      • Is the Fed Putting Itself in Jeopardy?
      • Wikileaks Goes After the US State Department
      • Discussing the Political Environment Surrounding the 2011 Budget Debate
      • What the Democrats Can Do to Ensure a GOP Year in 2012
      • What the 2010 Midterm Actually Said
      • Congresswoman Kathy Dahlkemper
      • Democrats Minus Nancy Pelosi Equals Opportunity
      • Terrorists Go Postal: The Terrorism Threat Reexamined
      • Victory in the 2008 Election: Reaction to Barack Obama'a Win >
        • Expectations for Barack Obama
      • President Obama's first one hundred days
      • John McCain's Negative Campaign
      • Reasons People did not Elect John Mccain
      • History judges the George W. Bush Administration
      • Should the next US President focus on domestic issues?
      • President Bush, should he resign or be impeached
      • Should the Ban on Government Sponsored Assassinations be Repealed
    • Off Topic >
      • A Face of America’s Greatest Generation
      • A Story About a Man Who Made the World a Better Place
      • Making the World a Better Place
      • The Bipolar Ethical Nature of Google
      • Learning Computer Plays Jeopardy
      • Verifying Medicine is the Real Thing
      • Taking a Practical Step Forward in Optical Computing Using Slow Light
      • Scientists Take a Closer Look at How Lithium Batteries Work
      • Remarking on the First Blizzard of the 2010-2011 Winter Season
      • Driving in the Snow: Acceleration is the Key
      • How People in Northwest PA Are Coping with the Increasing Cost of Oil
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