Guide to the Web for Economics

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CHAPTER 10

Taxes, Deficits, and Debt

• Federal Budget
• Budget Deficits and Federal Debt
• Taxes
• State and Local Government
• Alphabetical(10)
• Global Index

• A Citizen's Guide to the Federal Budget
  • Type: list Level: basic Length: medium Links: yes Graphics: yes Other: pdf/search
  • A chapter from a federal publication containing information about how the federal government creates a budget, describing the budget process and how it is monitored. Page also links to other chapters in the Guide.
  • http://www.gpo.gov/su_docs/budget99/guide/guide03.html
• Budgets of the U.S. Government
  • Type: list Level: basic Length: medium Links: yes Graphics: yes Other: pdf/search
  • Page is a directory of links allowing the user to view and/or download the federal budget for fiscal years 2000 back to 1996 as well as current and past copies of the Economic Report of the President.
  • http://www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/budget/index.html
• Budget of U.S. Government-FY1999
  • Type: writing/table Level: intermediate Length: long Links: yes Graphics: yes Other: pdf/search
  • Site from the Executive Office of the President includes links to download the FY 1999 federal budget with analytical perspectives, historical tables, and an explanation of the budget system and concepts.
  • http://www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/budget99/
• U.S. Budget Information
  • Type: list Level: basic Length: short Links: yes Graphics: no
  • Page is a directory of links to other URLs that provide charts and tables of information on federal budget deficits and debt, federal outlays, marginal tax rates and much more.
  • http://people.delphi.com/rd100/budget.html
• President's Budgetary Proposal
  • Type: report/table Level: intermediate Length: long Links: yes Graphics: yes
  • A Congressional Budget Office report that analyzes the President's budget for fiscal year 2000 and compares it to the CBO estimates. It includes the President's proposals for social security Medicare, and national defense.
  • http://www.cbo.gov/showdoc.cfm?index=1209&sequence=0&from=1
• Economic and Budget Outlook
  • Type: report/table Level: intermediate Length: long Links: yes Graphics: yes
  • A Congressional Budget Office report on the state of the economy and the budget that the CBO issues each year. It provides revenue and spending projections through 2009 and addresses uncertainty in budget projections.
  • http://www.cbo.gov/showdoc.cfm?index=1059&sequence=0&from=1
• Analysis of Economic Growth Act of 1998
  • Type: report/table Level: intermediate Length: long Links: yes Graphics: yes Other: pdf/search
  • A Congressional Budget Office analysis of the macroeconomic effects of the Economic Growth Act of 1998, a bill that would reduce the tax rate on most long-term capital gains. Page also links to other CBO reports and provides an internal search for particular terms.
  • http://www.cbo.gov/showdoc.cfm?index=759&sequence=0&from=1
• Description of Economic Models
  • Type: report Level: intermediate Length: long Links: yes Graphics: yes
  • Site provides a detailed description of the various models used by Congressional Budget Office in preparing its economic forecasts and analyses.
  • http://www.cbo.gov/showdoc.cfm?index=1046&sequence=0&from=1
• FAIRMODEL
  • Type: writing Level: advanced Length: short Links: yes Graphics: yes Other: pdf
  • Site provides a sophisticated computer model of the U.S. economy using on-line and/or user-created data sets. Programs and data can be downloaded or used on-line for data analysis and generating table, graphs, and forecasts.
  • http://fairmodel.econ.yale.edu/

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Alphabetical(10)

Global Index

Go To Contents

Budget Deficits and Federal Debt

• Public Debt to the Penny
  • Type: table Level: basic Length: medium Links: yes Graphics: yes
  • Page reports the public debt figures daily for the current month, monthly for the last twelve months, and annually for the last several years. Page also links to a plethora of other resources available from the Bureau of Public Debt.
  • http://www.publicdebt.treas.gov/opd/opdpenny.htm
• National Budget Simulation
  • Type: writing Level: intermediate Length: medium Links: yes Graphics: yes
  • Site of UC-Berkeley's Center for Community Economic Research, featuring an interactive simulation in which the user can try balancing the federal budget. Page also links to other sources of information on the federal budget.
  • http://garnet.berkeley.edu:3333/budget/budget.html
• National Debt Clock
  • Type: list Level: basic Length: medium Links: yes Graphics: yes
  • Page lists the current public debt and includes several useful links for finding and contacting legislators, FAQs about the debt, and other sites concerning the national debt.
  • http://www.brillig.com/debt_clock/
• Our Crushing Public Debt
  • Type: writing Level: basic Length: long Links: yes Graphics: yes
  • Page gives a running total of the national debt and includes comments about the growth of the debt and entitlement programs.
  • http://www.europa.com/~blugene/deficit/debt.html
• Grandfather Federal Debt Report
  • Type: writing Level: basic Length: long Links: yes Graphics: yes
  • Page reports some details about the growth of the federal debt and includes comments on how the debt can be a burden on future generations.
  • http://home.att.net/~mwhodges/debt_a.htm
• Why Debt Is Still Up With a Surplus
  • Type: writing Level: intermediate Length: medium Links: no Graphics: yes
  • Page from the Concord Coalition that explains the unified budget process and why the federal debt can rise even with an annual budget surplus.
  • http://www.concordcoalition.org/federal_budget/debtup.html
• Deficits and Debt
  • Type: writing/table Level: basic Length: long Links: yes Graphics: yes
  • Site from the Executive Office of the President includes charts and comments about why budget deficits are a problem and recent deficit reduction efforts.
  • http://www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs/budget99/guide/guide04.html
• Twin Deficit Perspective on the Federal Budget
  • Type: publication Level: intermediate Length: long Links: yes Graphics: yes
  • Site contains a paper discussing the inherent problems with the balance budget amendment and outlines an alternative approach for deficit control.
  • http://www.iea-macro-economics.org/twindef.html
• Maintaining Budgetary Discipline
  • Type: report/table Level: intermediate Length: long Links: yes Graphics: yes
  • A Congressional Budget Office report compiling 250 specific policy options for reducing federal spending or increasing revenues. It includes arguments for and against each policy option.
  • http://www.cbo.gov/showdoc.cfm?index=1222&sequence=0&from=1
• Discretionary Spending Limits
  • Type: report/table Level: intermediate Length: long Links: yes Graphics: no
  • A Congressional Budget Office analysis of the statutory limits on discretionary federal government spending. It estimates the sequestration (across-the-board cuts) required when annual appropriations exceed the limits set forth by the Deficit Control Act.
  • http://www.cbo.gov/showdoc.cfm?index=1060&sequence=0&from=1
• Budget meets the Boomers
  • Type: publication Level: basic Length: long Links: yes Graphics: yes Other: search
  • A 1996 paper discussing the impact baby boomers will have on the federal budget through increased expenditures on Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid. Proposals for reform are also addressed in the paper.
  • http://www.brook.edu/pub/review/boswfa96.htm
• Social Security Problem
  • Type: publication Level: basic Length: short Links: yes Graphics: yes
  • Site from the Fed bank of Cleveland outlines the problems Social Security (and the federal budget) will face as the baby boom generation enters retirement. Page also includes some projections with nice graphs.
  • http://www.clev.frb.org/research/jun97et/socsec1.htm
• Balanced Budget Amendment Briefing
  • Type: publication/list Level: basic Length: long Links: yes Graphics: yes
  • Page from the Electronic Policy Network provides a brief abstract with links to numerous articles that make the case against a balanced budget amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Page also links to related news, analysis, and Web resources.
  • http://epn.org/balance.html

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Alphabetical(10)

Global Index

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Taxes

• Tax Receipt from IBO of New York
  • Type: writing/table Level: basic Length: short Links: yes Graphics: yes
  • Page from the Independent Budget Office of New York features an interactive exercise for the user to enter information from their tax return and produce a detailed analysis of how much of user tax dollars were allocated to specific budget items, including social security and interest on the debt.
  • http://www.ibo.nyc.ny.us/taxfed.html
• Federal Tax Liability Estimates
  • Type: report/table Level: intermediate Length: long Links: yes Graphics: yes Other: pdf/search
  • Page contains a Congressional Budget Office summary of data to provide estimates of federal tax liabilities by income group and family type. Includes numerous tables and graphs and links to other CBO reports with an internal search for terms.
  • http://www.cbo.gov/showdoc.cfm?index=527&sequence=0&from=1
• Reform of the Federal Tax System
  • Type: report/table Level: intermediate Length: long Links: yes Graphics: yes Other: pdf/search
  • A Congressional Budget Office memorandum presenting two research papers on fundamental tax reform. Page also links to other CBO reports and provides an internal search for particular terms.
  • http://www.cbo.gov/showdoc.cfm?index=266&sequence=0&from=1
• Economic Effects of Comprehensive Tax Reform
  • Type: report/table Level: intermediate Length: long Links: yes Graphics: yes Other: pdf/search
  • A Congressional Budget Office study analyzing the major economic effects of several tax-reform plans. The study focuses on the effects on saving and investment, output, the allocation of resources, and the ultimate impacts of tax reform on social well being.
  • http://www.cbo.gov/showdoc.cfm?index=36&sequence=0&from=1
• Marriage and the Federal Income Tax
  • Type: report/table Level: intermediate Length: long Links: yes Graphics: yes Other: pdf/search
  • A Congressional Budget Office study examining the ways in which federal tax law affects the income taxes that married couples pay and how demographic and labor market changes have altered those effects. It also discusses possible changes in the federal tax code that would reduce the higher tax liabilities married couples often incur.
  • http://www.cbo.gov/showdoc.cfm?index=7&sequence=0&from=1
• Effects of Tax Law Changes
  • Type: report/table Level: intermediate Length: long Links: yes Graphics: yes Other: pdf/search
  • A Congressional Budget Office study estimating the revenue effects of tax law changes since 1978, including separate estimates of the revenue effects of changes in the tax rate on capital gains.
  • http://www.cbo.gov/showdoc.cfm?index=1049&sequence=0&from=1
• Federal Financial Support of Business
  • Type: report/table Level: intermediate Length: long Links: yes Graphics: yes Other: pdf/search
  • Page links to chapters and tables of a Congressional Budget Office study that provides data and analysis of federal government support of private business activities, including direct spending programs, credit subsidies, and tax incentives.
  • http://www.cbo.gov/showdoc.cfm?index=15&sequence=0&from=1
• Alternative Minimum Tax
  • Type: report/table Level: intermediate Length: long Links: yes Graphics: yes Other: pdf
  • Site contains a summary and a link to a full report by the Institute for Policy Innovation outlining the impacts of the alternative minimum tax on individuals, corporations, and the economy.
  • http://www.ncpa.org/pi/taxes/june98d.html
• Marginal Federal Income Tax Rates
  • Type: publication/table Level: intermediate Length: long Links: yes Graphics: yes
  • Page includes full text of a 1998 article published in the National Tax Journal. The paper examines changes in federal income tax policy from 1980 and 1995 and demonstrates their effect on individuals' marginal tax rates.
  • http://www.urban.org/tax/nta.htm

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Alphabetical(10)

Global Index

Go To Contents

State and Local Government

• States' Use of Surplus Funds
  • Type: report Level: intermediate Length: long Links: yes Graphics: no Other: pdf/search
  • A Congressional Budget Office report that examines how states manage surplus funds and whether their experiences may be applied to the federal government's budget.
  • http://www.cbo.gov/showdoc.cfm?index=1044&sequence=0&from=1
• Federal, State, and Local Governments
  • Type: list Level: basic Length: short Links: yes Graphics: yes Other: pdf/search
  • A great resource on a U.S. Census Bureau page containing several links to downloadable information and data on state and local government finances, tax collections, budgets, and more.
  • http://www.census.gov/govs/www/index.html
• Consolidated Federal Funds Report
  • Type: list Level: basic Length: short Links: yes Graphics: yes Other: search
  • Site contains links to detailed data on federal government expenditures or obligations for all states, counties and sub-county areas of the U.S., including convenient maps and scroll bars to search for data on selected states and counties. Page also links to other useful databases.
  • http://govinfo.kerr.orst.edu/cffr-stateis.html
• California Budget Project
  • Type: list Level: basic Length: short Links: yes Graphics: yes Other: pdf
  • A list of links to issues, propositions, data, and other detailed information about the budget of the state of California.
  • http://www.cbp.org/
• State Tax Rates & Structure
  • Type: writing/list Level: basic Length: short Links: yes Graphics: yes Other: pdf
  • Page links to numerous downloadable files containing information on state and local governments, including information on individual and corporate state income tax rates, state excise taxes on fuel, tobacco, and alcohol, and state and local revenues by source.
  • http://www.taxadmin.org/fta/rate/tax_stru.html
• State Tax Forms
  • Type: list Level: basic Length: short Links: yes Graphics: yes Other: pdf
  • Page from the Federation of Tax Administrators contains links to direct access of downloadable tax forms from each states home page.
  • http://www.taxadmin.org/fta/forms.html
• State and Local Government Finances
  • Type: report/table Level: intermediate Length: long Links: yes Graphics: no
  • Page contains the full text of a 1995 report detailing how rising Internet-based commerce is threatening the stability of state and local government finances nationwide.
  • http://socrates.berkeley.edu:3333/budget/tax-internet/taxart3b.html