Government Spending
Mercatus Events

Searching for the Ideal Tax Policy: Exploring the Road to Reform

Nov 15, 2005 – Nov 18, 2005
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Schedule:
 

Session One: Tuesday, November 15
The Road to Reform 
An expert panel discussion on the President's
Advisory Panel on Federal Tax Reform
Hon. Maurice McTigue
Distinguished Visiting Scholar
Mercatus Center at George Mason University 
Dr. Sarah E. Nutter
Associate Professor of Accounting
George Mason University 
Dr. Peter R. Merrill
Director, National Economic Consulting Group
PricewaterhouseCoopers 

Click Here to listen to audio archive.

Session Two: Wednesday, November 16 
The Economics of Corporate Taxation 
Dr. William Gentry
Professor of Economics
Williams College

Click Here to listen to audio archive.

Session Three: Thursday, November 17
Untangling the Fairness Issue
Dr. Michael Marlow
Professor of Economics
California Polytechnic State University  

Session Four: Friday, November 18
Credits and Deductions: The Real World
Effects of Tax Expenditures
Dr. Michael Marlow
Professor of Economics
California Polytechnic State University 

Click Here to listen to audio archive. 
 

With the release of the final report of the President's Advisory Panel on Federal Tax Reform this month, tax policy is no doubt returning to the top of the domestic agenda. Unfortunately, no issue generates more controversy and confusion among those on Capitol Hill than what to do with our current tax system. Almost every political candidate, economist, and pundit has a different recipe for a better code, and consensus often seems impossible.

In order to help policymakers better evaluate current proposals, the Mercatus Center at George Mason University is sponsoring a four-day course to address this important and timely issue. By focusing on key questions that underlie the current tax debates, this course will develop a multi-layered framework for analysis of tax policy. Participation in this program will allow you to better address the following questions:

  • What are the costs, benefits and economic trade-offs of the recommendations from the President's Advisory Panel on Federal Tax Reform?
  • What are the implications and effects of the corporate income tax? Who typically bears the economic costs associated with this tax?
  • What is meant by “fairness” in the context of tax policy? Why does this generate such confusion?  In particular, how do equity principles apply to our current tax reform debate?
  • What are the intended and unintended outcomes of tax credits and deductions? How do they differ from direct taxation, and why is this issue now at the heart of the tax reform debate? 

 

Government Spending
Taxes