C. C. Plehn, Introduction to Public Finance, pp. 310-327;
American Academy of Political and Social Science, Taxation and Public Expenditures, pp. 1-283 (Annals, Vol. XCV, May, 1921).
Group Problems
1. Should the present rate of national income taxes and surtaxes be raised or lowered? The Income Tax Law of 1913. The increase in rates during the war. The changes made in 1921. Are the present exemptions fair? How do the surtaxes operate? Are they shifted by the taxpayers to others? How? The flow of investments into non-taxables. Examples. Is a progressive rate justifiable in order to promote a greater approach to equality in net incomes? Conclusions. References: C. C. Plehn, Introduction to Public Finance, 4th ed., pp. 270-309; G. N. Wilson, The Income Tax, pp. 1-11; F. R. Fairchild, Federal Taxation of Income and Profits (American Economic Review, Vol. XI, No. 1, Supplement, pp. 148-159); R. M. Haig, The Federal Income Tax, pp. 1-25; J. A. Hobson, Taxation in the New State, pp. 95-110; American Academy of Political and Social Science, Taxation and Public Expenditure, pp. 180-187 (Annals, Vol. XCV, May, 1921).
2. How public budgets are made. H. J. Ford, The Cost of Our National Government, pp. 11-21; S. G. Lowrie, The Budget, pp. 11-30; F. A. Cleveland, Chapters on Municipal Administration and Accounting, pp. 67-81; Cyclopedia of American Government, Vol. I, pp. 181-184; Massachusetts Constitutional Convention, 1917-1918, Bulletins, No. 2 (State Budget Systems in the United States); American Academy of Political and Social Science, Public Budgets, pp. 36-46 (Annals, Vol. LXII, No. 151); Ibid., Taxation and Public Expenditure, pp. 228-250 (Annals, Vol. XCV, May, 1921); U. S. Bureau of the Census, Financial Statistics of States; Financial Statistics of Cities. (Each is published annually.)
3. A study of the per capita cost of selected administrative departments in your own state or community compared with those of other states or communities. (Adequate data for this study can be found in two annual publications of the U. S. Census Bureau, namely, Financial Statistics of States, and Financial Statistics of Cities. For an example of such a study, in brief form, see W. B. Munro, Principles and Methods of Municipal Administration, p. 457.)[p. 457.)]
Short Studies
1. The principles underlying taxation. F. W. Taussig, Principles of Economics, Vol. II, pp. 483-496.
2. The power of Congress to tax. W. B. Munro, The Government of the United States, pp. 221-227.
3. Income taxes in foreign countries. E. R. A. Seligman, The Income Tax (2d ed.), England, pp. 167-218; France, pp. 273-328; Germany, pp. 223-272.