Architecture Economics Questions Discussion Assignment Looking at

Architecture Economics Questions Discussion Assignment Looking at the major spending categories, and delving into detail as you can, identify spending areas that you think could be cut if there were a need to reduce the deficit or control inflation. In terms of cutting the deficit, it is worth reiterating that no spending cuts are politically popular, even for deficit-hating conservatives.

However, given the current state of affairs in Iraq, it would seem that the areas least open to potential cuts are those for the Department of Defense and Department of State and International Assistance. The best available options might be to cut departments and agencies of which, some of whose functions could be potentially assumed by the states. These might include he Department of Education, Housing and Human Development, and Environmental Protection Agency. However, these departments have relatively small budgets.

Thus, another potential option might be cutting some of the farm subsidizes and revenue of the Department of Agriculture, although given the recent mad cow scare, such cuts would still cause political uprisings in many quarters, fearing that research into potential safety measure might be compromised. Would your choices be different if inflation control were the goal, rather than deficit reduction? To reduce inflation as well as cut the deficit, one would target departments that created an overheated revenue climate with the goal of tempering overheated production.

Again, Agriculture would be an excellent department to cut from this perspective, as well the Departments of Treasury and Commerce. Which of your choices do you think would meet the most resistance, and why? Think about NIMBY. Cuts that are most resisted are cuts that hit closest to citizen's homes and home life, particularly Social Security. Look through the budget to find the source of tax receipts.

If it were necessary to increase taxes to address deficit or inflation: Which taxes would you increase, and why? What would be the strongest objections to your choices? To simply.