Politics
The Debates: Are the Candidates 'Artfully Dodging"?
Artful Dodgers: Responding But Not Answering Often Undetected
Seeing questions can help voters detect dodges and be better informed, new study says
WASHINGTON—How can some people respond to a question without answering the question, yet satisfy th… more »
Sequestration: “A self-inflicted wound” to a struggling economy
Jake Grovum of Stateline writes: “Ham-handed cuts” nobody thought would actually happen. “The big, dumb spending cuts that no one wants,” - descriptions given to the looming federal budget reductions that are scheduled to take effect Jan. 2, 2013, unless Congress stops them. If they are enacted, more than $1.2 trillion would be cut from federal spending in the next ten years, including nearly $110 billion next year alone. more »
Asking the Question: Have You Ever Used a Government Social Program?
John Wihbey writes: Programs included the Home Mortgage Interest Deduction; the HOPE and Lifetime Learning Tax Credits; Child and Dependent Care Tax Credits; 529 (Qualified Tuition Program) or Coverdell Education Savings Account (education IRAs); the Earned Income Tax Credit; and “usage of student loans and employer subsidized health and retirement benefits.” more »
Are You Part of the 47% Who Pay No Federal Income Tax? If You're the Average Retired Senior - Most Probably, Yes
The non-partisan Tax Policy Center:"Provisions that benefit senior citizens and low-income working families with children particularly affect households with income under $50,000 but other factors make higher-income households nontaxable." more »