Контуры глобальных трансформаций: политика, экономика, право (Aug 2018)

Budget Innovations at the Period of Trump’s Presidency: Social Dimension

  • L. F. LEBEDEVA

DOI
https://doi.org/10.23932/2542-0240-2018-11-2-46-62
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 11, no. 2
pp. 46 – 62

Abstract

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Tax cuts and spending cuts go hand in hand at the beginning of the Trump epoch. The paper focuses on the social effects of the tax reform and new budget priorities which come along with steps aimed to move more people from welfare into the workforce. For a vast majority of Americans, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act will lower their federal tax bill in the coming years due to the new rates, new tax brackets, much larger standard deductions, expanded child tax credit. The high quintiles pay the biggest share of the tax burden, so they will receive the largest volume in tax cuts. Income tax cuts, coming along with growing defense and infrastructure spending may significantly increase the budget deficit and national debt in the nearest future, and require huge slashing federal spending which would affect welfare programs for the low-income Americans. There are nо plans to cut Social Security benefits as the main driver of federal spending; but social expenditures which comprise cash benefits, direct in-kind provision of goods and services are proposed to being cut. The category of funding targeted by the Trump plan covers a wide rangeof basic services, from medical care to education programs, child care, housing assistance for low-income families.

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