Unequal,YetHappy

InQuartzsUnequal,YetHappy,heclaimsthat,whilewearejustasdividedinsocialstanding,ifnotmoreso,thanourlastGildedAge,thepossibilitiesofconsumerchoicekeepussatedinoursocialstandings.Hereferencesourcountryshistory,specificallythelastGildedAge,andcitesdifferentstudiesonhowourneuralnetworkprocessesaspectsofoursocialandeconomiclivesdifferentlythanitmightvebeeninthatearliersociety.Thisarticleismeanttochallengethewayweviewourstanding,asindicatedbythelastline,Moneymaynotbuyhappinessinthelongrun,butconsumerchoicehasgonealongwayinkeepingmostAmericansreasonablycontent,eveniftheyshouldntbe,andusestheauthorsexpertiseinthefieldofneurosciencetoexamineexactlyhowconsumerchoiceisrulingouteconomicproblemsintermsofviewsofhappiness.ThisarticlewasintendedforthosewhomightendupbeingaJaneAddamsandbeingareformerofthewayAmericansviewtheirlives,indicatedbytheuseofthehistoricalcontextinthefirstparagraphandthechallengingtoneofthelast.ShamingThoseWhoSkipOutonTaxes

InPerezTrugliasShamingThoseWhoSkipOutonTaxes,hesuggeststhatpubliclyshamingthosewhofailtopaytheirtaxescouldbeanimportanttoolinreducingtheamountofevasion.Theauthorsuseastudytheyconductedinordertoprovetheeffectivenessofpublicshaming,andalsohighlightseveralstatesthatalreadyhaveshamingpolicies.Thepurposeofthisarticleistoemphasizethemeritsthattheuseofpublicshamingwouldhave,andtorecommendtheplantotheaudience.Theintendedaudienceismostlikelythosewhowouldhavethepowertoinfluencewhethershamingpoliciescouldbeimplemented,seeingashowthearticleisatitscorearecommendation.

DavidFeng

Precis:GroupActivity

Due:16April2015(makeup)

ShamingThoseWhoSkipOutonTaxes

Intheiropinioneditorial"ShamingThoseWhoSkipOutonTaxes",Ricardo

PerezTrugliaandUgoTrolanoproposeashamingsystemtoforceAmericanstopaytheir

mandatorytaxes,favoringitasbothcheapandeffective.Theauthorsdeveloptheirassertionby

highlightingthecurrentlackofenforcementandreportingtheirfindingsonapilotexperiment

conductedforshamingtaxdelinquents.PerezTrugliaandTrolanospurposeistogeneratemild

resentmenttowardstaxevadersinordertoencourageAmericantaxpayerstoagreewithshaming

delinquentstocontributetheirfairshare.TheauthorsostensiblyaddressAmericantaxpayers

whocondemntaxevadersandseekbetterenforcementofpayingtaxes.

Discussion:

Webothnotedthattheauthorsaresuggestinganalternativewayofenforcingtaxes.

WhileSamfocusedmoreonthestudytheauthorsconducted,Iemphasizedtheproblemsthatthe

authorsaddressed.Bothofusmentionedthebenefitsofpublicshamingthatwouldencourage

payingtaxes.OuraudiencedifferedinthatSambelievedpoliticianswouldimplementthe

proposalwhileIbelievedthattheauthorintendedtoempathizewithlawabidingtaxpayers.

Unequal,YetHappy

InStevenQuartzandAnetteAspsopinioneditorialUnequal,YetHappy,theauthor

arguesforgreaterimprovementsonwealthdistributionwidersocialreforms,notingthispuzzling

phenomenoninwhichAmericansarecomplacentaboutinequality.Theauthorsjustifytheir

claimbycitinghistoricalfigureswhourgedseriouschangestosocietythatappealtotheless

privileged,dissatisfiedindividuals.TheintentionsofStevenQuartzandAnetteAspisto

highlightmajorwealthgapandissuesoncedealtwithbysocialreformersinthegildedagein

ordertosparkinterestinimprovingthecurrentsocioeconomicinequality.StevenQuartzand

AnetteAspdevelopafirmrelationshipwithcitizensandpoliticianswhoarecapableof

promotingequalitythroughpoliticalaction.

Discussion:

Whilewebothnotedthehistoricalreferencesbuildinguptotheauthorsthesis,Sammentioned

moreoftheauthor'sbackgroundasaneuroscientistwhileIcitedwealthinequality.Ouraudience

weresomewhatsimilarbutdifferedinthespecificindividualsroleinsociety.Webothagreed

upontheauthorsdissatisfactionwithsocietyscomplacencyoverthecurrentstateofwealth.