Background: Bush Tax Cuts

This section quantifies the effects of the many tax cuts enacted since 2001 and whom they have benefited.

Description of the Bush Tax Cuts

• How did they change the tax code?
• How did the 2001 tax cuts change the tax code?
• How did the 2002 tax cuts change the tax code?
• How did the 2003 tax cuts change the tax code?
• How did the 2004 tax cuts change the tax code?
• How did the 2005 tax cuts change the tax code?
• How did the 2006 tax cuts change the tax code?

Beneficiaries of the Bush Tax Cuts

• If we ignore how the cuts are paid for, who benefits from them?
• If we account for how the cuts are paid for, who benefits from them?
• Who benefits when their cost and potential economic growth are accounted for?
• How are the distributional effects measured?

Fiscal Effects of the Bush Tax Cuts

• How have they affected tax revenue?
• How big are the cuts?
• How do they compare with the Reagan cuts?
• Did they reduce the size of government?
• Are they justified as part of a "starve the beast" strategy?
• Are tax cuts an effective way to reduce government spending?
• How do the AMT and interest payments affect the cost?
• What is their impact on government borrowing and interest payments?
• What spending and revenue measures would pay for making them permanent?

Economic Effects of the Bush Tax Cuts

• How did they affect corporate investment?
• How did they affect small businesses and entrepreneurs?
• How did they affect incentives to work?
• How did they affect retirement saving?
• Were they well designed to strengthen long-term economic growth?
• Were they well timed to spur economic growth?
• What are the indirect effects on economic growth?
• Did they provide good "bang for the buck?"
• Didn't they help the economy recover from the 2001 recession?