The Role of Government and

Taxation

Assignments for next time/week • TUESDAY GROUP (missing class): Read the text on Greece (The New

Yorker) http://www.newyorker.com/talk/financial/2011/07/11/110711ta_talk_surowiecki#ixzz1b2zp85LZ

• ALL STUDENTS (for Monday, 7 Nov):1. Fill in the gaps (RB:p.29)2. Watch David Cameron’s talk (14 min.) on

http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/david_cameron.html

Listen carefully and take detailed notes on D. Cameron’s talk.

What does the British Prime Minister say about the role of government today and before?

The Role of the State: Galbraith vs. Friedman

TEXT STRUCTURE?

1. Main idea2.Supporting sentences/examples3.Concluding statement(s)

• assignment: write one pg. on the topic below

The Role of the State: Galbraith vs. Friedman

• max. ½ big note-book page or 1 small page

• obligatory elements: a)topic sentenceb)supporting sentencesc) one concluding sentence

• use connectors (linking words) if necessary (RB:p.66)

Writing a paragraph

Paragraph Writing - Assessment

ASSESSMENT CRITERIA: Pts.1. Structure: oblig. elements? 0, 0.5, 12. Content: accurate? 0, 0.5, 13. Language: vocab., spelling, gramm.? 0, 0.5, 1

GRADING: 3 = grade 52.5 = grade 42 = grade 2 or 3below 2 = Fail (1)

The Role of the State: Galbraith vs. Friedman

Sample paragraph• The role of the state has always been debated by many

great thinkers. For example, Milton Friedman criticised the state for its excessive intervention in people’s economic freedoms through taxation or many unnecessary licencing procedures. On the other hand, J.K. Galbraith argued for the presence of the state in sectors that make the good society such as low cost-housing or public health care. The difference between the two famous authors illustrates a range of opposed views still present in most societies today.

The Role of the State: Galbraith vs. Friedman

Sample paragraph• The role of the state has always been debated by

many great thinkers. For example, Milton Friedman criticised the state for its excessive intervention in people’s economic freedoms through taxation or many unnecessary licencing procedures. On the other hand, J.K. Galbraith argued for the presence of the state in sectors that make the good society such as low cost-housing or public health care. The difference between the two famous authors illustrates a range of opposed views still present in most societies today.

Group assignment: Write a verbatim presentation (word by word) on the same topic (use sample presentations in RB: pp.55-58 for guidance)

• Use signalling devices (presentation phrases),RB:53-54• Show the structure of your presentation in language

(beginning, main part, close)• Underline the presentation phrases• Show the internal structure of the main part

(changing topics) with appropriate presentation phrases

PresentationThe Role of the State: Galbraith vs. Friedman

Explain the meaning of the sentences below:

An essential part of economic freedom is freedom to choose how to use our income ...

Currently, more than 40% of our income is disposed of on our behalf by government at federal, state and local levels combined.

Milton and Rose FriedmanMK: p.110

TAXATION

A few basic questions

Who pays tax?Who collects tax and why?Do all taxpayers pay the same amount of tax? What is flat in flat tax? What is redistributed in redistributive taxation?Is it true that evading tax is much more

dangerous than avoiding it?What happens in Croatia in February?

February in Croatia ...

Use the following words:

• Taxpayers• Declare tax• Income tax, local surtax • File a tax return• Tax authorities (Tax Administration)

Verbs Nouns?

• collect tax• evade tax• avoid tax• declare tax

Verbs Nouns

• collect tax tax collection• declare tax tax declaration• evade tax tax evasion• avoid tax tax avoidance

Types of tax

Croatia• value-added tax (VAT)• personal income tax• corporate income tax (corporate tax)• excise taxes • inheritance and gift tax• social security contributions• surtax, local surcharges • MacKenzie (MK) - p.112

Additional reading: http://www.ijf.hr/eng/taxguide/2010.pdf

Work on Text (1)Dodger Mania (Source: The New Yorker, July, 2011)

Business English wordsgovernment debt budget deficit loopholedefault shadow economy backlogausterity plan tax revenue exemptionbailout regressive tax compliantpublic spending law enforcement underreporttax evasion tax compliance tax ratecentral bank fraud taxpayers

Work on Text (2)Dodger Mania (Source: The New Yorker, July, 2011)

HEADINGS (Paragraphs?)1.The problem2.Reasons for the problem3.Implications 4.New attempts 5.Not an easy task

Taxation: pros and cons

• What would J.K. Galbraith say? (RB: p.19)

• What would M. Friedman say? (MK: p.110)

• What do you say? (Arguments in MK: p.113)

Assignment (1): The pendulum of control (RB:p.29)

1.Explain the following: Which direction did the pendulum swing in in pgs.2, 3, 4, 5, 6?

2. Translate the following (as used in the text):a)državna poduzeća, b)ankete javnog mnijenja,

c)gospodarski napredak

Assignment (2): David Cameron on the role of the government (web: Ted Talk)

3. Watch the video-clip and write down the following:

a) Three periods in history according to D. Cameron?

b) Reason for each period? c) According to D. Cameron, the role of the

government today is to give people … (3 words)?