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U.S. House members and state representatives are elected by district. Those districts are updated each decade after the census in a process known as redistricting.
Democracies require openness and honesty in government. This means government policymaking and institutions function in public view.
Political advocacy is a cornerstone of democracy. This includes the ability to lobby public officials. However, professional lobbyists may exert outsized influence on policymakers.
Civic engagement can take many forms: individual volunteerism, organizational development and leadership, public service, and electoral participation.
How to improve the tax code is the subject of much debate. Proponents of reform often call for increasing fairness and simplicity. But people define those concepts in different ways.
Policymakers use the tax system to raise revenue and to promote social policy goals. For example, tax breaks may be provided to encourage home ownership.
Most states and localities generate a significant portion of state and local revenue from the taxation of retail sales. Such taxes are attractive because they are relatively easy to administer.
The mainstay of local taxation is the tax on real estate, known as the property tax. It is used to fund an array of critical state and local services, most notably public schools.
The primary sources of government revenue are income, sales, and property taxes.
There is an increasing interest in taxes on energy consumption.