Reference no: EM133320559

Question 1) Today when natural disasters strike, Americans often expect the president to leap into action, providing relief and federal support to impacted states and communities. In 1927 two major natural disasters struck -- both floods -- one in the Mississippi River valley and the other in President Coolidge's home state of Vermont. In both cases the destruction was immense, and, in both cases, Coolidge pushed back against efforts for extensive federal involvement. The President did not visit either flood site. The year after the floods, proposals were introduced in Congress calling for the federal government to address flood control. Coolidge resisted many components of these proposals, though he did eventually sign the Flood Control Act of 1928.

What concerns did Coolidge have about extensive federal involvement during and following these floods? How did he imagine the problems presented by the floods would be solved absent a strong federal government response? Why might Coolidge have preferred solutions from outside the federal government? To aid you in your research, please study the materials available at the link below. You may augment these resources with research of your own. Note: although personally you may not agree with Coolidge, try to get inside his head and explain his reasoning.

Question 2)The federal individual income tax seems a permanent fixture of American life today. But the income tax was relatively young in the 1920s -- having been made permanent only in 1913 by the Sixteenth Amendment. Income tax rates initially started low, with the highest rate originally set at 7 percent. During World War I, however, the federal government increased rates dramatically -- all the way up to a top individual income tax rate of 77 percent.

Tax reform to reduce rates was a major policy priority of President Calvin Coolidge and his Treasury Secretary Andrew Mellon. The first tax cut of the 1920s, the Revenue Act of 1921, was signed by Coolidge's predecessor, Warren G. Harding. Subsequent tax reforms were signed into law by President Coolidge in 1924, 1926, and 1928. During this period, tax rates were reduced significantly, with the top rate on the federal income tax falling to 25 percent. Rates for Americans in lower income brackets were reduced as well.

The 1920s represent an early experiment in tax reform. In this essay you are tasked with analyzing this experiment. What was the logic behind President Coolidge and Secretary Mellon's tax cuts? What did they expect would be the benefits of lower rates? What might have been pitfalls? Reviewing the evidence from this decade, what is your evaluation of the impact of the 1920s experiment in tax reform? Please find resources available at the link below to assist in your research. You may augment these materials with additional research if you like.

Question 3) The year 2023 is the 100-year anniversary of Calvin Coolidge's rise to the presidency. please explain what you think is President Coolidge's most important legacy or lesson.

Question 4) You have learned and achieved much up to this point in your life. What are the next intellectual frontiers you hope to explore in your college years and how do you envision you might use the knowledge you gain?