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  3. The economic debate in the U.S. regarding the fiscal stimulus package centered on "bang for the buck," that is, on whether tax c

The economic debate in the U.S. regarding the fiscal stimulus package centered on "bang for the buck," that is, on whether tax c

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问题     The economic debate in the U.S. regarding the fiscal stimulus package centered on "bang for the buck," that is, on whether tax cuts or spending increases would produce more jobs. This limited perspective is very misleading, however: the choice of spending versus taxes should turn first and foremost on the purposes of government, or what economists call "the allocation of resources." It’s silly to debate whether investing in a $100-million bridge creates more jobs than a $100-million tax cut if we need the bridge! The American Society of Civil Engineers has long documented the crumbling state of U.S. infrastructure and the pressing need for $2.2 trillion in investments for our well-being and competitiveness.
    Government spending and taxation affect the distribution of income demographically and temporally. America ranks 22nd out of 23 high-income countries in public social outlays as a percentage of national income for health, pensions, income support and other social services. Our political discourse tends to focus on the middle class and neglect the poor, whereas our tax and spending policies often benefit the wealthy. As a result, the U.S. has the largest poverty rate, income inequality and per-capita prison population of any high-income nation, as well as the worst health conditions.
    The timing of tax cuts and spending increases also affects the well-being of today’s generation versus future ones. The U.S. has a chronic fiscal deficit because federal taxation is enough to cover only five types of federal programs: retirement and disability, medical care, veterans’ programs, defense and homeland security, and interest on the public debt. All other federal outlays are in effect funded by borrowing. The chronic deficit problem, now at least 5 percent of GNP(Gross National Product), will tend to get much worse as the population ages and health care costs rise, until we finally choose to tax ourselves adequately to pay for the government we need and want.
    Temporary deficits can boost the economy in a recession, although temporary income tax cuts and rebates tend to be saved rather than spent. Prolonged deficit spending, however, would impose future burdens. The most obvious will be the need to service the public debts owed to China and other holders of treasury bills—the U.S. is on a path to multiply its already massive international debts. Less obviously, the huge budget deficits will crowd out some private investment spending and exports as the economy recovers. Higher taxes needed to cover the service on that debt will not only squeeze consumption but may also distort the economy through disincentives on saving, work or other activities.
The author holds that the focus of the debate is misleading in that
选项 A、$100-million tax cut is obviously more important.
B、building a $100-million bridge is of top priority.
C、the aims of government should be considered first.
D、the state of U.S. infrastructure is of significance.
答案C
解析 题目询问作者认为辩论焦点存在误导性的原因。根据misleading定位到第一段第2句。however后面谈到，究竟是在开支上还是在税务上下功夫，这个选择必须首先体现政府目的，C项中的aims对于文章的purposes，first对应first and foremost，故正确。
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