Unequal,YetHappy

InQuartzsUnequal,YetHappy,heclaimsthat,whilewearejustasdividedinsocial
standing,ifnotmoreso,thanourlastGildedAge,thepossibilitiesofconsumerchoicekeepus
satedinoursocialstandings.Hereferencesourcountryshistory,specificallythelastGilded
Age,andcitesdifferentstudiesonhowourneuralnetworkprocessesaspectsofoursocialand
economiclivesdifferentlythanitmightvebeeninthatearliersociety.Thisarticleismeantto
challengethewayweviewourstanding,asindicatedbythelastline,
Moneymaynotbuy
happinessinthelongrun,butconsumerchoicehasgonealongwayinkeepingmostAmericans
reasonablycontent,eveniftheyshouldntbe,andusestheauthorsexpertiseinthefieldof
neurosciencetoexamineexactlyhowconsumerchoiceisrulingouteconomicproblemsinterms
ofviewsofhappiness.ThisarticlewasintendedforthosewhomightendupbeingaJane
AddamsandbeingareformerofthewayAmericansviewtheirlives,indicatedbytheuseofthe
historicalcontextinthefirstparagraphandthechallengingtoneofthelast.

ShamingThoseWhoSkipOutonTaxes
InPerezTrugliasShamingThoseWhoSkipOutonTaxes,hesuggeststhatpublicly
shamingthosewhofailtopaytheirtaxescouldbeanimportanttoolinreducingtheamountof
evasion.Theauthorsuseastudytheyconductedinordertoprovetheeffectivenessofpublic
shaming,andalsohighlightseveralstatesthatalreadyhaveshamingpolicies.Thepurposeofthis
articleistoemphasizethemeritsthattheuseofpublicshamingwouldhave,andtorecommend
theplantotheaudience.Theintendedaudienceismostlikelythosewhowouldhavethepower
toinfluencewhethershamingpoliciescouldbeimplemented,seeingashowthearticleisatits
corearecommendation.

DavidFeng
Precis:GroupActivity
Due:16April2015(makeup)

ShamingThoseWhoSkipOutonTaxes

Intheiropinioneditorial"ShamingThoseWhoSkipOutonTaxes",Ricardo
PerezTrugliaandUgoTrolanoproposeashamingsystemtoforceAmericanstopaytheir
mandatorytaxes,favoringitasbothcheapandeffective.Theauthorsdeveloptheirassertionby
highlightingthecurrentlackofenforcementandreportingtheirfindingsonapilotexperiment
conductedforshamingtaxdelinquents.PerezTrugliaandTrolanospurposeistogeneratemild
resentmenttowardstaxevadersinordertoencourageAmericantaxpayerstoagreewithshaming
delinquentstocontributetheirfairshare.TheauthorsostensiblyaddressAmericantaxpayers
whocondemntaxevadersandseekbetterenforcementofpayingtaxes.

Discussion:
Webothnotedthattheauthorsaresuggestinganalternativewayofenforcingtaxes.
WhileSamfocusedmoreonthestudytheauthorsconducted,Iemphasizedtheproblemsthatthe
authorsaddressed.Bothofusmentionedthebenefitsofpublicshamingthatwouldencourage
payingtaxes.OuraudiencedifferedinthatSambelievedpoliticianswouldimplementthe
proposalwhileIbelievedthattheauthorintendedtoempathizewithlawabidingtaxpayers.

Unequal,YetHappy
InStevenQuartzandAnetteAspsopinioneditorialUnequal,YetHappy,theauthor
arguesforgreaterimprovementsonwealthdistributionwidersocialreforms,notingthispuzzling
phenomenoninwhichAmericansarecomplacentaboutinequality.Theauthorsjustifytheir
claimbycitinghistoricalfigureswhourgedseriouschangestosocietythatappealtotheless

privileged,dissatisfiedindividuals.TheintentionsofStevenQuartzandAnetteAspisto
highlightmajorwealthgapandissuesoncedealtwithbysocialreformersinthegildedagein
ordertosparkinterestinimprovingthecurrentsocioeconomicinequality.StevenQuartzand
AnetteAspdevelopafirmrelationshipwithcitizensandpoliticianswhoarecapableof
promotingequalitythroughpoliticalaction.

Discussion:
Whilewebothnotedthehistoricalreferencesbuildinguptotheauthorsthesis,Sammentioned
moreoftheauthor'sbackgroundasaneuroscientistwhileIcitedwealthinequality.Ouraudience
weresomewhatsimilarbutdifferedinthespecificindividualsroleinsociety.Webothagreed
upontheauthorsdissatisfactionwithsocietyscomplacencyoverthecurrentstateofwealth.