Honors Theses
Advisor
Dr. Christopher Brough
Department
Political Science
Publication Date
4-22-2026
Document Type
Honors Thesis
Abstract
Each year, the IRS collects roughly $2.18 trillion in income taxes alone, accounting for approximately 48% of the government's total revenue. However, the IRS does not audit individual tax receipts for citizens, preventing them from seeing a visual breakdown of where their money is allocated. To better understand how citizens feel about governmental spending, this project will utilize a mixed-methods approach, incorporating a qualitative case study to explore the developments (or lack thereof) regarding a “tax receipt” and conducting interviews to gain insights into public perception of a tax receipt program. In addition to the interviews, this project will explore proposed legislation, including one from the Obama administration in 2014 and two proposed by Republican senators. This paper will address questions concerning government trust, transparency, and accountability while examining why the legislation has not been successfully implemented.
Permission Statement
This item is protected by copyright law (Title 17, U.S. Code) and may only be used for noncommercial, educational, and scholarly purposes.
Keywords
Undergraduate research
eCommons Citation
Bordeau, Hannah, "The Price of Democracy: How Federal Tax Receipts Can Enhance Public Awareness, Transparency, and Civic Discourse" (2026). Honors Theses. 497.
https://ecommons.udayton.edu/uhp_theses/497
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