Oh No He Didn’t! Wait, But What Does GDP per Capita Actually Mean?
During his recent trip abroad, Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney caused a political stir in Israel (among other places he went) when he said that “culture makes all the difference” in...
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GDP per Capita Around the World
Now that you can drop the concept of GDP per capita like the pros do, check out this interactive map that lists just about every country in the world (226) and their respective GDP per capita ranks in...
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Eight Neighboring Nations with the World’s Largest Wealth Gaps
The world is not an equal place, and some places are a lot more unequal than others. A national political border can have incredible significance; an abstract line separating neighboring peoples,...
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What Prop. 30 Means For Your Taxes
Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images Wait … Californians actually voted to tax increase their own taxes? Get outta here! Like most Americans, California residents don’t look too kindly on the notion of...
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Making Sense of Debt, Deficits and Other Dull Mysteries of the Universe
There’s been a lot of news recently about the government’s ongoing battle over the deficit and the debt ceiling. But what does it all really mean? If you happened to be snoozing through most of your...
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The Sequester Explained in Plain English
Well, it’s official: The U.S. has entered the dreaded sequester, a very costly consequence of the federal government failing to reach a budget deal by their self-imposed deadline (March 1). This is one...
View ArticleShopping Math: Percentages and Discounts Explained in Three Animated Videos
Happen to be doing some frantic, last minute holiday shopping this weekend? If so, you’ll likely find yourself inadvertently diving head-first into a big stew of math. Take that $130 pair of shoes...
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Now that You’ve Finished Your Taxes (Hopefully), See What They Actually Pay For
Estimation based on income taxes only (not payroll taxes). “In this world,” wrote Ben Franklin, “nothing can be said to be certain except death and taxes.” On April 15, as the filing deadline closed...
View ArticleThe Greek Debt Crisis Explained
You’ve probably heard a whole lot of “Greek” references in the news recently: Greek debt, Greek bailout, Greek politicians, and even some strange new portmanteaus like “Grexit” and “Greferendum.” If...
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The Trans-Pacific Partnership Trade Deal Explained in Plain English
UPDATE (Monday, Oct. 5): The United States and 11 other Pacific Rim nations reached final agreement on the Trans-Pacific Partnership, the largest trade agreement in history. It now faces exhaustive...
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Debt Limits and Federal Budget Process Explained in Plain English (and Why...
Pretty sexy topic, huh? Bear with me. Congressional leaders and the White House reached a tentative budget deal late Monday that, if approved, would set government funding levels and raise the debt...
View ArticleThe Fed Just Raised Interest Rates for the First Time in 7 Years! Here’s What...
The U.S. Federal Reserve is expected to raise interest rates today, which hasn’t happened since the Phillies were World Series champs (talk about ancient history)! Seven years ago — to the day — the...
View ArticleLast Minute Holiday Shopping? Beware of Credit Card Debt! Here’s How It Works...
Beware the lure of that plastic in your wallet! According to the Federal Reserve data, the average indebted U.S. household in 2013 shouldered credit card debt of more than $15,000 (although that...
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How Proposition 13 Transformed California [Illustrated Infographic]
Among the multitude of California ballot measures approved by voters over the years, few have been as influential, controversial and downright confusing as Proposition 13. Passed in 1978, the measure...
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It’s Almost Tax Day! See What All Your Hard-Earned Cash Actually Pays For
“In this world,” wrote Benjamin Franklin, “nothing can be said to be certain except death and taxes.” As the April 18 tax filing deadline closes in, millions of Americans are frantically confronting...
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Trump’s First 100 Days: What He Wants to Do; What He Can Do (with Lesson Plan)
Last updated Thursday, Feb. 9 Teach with the Lowdown Suggestions for nonfiction analysis, writing/discussion prompts and multimedia projects. Browse our lesson plan collection here. Lesson Plan:...
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How Big Is the Federal Budget and What Does It All Pay For? (with Lesson Plan)
Teach with the Lowdown Suggestions for nonfiction analysis, writing/discussion prompts and multimedia projects. Browse our lesson plan collection here. Lesson Plan: Federal Budget (PDF) Next Tuesday...
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It’s Tax Day! This Is How the Government Spends Your Money
In this world,” wrote Benjamin Franklin, “nothing can be said to be certain except death and taxes.” With the April 18 federal income tax filing deadline fast approaching, millions of Americans are...
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New Tax Plan Got You Confused? Find Out What It All Means with These Handy...
All that’s left to do now is sign the darn thing. The Republican-controlled House of Representatives gave final approval Wednesday (for the second time) to a $1.5 trillion tax cut, the biggest overhaul...
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