The first research question that I would choose is “Should taxes on people making over $250,000 a year be changed?” The research question would be appropriate because it comes at a time when there is a debate about restructuring taxes charged on the citizens and corporations. On one hand, some people are of the view that the richest individuals should be taxed heavily, and their taxes used to support programs that would bring about poverty alleviation. In the long run, it is opined, this is would bring economic equity to the society and bridge the gap between the rich and the poor. On the other hand, there are people who are of the view that administering heavy taxes on the highest income earners is a punitive measure driven by socialists. This group opines that giving tax breaks on the highest income earners would give them incentives to start enterprises that would in turn provide jobs and more tax to the government. The most suitable audience for this research would be individual citizens concerned with the current taxation structure, lawmakers, as well as, other stakeholders involved in the formulation, regulation and administration taxes. The thesis statement for this research would read: while administering high taxes on individuals earning more than $ 250,000 annually, and using the money to initiate programs that would lead to poverty alleviation and social equity makes sense, giving tax breaks to this category of income earners would prompt the inception of enterprises that would provide jobs and give the government more tax in the long run.
The next research question that I would choose would be “Should funding for the U.S. space program be changed?” The topic is suitable because it comes at a time when the country fumbles with the broad question of the most important priorities for federal funding. Those opposed to huge budgets for NASA argue that there are no immediate benefits to be realized from space exploration. They also argue that the private sector should be incentivized to run such programs because the private sector uses resources more prudently and efficiently than the government. However, proponents of huge federal funding for space exploration disagree and argue that there is need to explore other space bodies that can support life and uncover elements of life that cannot be found on earth. Moreover, space exploration provides answers that would improve the quality of life on earth. The audiences best suited for this research include space scientists, space enthusiasts, and space policy makers. The thesis statement for this research would be: although there have been calls to incentivize space exploration for the private sector and cut federal spending on space exploration because no immediate benefits will be received, such measures are misinformed because federal spending of space exploration will help to uncover elements of life that cannot be found on earth and provide answers that would improve human life on earth.
The last research question that I would choose would be “Should the U.S. Government prohibit companies from outsourcing jobs to people in foreign countries that do not have unions and / or fair labor laws?” This research question is appropriate because it comes at a time when there is a debate about whether U.S companies should outsource jobs to other foreign countries instead of manufacturing the products within the country thus giving people jobs. On one hand, those opposed to such a move opine that U.S companies exploit people in those countries because some of those foreign nations do not have labor unions as well as fair labor laws that would guarantee the workers decent remuneration and job security. However, proponents of outsourcing argue that with globalization, U.S companies risk stiff competition if they do not minimize production costs in order to compete effectively with other companies based in countries where labour is cheap. The most suitable audience for this research would be economic and labor policy makers as well as companies that outsource to foreign nations. The thesis statement for this topic would be: Banning U.S companies from outsourcing jobs to foreign countries that do not have labor unions and strong labor laws would be catastrophic to many U.S multinationals because it will force them to produce at a high cost thus pushing them out of some markets due to stiff competition from other industries based in countries where labor is cheap.
References
Abrams, H. E., & Doernberg, R. L. (1999). Essentials of United States Taxation. London :
Kluwer Law International.
Boone, L. E., & Kurtz, D. L. (2010). Contemporary Business. New York, NY : John Wiley &
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Daft, R. (2009). Management. Stamford, CT : Cengage .
Faith, G. R. (2012). Pioneering: Sustaining U.S. Leadership in Space . Washington : Space
Foundation.
Hufbauer, G. C., & Assa, A. (2007). US Taxation of Foreign Income. New York, NY :
Peterson Institute.
Spagnulo, M., Fleeter, R., Balduccini, M., & Nasini, F. (2012). Space Program Management:
Methods and Tools. New York, NY : Springer.
