Regulation and Taxation Issues
On this and most weeks, each student will present their topical reading, with handouts for the class, and the instructor will present a lecture based on recent developments since publication of the texts. Make sure the handout provides a full bibliographical citation for your reading.
Regulation and Taxation Issues
Internet Taxation
Regulation of the Internet and the IT Sector
Regulation of E-commerce and Computer Fraud
Protecting Intellectual Property
Regulation of Pornography on the Web
Regulation of E-gambling
Summary
Discussion Questions for Garson, Chapter 8
1. Why do states desire the taxation of e commerce? Is there any precedent for or against e taxing? How has the federal government reacted to calls for the taxation of Internet sales?
2. What reasons are there for the extension of domain name coordination to international bodies? Should this happen? Why or why not?
3. What are some actions that Microsoft has been accused of under antitrust actions? Have the courts remedied Microsoft's monopolistic characteristics, creating a level playing field for IT competitors? Explain.
4. What are the supposed benefits of open source code? What are the arguments against governmental units relying on open source code?
5. The European Union has taken legislative action against hate speech on the Internet. Why has the U.S. not joined the EU in this battle? What international cyber crime action has the U.S. participated in?
6. Intellectual property theft is one of the most important types of computer crime. Why is it important for public administrators to be concerned with this? Do you know of any examples of intellectual property crime in your organization or situations where it may become an issue?
7. The Internet has transformed pornography into a major industry. What are the major policy arguments in related U.S. legislation about? Are their multiple means to address the pornography issue? How well do they work?
8. What are the general policy options governments have at their disposal to handle e gambling? Why would it be virtually impossible to eliminate e gambling for U.S. citizens? How do you think e gambling should be addressed? Why?
9. Theoretically how does e regulation impact technological innovation? What are the parties generally in favor of e regulation?
10. How would each systems theorists, sociotechnical theorists, technological determinists and reinforcement theorists feel about e regulation? What point of view is most aligned with your own beliefs?
Discussion Questions for Rocheleau, Ch. 10: Governments and IT Sharing
1. Why is interagency data-sharing becoming more important?
2. What is the significance of XML to data sharing? (Rocheleau mentions it only briefly at p. 309 so look it up on the Internet).
3. What are best data-sharing practices identified by the Center for Technology in Government? (p. 310)
4. What is the "asymmetry of benefits" issue? (p. 311)
5. Does Rocheleau think data-sharing should be greater or less in the public sector compared to the private? Why or why not? (p. 311)
6. What was the major lesson of the Center for Technology in Government study of creating an information system on homelessness issues? (p. 317)
7. What is "shallow integration"? (p. 318)
8. What emerges as the main problems in getting state conformity to federal data standards? (pp. 319-324)
9. What are some examples of what Rocheleau calls "informal data-sharing"? (p. 324)