Group Activities for 9/3
Activity #1
- What is the underlying condition a soda tax is meant to address? Is this a problem? Why?
- Is this a problem requiring a public solution? What is the government stake?
- How would liberals and conservatives think about the above questions? How do their answers differ, and why?
Activity #2
- What type of tool is a soda tax? What mechanism(s) does it use?
- Can you think of other ways to reduce obesity (try to come up with 2 or 3)? What type of tool is each of these ideas? What mechanism does each use?
- What would liberals and conservatives think about each of your alternatives?
Activity #3
- What advocates and interest groups were active in the Philadelphia soda tax case?
- How did supporters of the soda tax frame/characterize the problem and the solution? What was their causal story? How did they view cause and effect? Who did they identify as the villains and victims?
- How did opponents of the soda tax frame/characterize the problem and the solution? What was their causal story? How did they view cause and effect? Who did they identify as the villains and victims?