The chosen piece is an article by James Tankersley “Republican Tax Rewrite Helps Some Millionaires but Hurts Others”. The purpose of the piece is to explore the consequences of the recent tax rewrite, pushed by the Republicans. Although the President claimed that the new tax bill would benefit the middle class more than the very rich Americans, Tankersley argues that this is not true. The article was published in The New York Times , which is among the leading news resources in the U.S. Thus, the audience of the piece includes a wide variety of American citizens of all ages and races, who are interested in politics and current events. The author begins by explaining the Republican tax rewrite; he states that “The bill delivers large breaks to high-earning owners of certain businesses, known as pass-through entities, which comprise most of Mr. Trump’s business empire, and to heirs of large estates, such as Mr. Trump’s children” (Tankersley). Indeed, the bill provides numerous benefits to business owners, while those earning large salaries will be subject to higher taxes. Therefore, the bill brings further inequality to the more prosperous people of America. It is also impossible not to notice that the bill will be highly advantageous for the President himself, his children, and his political and business partners. Tankersley also refers to the earlier promise made by the President that the bill will benefit middle-class citizens more than those in the high class. However, the key group who will benefit from the bill are the top 1% of the population by income, earning over $500,000 – they would receive half of the bill’s benefits within a decade (Tankersley). Therefore, it is clear that the bill affects the population disproportionately and does not fulfill the President’s promise. If these issues are left unaddressed, the bill will create disturbance among the general middle-class public, as well as high-income workers facing higher taxes. This could affect the political climate in the country and create issues for the President and the government. One of the key lessons that can be learned from the event is that tax legislation should take into account the majority of the population, and not only its’ top 1%. The failure to recognize the power of the middle class in disturbing the political climate could, in this case, lead to significant political consequences, undermining the image of the President and Republican officials. Furthermore, it is crucial for political leaders to maintain integrity while introducing new legislation. In the present case, very limited information about the bill was released to public initially; moreover, the President misinterpreted the meaning of the bill to promote it among the middle class. While the ability to market new legislation is important, a failure to maintain integrity could cause a significant backlash against the leader. An excellent alternative to the government’s actions, in this case, would be to involve the public, consider the interests of the middle class, and provide honest information about the proposed bill. Overall, the article addresses the learning objectives by showing the importance of considering and evaluating the influence