prompts.txt

## Role
You are an expert economic research analyst who provides concise, objective, non-partisan, factual descriptions of U.S. economic events.

## Purpose
Content will be displayed in hover cards in an app about the budget deficit, for the general public.
Write as if explaining to an interested friend, not an economist or expert.

## Task
Identify all official U.S. recessions (as designated by the NBER) in the period 1992-2024.

## Guidelines
- Write in clear, everyday language for a general audience, avoiding jargon or technical terms
- Maintain strict political neutrality
- Keep descriptions brief and focused
- Use empirical evidence only

type Recession = {
  startYear: number;
  endYear: number;
  name: string;         // Clear, recognizable name
  description: string;  // What happened (25-30 words)
  impact: string;       // Revenue impact (20-25 words) 
  policyResponse?: string; // Optional response (15-20 words)
};

// Example format:
const RECESSIONS: Recession[] = [
  {
    startYear: 2007,
    endYear: 2009,
    name: "Great Recession",
    description: "Housing market collapse triggered a severe financial crisis, freezing credit markets and leading to widespread economic downturn.",
    impact: "Steepest decline in federal revenues since 1930s, with major drops in personal income, corporate, and capital gains taxes.",
    policyResponse: "Implemented extensive tax relief and stimulus measures to stabilize the economy."
  }
];

## Role
You are an expert economic research analyst who provides concise, objective, non-partisan, factual descriptions of U.S. federal spending categories.

## Purpose
Content will be displayed in hover cards for a general audience learning about the federal budget.
Write as if explaining to an interested friend, not an economist or expert.

## Guidelines
- Write in clear, everyday language
- Maintain strict political neutrality
- Keep descriptions brief and focused
- Use only official government sources (CBO, OMB)
- Present information in a consistent, scannable format

## Task

I'm looking for an objective, factual, non-partisan description of each of the major CBO historical spending categories:

- Defense
- Non-defense discretionary
- Social Security
- Medicare
- Medicaid
- Income security
- Federal civilian and military retirement
- Veterans programs
- Other programs
- Offsetting receipts
- Net interest

For each category, explain:
1. Description: What is it, at a high level?
2. Major programs: What are the significant programs, activities, or departments included in that category?
3. Primary beneficiaries: Who are the primary beneficiaries who would be impacted by spending changes?
4. Practical impacts of spending changes: What is likely to be impacted by spending changes in this category?

Include more detail for broader categories like "Non-defense discretionary" or "Other programs" that include many smaller programs. You don't need to be as detailed for narrower categories like "Social Security" or "Medicare" that are more specific.

Be as objective, factual, and non-partisan as possible. I just want the facts, not political commentary or analysis.

Sources:
- Use only authoritative sources such as the CBO, OMB, or official government sites.
- No think tanks, news articles, or partisan sources.

IMPORTANT:
- Be CONCISE. I don't need a long/detailed report.
- I just want concise info for each category, in bullet point format.

---

Can you summarize the content above more concisely in bullet point format?

Please keep the detailed lists of major programs (including specific agencies or spending programs), just format content to be more concise/readable as bullet points, not paragraphs.

Task: Identify major US federal legislation between 1992-2024 that significantly impacted federal revenues.

Include:
- Major tax reform bills
- Bills that changed tax rates or created new taxes, fees, credits
- Healthcare legislation with significant tax provisions
- Legislation that substantially modified tax rates
- Major stimulus or emergency response bills with significant tax provisions
- Bills with estimated revenue impact over $100B (in year enacted)

Examples of bills to include:
- Tax reform acts that modified individual/corporate rates
- Healthcare bills with major tax components (like ACA)
- Budget reconciliation acts with significant tax changes
- Economic recovery bills with major tax provisions (like ARRA 2009)

Exclude:
- Regular appropriations bills
- Minor tax provisions

Output Format:
[YEAR] OFFICIAL LEGISLATION NAME

## Role
You are an expert economic research analyst who provides concise, objective, non-partisan, factual descriptions of historical tax legislation.

## Purpose
This research will be summarized in hover cards for an app to help the general public learn more about the federal budget deficit.
Write as if explaining to an interested friend, not an economist or expert.

## Style Guidelines
- Write in clear, everyday language
- Maintain strict political neutrality
- Keep descriptions brief and focused
- Use ONLY official government sources
- Present information in a consistent, scannable format

## Task

For each law below, provide the following information:

1. Full Official Title: Complete legal name of the law
2. Common Name: Any widely used informal or popular name (if applicable)
3. President: Signing president's last name
4. Summary: ONE sentence summary of the legislation for the general public
5. Major Tax Provisions: List up to 5 of the most significant changes, in order of approximate fiscal impact

For each law, summarize the major tax provisions in bullet point format.
For example:
- "Reduced corporate tax rate from 35% to 21%"

## Requirements
- MUST include specific numbers for:
  * Major tax rate changes (individual, corporate, capital gains)
  * New broad-based taxes (e.g., minimum tax rates)
- Specify affected taxpayers for rate changes (e.g., "top bracket", "all brackets", "corporations")
- Keep other descriptions general (no need for specific dollar amounts for credits, deductions, or thresholds)

Focus on accuracy for the major provisions and rate changes, particularly:
- Rate changes for individual, corporate, and capital gains taxes
- Tax bracket changes
- Major deduction/credit modifications
- New taxes or fundamental changes to existing taxes

## Authorized Sources

Use only the most official/authoritative primary sources available, such as:
- IRS.gov summaries and historical guidance
- Congressional Research Service (CRS) overviews
- Treasury Department fact sheets
- NO secondary sources (news articles, think tanks)

## Legislation

Please provide this information for each act in the following list:

[1993] Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1993
[1997] Taxpayer Relief Act of 1997
[2001] Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001
[2003] Jobs and Growth Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2003
[2009] American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009
[2010] Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act
[2012] American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012
[2017] Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017
[2020] Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act
[2021] American Rescue Plan Act of 2021
[2022] Inflation Reduction Act of 2022

## Output Requirements
- CONCISE presentation
- Focus on requested information only
- No extended discussion or analysis

---

Can you summarize the content above more concisely in bullet point format?
- Preserve the format (year, full name, common name, president, summary, provisions)
- Each description should be ONE sentence
- Each provision should be summarized as a single short bullet point
- For example: "Reduced corporate tax rate from 35% to 21%"

This info will be shown in a tooltip/hovercard in a web app designed to help people better understand the budget deficit.

Summarize in clear, everyday language, as if you were explaining to a friend who's interested, not an economist or expert.

## Role
You are an expert fiscal policy analyst who provides concise, objective, non-partisan, factual analysis of projected federal budget impacts for major historical legislation.

## Purpose
Content will be displayed in hover cards for a general audience learning about major legislation's fiscal impact.
Write as if explaining to an interested friend, not a budget expert.

## Style Guidelines
- Write in clear, everyday language
- Maintain strict political neutrality
- Keep descriptions brief and focused
- Use ONLY official government sources (CBO, JCT, CRS)
- Present information in a consistent, scannable format

## Required Information
For each piece of legislation, provide ONLY:
1. Primary source document number and direct .gov URL
2. Budget window (fiscal years covered)
3. Total deficit impact (combining ALL spending and revenue effects)

## Sign Convention for Deficit Impact
- Use - (negative) for any changes that INCREASE the deficit
  Example: Tax cut without offsets: "-$100 billion"
  Example: Spending increase without offsets: "-$50 billion"

- Use + (positive) for any changes that DECREASE the deficit
  Example: Revenue increase: "+$75 billion"
  Example: Net spending cuts: "+$25 billion"

## Source Requirements

### Primary Sources ONLY (in order of preference)
1. CBO Cost Estimates
   - Must include report number (e.g., "CBO-54638")
   - Direct link to cbo.gov
   - Page/table reference for figures

2. JCT Revenue Estimates
   - Must include report number (e.g., "JCX-67-17")
   - Direct link to jct.gov
   - Page/table reference for figures

3. CRS Reports (only if citing original CBO/JCT estimates)
   - Must include report number (e.g., "R42894")
   - Direct link to crsreports.congress.gov
   - Must reference original CBO/JCT document

### EXCLUDED Sources (DO NOT USE)
- Think tanks (e.g., Urban Institute, Brookings)
- Advocacy organizations (e.g., Concord Coalition)
- News organizations
- Third-party websites
- Government agencies other than CBO/JCT/CRS

## Format Template
[YEAR] OFFICIAL BILL NAME
Primary Source: [CBO/JCT report number] (direct .gov URL)
Budget Window: FY####-FY####
Deficit Impact: [+/- $X.XXX trillion/billion]

## Example Entry
[2017] Tax Cuts and Jobs Act
Primary Source: JCT Report JCX-67-17 (https://www.jct.gov/publications/2017/jcx-67-17/)
Budget Window: FY2018-2027
Deficit Impact: -$1.456 trillion

## Legislation
[1993] Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1993
[1997] Taxpayer Relief Act of 1997
[2001] Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001
[2003] Jobs and Growth Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2003
[2009] American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009
[2010] Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act
[2012] American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012
[2017] Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017
[2020] Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act
[2021] American Rescue Plan Act of 2021
[2022] Inflation Reduction Act of 2022

## Additional Requirements
- Each entry MUST have a proper CBO/JCT/CRS report number
- All URLs must be direct .gov links
- No explanatory text beyond the required format
- No third-party interpretations
- If no official estimate can be found, state "No official estimate found"
- For bills with multiple scores, use final version closest to passage
- Prefer a 10-year budget window if available
- Conventional scoring only (no dynamic scoring/macroeconomic feedback)
- Original nominal dollars (no inflation adjustment)
- Numbers as originally presented (billions/trillions)

Please format the following spending category information, using clear, objective, non-partisan and politically neutral language.

Guidelines:
- Descriptions should be 1-2 sentences, using everyday language
- Break down complex terms and avoid jargon
- Focus on what the average person would want to know
- Keep explanations strictly neutral and non-partisan
- Each item in includes[] should be concise
- List examples for concreteness: you can use acronyms like DHS or FBI as needed.

Scope:
- Include more details/examples of programs in broader categories like "Non-defense discretionary" or "Other programs" that include many smaller programs.
- Include less details for more specific categories like "Social Security" or "Medicare".

Purpose:
- This content will be used in a web app designed to help the general public better understand the US budget deficit.
- Content will appear in tooltips on a spending category chart, so it should be clear, concise, and informative at a glance.

Output a TypeScript array following this structure:

type SpendingCategory = {
  name: string;          // The category name (e.g., "Defense")
  shortName?: string;    // A short name to use in tooltips (e.g., "Defense" or "Federal retirement")
  description: string;   // A clear, concise explanation in plain language
  includes?: string[];   // Key programs and activities in bullet form
};

const SPENDING_CATEGORIES: SpendingCategory[] = [
  {
    name: "Defense",
    shortName: "Defense",
    description: "Funding for national defense and military operations.",
    includes: [
      "Military personnel and salaries",
      "Weapons and equipment",
      "Base operations"
    ]
  }
  ...
]

Name should be one of these (preserve case):
- Defense
- Non-defense discretionary
- Social Security
- Medicare
- Medicaid
- Income security
- Federal civilian and military retirement
- Veterans programs
- Other programs
- Offsetting receipts
- Net interest

Please convert this source content:
[PASTE SPENDING CATEGORIES HERE]

Please format the following tax policy information using clear, objective, non-partisan and politically neutral language.

Guidelines:
- Keep descriptions factual and politically neutral
- Use clear, everyday language while maintaining accuracy
- Break down complex tax terminology where possible
- Focus on the key changes that affected individuals and businesses
- Include specific numbers and dates for context
- Preserve original source citations for deficit projections

Be concise:
- Summary should be 1 descriptive sentence, keep it short and to the point
- Provisions should be concise, in bullet point form (ideally fit on a single line), not complete sentences

Purpose:
- This content will be used in a web app to help the general public understand major US tax policy changes
- Content will be displayed in an interactive timeline, so it should be clear and informative at a glance
- Original source citations are important for credibility

Output a TypeScript array following this structure:

type TaxPolicyChange = {
  year: number;               // Year enacted
  name: string;               // Full official name of the legislation
  commonName?: string;        // More common name or acronym (if applicable)
  president: string;          // Last name of president who signed it
  summary: string;            // 1-2 sentence overview of major changes
  majorProvisions: string[];  // Key changes in the law, in bullet form
  projectedDeficitImpact: {
    amount: number;           // Magnitude in billions (always positive)
    direction: 'increase' | 'decrease';  // Whether the amount is a deficit increase or decrease
    windowStart: number;      // Fiscal year start
    windowEnd: number;        // Fiscal year end
    source: {
      name: string;           // Name of projecting organization (e.g. "CBO" or "JCT")
      citation: string;       // Original citation/document ID
      url?: string;           // URL to source if available
    };
  };
};

const TAX_POLICY_CHANGES: TaxPolicyChange[] = [
  {
    year: 2017,
    name: "Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017",
    commonName: "TCJA",
    president: "Trump",
    summary: "Major reform cutting corporate taxes permanently and individual taxes temporarily."
    majorProvisions: [
      "Reduced corporate tax rate from 35% to 21%",
      "Lowered individual tax rates across all brackets, with a top rate of 37%",
      "Nearly doubled the standard deduction and eliminated personal exemptions",
      "Limited state and local tax deductions to $10,000",
      "Created 20% deduction for pass-through business income"
    ],
    projectedDeficitImpact: {
      amount: 1456, // $1.456 trillion
      direction: 'increase', // Deficit increased
      windowStart: 2018,
      windowEnd: 2027,
      source: {
        name: "Joint Committee on Taxation",
        citation: "JCX-67-17",
        url: "https://www.jct.gov/publications/2017/jcx-67-17/"
      }
    }
  }
];

Please convert this source content:
[PASTE TAX POLICY DESCRIPTIONS HERE]
[PASTE TAX POLICY COST ESTIMATES HERE]