Tax Tycoon
Learn Economics by creating and managing your own tax system.
What is Tax Tycoon?
In this political and economic simulation, you serve as President with the goal of securing re-election and maintaining your party's power by balancing tax rates with public spending. To succeed, you must drive economic growth and fund essential services like healthcare and education while avoiding budget deficits and navigating random crises.
Your ultimate performance is graded on your ability to keep a fickle population happy over a ten-year period without being defeated at the polls.
How to Play: The Path to Victory
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Set Your Strategy: Every year, adjust your tax rates and allocate your budget across sectors like Education, Infrastructure, and the Military.
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Balance the Scales: Keep your citizens happy by funding quality services and fostering economic growth through low taxes and R&D investment.
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Survive the Elections: Maintain high happiness levels to win re-election at Year 5 and secure your party’s legacy at Year 10.
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Watch the Books: Avoid budget deficits and stay alert for unexpected crises or international rivals that can derail your progress.
Pro-tips for an A Grade
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The Balancing Act: Don't just spend—invest. High spending in R&D and Infrastructure boosts long-term economic growth, which eventually makes it easier to keep taxes low.
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Watch the "Fickle" Factor: Since happiness naturally decays over time, you need to show consistent improvement in services to keep the public from tiring of your leadership.
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Avoid the Debt Trap: An "A" grade requires a non-negative cumulative balance. Manage your budget carefully in the early years so you don't end the game in the red.
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Prioritize the Essentials: Neglecting Healthcare, Social Services, or Education causes immediate unhappiness. Ensure these "baseline" needs are met before splurging on the Military.