Part of a series which offers educational resources and teaching techniques related to major social issues to high school social studies classroom teachers, the guide focuses on political and economic aspects of tax policy in the United States. The document is presented in three major chapters. Chapter I explores how economic and political science frameworks can be used to analyze policy issues. Chapter II presents an overview of taxation in the United States. Topics discussed include the role of taxes in United States economy, the nature of tax authority, economic bases for taxation, and criteria used in evaluating the worth of a tax. Chapter III outlines objectives for the tax policy unit, including that students should be able to define and evaluate various kinds of taxes, make informed decisions about reforms, and understand the values involved in tax policies and various tax issues. This chapter also presents instructional activities which involve students in defining terms, identifying and classifying taxes, discussing and analyzing issues in groups and in the class, working problem sheets, and role playing. For each activity, information is presented on recommended use, sequence within the unit, time and materials required, rationale, concepts, instructional objectives, teaching strategies, and pupil activities. (CK)