Glossary
Budget Advocacy
Engaging a constituency to organize for increased and/or adequate funding to address social issues.Capacity Building
Increasing the skills, abilities, and infrastructure of a particular group or community to successfully advance issues of social justice and quality of life.Community Mapping
Participatory exercise in which community members identify the assets and challenges in their neighborhood. Can be used as an essential component of creating an action plan.Excise Taxes
Taxes that are levied on the volume of business or a particular good sold (not including real estate or property).FOIA
The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) is a procedure whereby any member of the public may obtain many kinds of public agency records.Income Bracket
Income brackets are the increments at which income taxes are levied. The lowest income bracket is the minimum amount of money one would have to make in order to owe taxes. The highest bracket is the “ceiling” at which there are no more increases in the tax levied.Master Settlement Agreement
In 1998, the attorneys general of 46 states signed a Master Settlement Agreement with the six largest tobacco companies in the United States. The agreement, which places some limits on tobacco advertising, includes payments to states by major tobacco companies totaling an estimated $206 billion over 25 years. The tobacco companies also agreed to open previously secret industry documents and disband industry trade groups.Media Advocacy
The strategic use of news media and, when appropriate, paid advertising, to support community organizing to advance a public policy initiative.
(From Wallack, Lawrence, et. al. News for a Change, 1999)Popular Education
A process using participant-based learning to uncover root causes of social, economic and political oppression and using this analysis to move a group into action for a more just world. Continuous use of reflection, planning and action, to build conscience and capacity among participants.Power Analysis
A participatory process in which groups identify those who have economic, social or political power in a given situation and the strategies and tactics used to maintain such power. This analysis is used to evaluate the action strategies for realizing institutional and systemic change.Progressive Taxes
Taxes that increase as the amount subject to taxes increase. In other words, if one makes more, they pay more. If they make less, they pay less.“Rainy Day” Funds
General funds held in reserve in case of economic downturn or other event that affects revenues. Most rainy day funds are set at a certain percentage of revenues. Often, these funds are used to reduce outstanding debt.Regressive Taxes
Taxes that take a larger percentage of money from low income than high income people. These are taxes that levy the same amount of money regardless of income so that the poorer you are the more you pay.
Credits
Support for document development provided by TTAC, the Tobacco Technical Assistance Consortium and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF). Our thanks to United for a Fair Economy and the Indiana Tobacco Prevention and Cessation Agency (ITPC) for their contributions to this kit. However, none of these parties are responsible for the content of this document, and do not necessarily share the
views expressed herein.
Document developed and written by Marta Vizueta and Makani Themba-Nixon. Editing by Jenny Chung. Web site design and coding by Jamila White & Associates, Inc. with design and photographic contribution by Raoul Dennis.
