Narrative Web
Object

Bartlet's Tax Plan

President Bartlet directs senior staff to line up validators for the tax plan after Treasury, OMB, NEC, DPC, and Joint Tax clear it. The document anchors Oval Office strategy as aides like Toby, Josh, Leo, and Charlie confirm clearances, transitioning the administration from economic policy vetting to urgent political debates on needle-exchange and Stackhouse's potential response.
3 appearances

Purpose

Federal tax policy proposal advanced through interagency validation for potential legislative implementation

Significance

Clears a major hurdle in White House economic agenda, freeing Bartlet and team to tackle election-threatening crises like Ritchie's attacks and swing-state risks

Appearances in the Narrative

When this object appears and how it's used

3 moments
S4E4 · The Red Mass
Validation Secured — Validators and Debate Strategy Mobilized

Bartlet's Tax Plan is the technical artifact whose unanimous vetting triggers the meeting's pivot. It functions as both the achievement being celebrated and the political payload that requires validators and rollout coordination.

Before: Vetted and cleared by Treasury, OMB, NEC, DPC, and Joint Tax; held in White House policy files.
After: Designated for public rollout; staff assigned to assemble validators and messaging to support it.
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S4E4 · The Red Mass
Needle-Exchange Flashpoint — Debate Stakes and Stackhouse Uncertainty

Bartlet's tax plan is the proximate administrative victory that opens the meeting: its clearance by Treasury, OMB, NEC and Joint Tax creates the bandwidth for political triage, and it anchors the President's order to line up external validators.

Before: Formally vetted and cleared by Treasury, OMB, NEC, DPC, and Joint Tax.
After: Set to be publicly validated with endorsements; Sam tasked to secure validators for rollout.
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S4E4 · The Red Mass
Debate Strategy Clash — Expectations vs. Substance

Bartlet's tax plan is the practical trigger for the meeting: its clearance by Treasury, OMB, NEC, DPC and Joint Tax is confirmed verbally, prompting the order to 'line up validators' and shifting staff energy from vetting to political execution.

Before: Vetted and scored by Treasury, OMB, NEC, DPC and Joint Tax; ready for public rollout but awaiting validators.
After: Approved for rollout with tasks assigned to secure validators and public endorsers.
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