Presenting Data (Bar Charts) [LO-3] Team up with a classmate to design charts based on a comparison of the total tax burden of the U.S. taxpayer with that of people in other nations (see the data following this paragraph). One teammate should sketch a horizontal or vertical bar chart, and the other should sketch a pictogram from the estimates that follow. Then exchange charts and analyze how well each conveys the situation of the U.S. taxpayer. Would the bar chart look best with vertical or horizontal bars? Why? What scale is best?

How does the symbol used in the pictogram enhance or obscure the meaning or impact of the data? What suggestions can each student make for improving the other’s visual aid?

Estimates show that French taxpayers spend 48 percent of their incomes on taxes, Swedish taxpayers spend 43 percent, Japanese taxpayers spend 33 percent, U.S. taxpayers spend 32 percent, and British taxpayers spend 31 percent.