Final answer:
The assertion about the tax rates in 2011 is false. The U.S. federal income tax system is progressive, with marginal tax rates ranging from 10% to 35%, and marginal rates increasing with higher income levels. It does not apply a flat tax rate for income above $120,000.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement that if you earned up to $120,000 in 2011, you were taxed at a rate of roughly 6% of your income, and if you made over $120,000, you were taxed at a flat rate of $8,000 is false. In the United States, the federal income tax system is progressive, which means the tax rates increase as an individual's income increases. The marginal tax rates for a single taxpayer in 2010 ranged from 10% to 35%, depending on the income. Furthermore, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 shifted these tax brackets, and the highest tax rate was reduced to 37% for those with very high incomes.
The concept you described does not align with how progressive taxation works in the United States. Under a progressive tax system, there are not flat taxes beyond certain income levels. Instead, marginal rates apply to increments of income, and the rate increases as the income reaches higher bracket thresholds. Therefore, a person who made over $120,000 would not simply pay a flat rate, but instead, would pay progressively higher taxes on the income above each bracket threshold.