All governments depend on tax revenue, but elected officials in democracies must contend with popular resistance to taxes. Our first session will consider the major federal and state tax innovations since 1789, and describe how they succeeded despite popular opposition (and occasional tax revolts). The second session will consider Vanessa Williamson’s new book The Price of Democracy. She argues that taxes have been linked to ongoing debates over representation, slavery, voting rights, and redistribution. Historically, political and economic elites have tried to limit political participation in order to minimize their own tax burdens. Her examples include Jim Cow laws and the current debates over voter ID and vote-by-mail.
((Susan Hansen - Tuesday - Zoom))
