The Benefit and The Burden
Tax Reform-Why We Need It and What It Will Take
THE UNITED STATES TAX CODE HAS UNDERGONE NO SERIOUS REFORM SINCE 1986. Since then, loopholes, exemptions, credits, and deductions have distorted its clarity, increased its inequity, and frustrated our ability to govern ourselves. By tracing the history of our own tax system and assessing the way other countries have solved similar problems, Bruce Bartlett explores the surprising answers to all these issues, giving a sense of the tax code’s many benefits—and its inevitable burdens. From one of the most respected political and economic thinkers, advisers, and writers of our time, The Benefit and the Burden is a thoughtful and surprising argument for American tax reform.
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- Simon & Schuster |
- 288 pages |
- ISBN 9781451646269 |
- January 2012
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Praise
“A lucid analysis... a provocative book... remarkably successful in interweaving the underlying economics of the US tax system with the political choices that have made it what it is.”
– Financial Times
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“A lucid analysis... a provocative book... remarkably successful in interweaving the underlying economics of the US tax system with the political choices that have made it what it is.”– Financial Times
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“Today we’re living in a country deeply divided between winners and losers. Nowhere is that more evident than in our tax system--so distorted by loopholes, exemptions, credits, and deductions favoring the already rich and powerful that it no longer can raise the money needed to pay the government’s bills. Among the people who saw this crisis coming was the conservative economist Bruce Bartlett... The Benefit and the Burden is a layman’s guide through the jungle of a tax system that, thanks to rented politicians and anti-tax ideologues like Grover Norquist, enable the one percent to make off like bandits while our national debt soars sky-high.”– Bill Moyers
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“[Bartlett’s] analysis of tax burdens and policies in modern times is essential reading for anyone following the present debate about income inequality and taxation.”– Worth
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“For a vivid picture on how evolving tax laws have wrecked America's fiscal standing, consult Bruce Bartlett's new book.”– Froma Harrop, The Providence Journal
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“A great introduction for anyone who doesn't really know much about the U.S. tax system and wants to learn the basics. It's clear, short, and a quick read.”– Kevin Drum, Mother Jones
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“If Obama wants to win this election, he needs to embrace radical tax reform. The shape and structure of sane reforms is already out there, as Bruce Bartlett explains.”– Andrew Sullivan, The Daily Beast
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“[Bartlett] writes beautifully and seems to have no trouble avoiding getting caught up in the many complexities of tax policy.”– Len Burman, Forbes and Professor of Economics at Syracuse
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“In a political system beset by ignorance and misinformation, delivering basic information to interested citizens is a worthy goal. And Bartlett does it very well.”– Joseph J. Thorndike, Tax Notes
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“[Bartlett’s] balanced, well-researched primer on America’s tax system... is a refreshing entree to a difficult subject. The book’s no-nonsense approach to tax policy proves surprisingly engaging.”– The Economist
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“Bruce Bartlett has waded into the debate on tax policy with a thoughtful argument for the necessity of reform.”– Tom Pauken, The American Conservative
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“Bartlett’s book is a clear and comprehensive overview of today’s complicated tax system.”– Robert J. Samuelson, The Washington Post
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“An excellent, wide-ranging guide to what matters about the U.S. federal income tax system, its history and problems, and where it might go next. Bartlett, who has been a favorite commentator of mine for many years, does a really excellent job of providing a lucid review that deserves... broad readership.”– Daniel Shaviro, Wayne Perry Professor of Taxation at New York University Law School
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“In his wonderful new study... Bruce Bartlett offers a useful thumbnail history on the federal government's seemingly haphazard role in the post-WWII evolution of the private health insurance industry.”– Scott Galupo, U.S. News & World Report
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“You gotta get this. You’ll read it, and get mad, which is good.”– Jon Stewart
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“It is to Bartlett's credit as a writer that he makes this topic accessible, while showing great aplomb in dismantling many of the myths and misconceptions that exist about taxes.”– Noah Kristula-Green, The Daily Beast
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“Bartlett gives a broad overview of federal income-tax policy. He argues that people want more government than they have been willing to pay for, and chronic deficits are no longer sustainable. He dismisses Grover Norquist’s mission to 'starve the beast' of government as nonsense but favors reducing America’s corporate tax rate because only Japan has a higher one. He sets forth political conditions necessary for reform: courage for Democrats and compromise for Republicans.”– David Cay Johnston, The American Prospect
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“[A] vital call for radical tax reform.”– Andrew Sullivan, The Daily Beast
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“[A]n excellent guide to the promise and peril of tax reform... [Bartlett's] writing is clear, concise, and crisp... Highly recommended for anyone wanting a pithy introduction to the challenges of designing a tax system we can be proud of.”– Donald Marron, Director of the Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center
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“[Bartlett's] contribution, a full--throated call for reform, has gotten a surprising amount of attention for a tax book... And the notice is well-deserved. He’s written a clear, well-reasoned brief for reform.”– Howard Gleckman, Tax Policy Center, Urban Institute and Brookings Institution
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“Impeccably fair-minded.”– David Brooks, The New York Times
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“A wonderfully clear primer on the relevant issues and the history behind them... Read this book.”– Timothy Noah, The New Republic
Read an Excerpt
Introduction
The tax code is like a garden. Without regular attention, it grows weeds that will soon overwhelm the plants and flowers. Unfortunately, no serious weeding had been done to the tax code since 1986. In the meantime, many new plants and flowers have been added without regard to the overall aesthetic of the garden. The result today is an overgrown mess. There is a desperate need to pull the weeds, cut away the brush, and rethink some of the plantings to restore order, beauty, and functionality to the garden.
At its core, the purpose of any tax system is to raise the revenue needed to pay the government’s bills.... see more
Chapter 1
A Brief History of Federal Income Taxation
As every schoolchild knows, following the American Revolution, the Articles of Confederation governed the United States from 1781 to 1789. But the government established by the Articles proved to have a fatal weakness in the area of taxation. The federal government depended on the states to provide it with revenue, and like all taxpayers, the states didn’t much enjoy paying taxes to Washington. The federal government soon had a financial crisis. It lacked the revenue to function adequately, and so a constitutional convention was assembled to write a new basic... see more
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