Taxes Hurt So Good

Levies Can Be Painful. But the Right Ones Bring Big Gains

 

Life has only one certainty other than death: taxes. And taxes may be less popular than death in 21st century America. Much of today’s politics is centered on opposition to taxes.

So what is the point of taxes? More than just securing money for the government. Taxes are often meant to promote good behavior. But are taxes an effective way of getting people to do something they otherwise would not do? And should we be using taxes this way? In advance of economist Robert H. Frank’s visit to Zócalo to ask, …