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New Study Shows Why ‘Taxing the Rich’ Isn’t So Straightforward

When taxes are high, people refuse to comply.
New Study Shows Why ‘Taxing the Rich’ Isn’t So Straightforward
A man carries placards that read "Free education. Tax the rich" and "Communism" in a file photo. Justin Tallis/AFP via Getty Images
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Commentary
A common rallying cry on the left is that we can fund our social programs if we just “tax the rich.” While popular, this slogan is far from a real solution for the country. As has been pointed out elsewhere, if you confiscated all the wealth of every billionaire in the United States, you wouldn’t even have enough money to run the government for a year. Our fiscal problem is a spending issue, not a revenue issue.
Peter Jacobsen
Peter Jacobsen
Author
Peter Jacobsen is a writing fellow at the Foundation for Economic Education (FEE). He teaches economics and holds the positions of assistant professor of economics at Ottawa University and Gwartney Professor of Economic Education and Research at the Gwartney Institute. He received his graduate education at George Mason University.