Overview

An eye-opening history of taxation showing that battles over taxes have always really been battles over democracy itself Americans have always fought over the meaning of freedom and equality. What is not commonly recognized is that these battles, from the framing of the Constitution to the decades-long backlash to the civil rights movement, have largely revolved around one issue-taxes. In The Price of Democracy, Vanessa S. Williamson challenges the myth that Americans are instinctively anti-tax, revealing that fights over taxes have always been proxies for deeper conflicts over who is included in ""We the People."" Poorer people have repeatedly built movements that sought to tax all Americans to create a more equal and democratic nation. Wealthy people have responded by constraining the power to tax and stifling democracy through voting restrictions, gerrymandering, and violence. Yet as hard as anti-tax crusaders have fought to create an America that redistributes not from rich to poor, but from non-white people to rich white people, the battle rages on. The Price of Democracy uncovers how fights for fiscal fairness have defined American history, delivering a powerful message to the present: that taxes are the public's most powerful weapon in the fight for a real democracy.

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9781541606111

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Reviews

""Deeply researched and magnificently written, this book reminds us of a profound truth: that taxation and democracy are inextricably linked. At a time when democracy is under attack, look no further than taxes to see both the battleground and the war. An absolute must-read.""--Gabriel Zucman, author of The Hidden Wealth of Nations ""I love this book. American democracy has always been based on the right of the people to tax themselves to create a state that serves their needs--and oligarchs determined to destroy that state have always fought taxes. A colorful and interesting trip through American history, The Price of Democracy makes a convincing case that we must take back the power of taxation to restore our democracy. The history of taxes has never been more interesting or more important than it is right now, and in Williamson's hands, it comes alive.""--Heather Cox Richardson, New York Times-bestselling author of Democracy Awakening ""Readable, entertaining, and astute, Vanessa Williamson's new book offers a fresh look at the politics of U.S. taxation from the original Tea Party to the present. Rich and poor may clash over who pays for government and how, but many Americans have always realized their stakes in paying enough in legitimate ways to make democracy work. Going far beyond the usual platitudes about how 'Americans hate taxes' this book shows us why some levies are more popular and effective than others for sustaining democratically responsive government. As America's tax battles flare anew, The Price of Democracy has valuable lessons for citizens and analysts alike.""--Theda Skocpol, author of The Tea Party and the Making of Republican Conservatism ""Taxes are not just the lifeblood of government. They are the wellspring of democracy. That is the revelatory message of Vanessa Williamson's propulsive, panoramic history. Compelling, original, and beautifully written, The Price of Democracy is an essential antidote to the anti-tax extremism that threatens our democracy.""--Jacob S. Hacker, coauthor of Let Them Eat Tweets ""Vanessa Williamson has synthesized recent research to tell a gripping story about the contested history of taxation in the United States. Written with style and verve, this book should appeal to everyone interested in this always central but too often arcane aspect of the American story.""--Robin Einhorn, University of California, Berkeley

Author Information

Vanessa S. Williamson is a senior fellow in governance studies at the Brookings Institution, and a senior fellow at the Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center. The author or coauthor of two previous books, her writing has appeared in the New York Times, Washington Post, Atlantic, Nation, and elsewhere. She lives in Washington, DC.

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