Federal Taxation in America: A Short HistoryAuthoritative and readable, this book is the first historical overview of US federal tax systems published since 1967. Its coverage extends from the ratification of the Constitution to the present day. Brownlee describes the five principal stages of federal taxation in relation to the crises that led to their adoption - the formation of the republic, the Civil War, World War I, the Great Depression, and World War II - and discusses the significant modification during the Reagan presidency of the last stage. Brownlee also addresses the proposals made since the fall of 1994 congressional elections under the 'Contract with America' and competing schemes, and he assesses today's conditions for a tax revolution in the light of the national emergencies that have produced revolutions in the past. While focusing on federal policy, Brownlee also attends to the related history of state and local taxation. |
Contents
The formative tax regimes 17891916 | 9 |
The democraticstatist tax regimes 19161941 | 47 |
The era of easy finance 19411986 | 89 |
From 1986 to 1996 and beyond | 130 |
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adoption base-broadening bill billion Brownlee budget campaigns capital Civil Clinton Congress congressional Constitution consumption Contract with America created crisis Deal deductions deficit democratic statism democratic-statist Depression Donald Regan Doughton economists enacted ERTA excess-profits excise favored federal government federal income tax federal tax system federal taxation fiscal policy flat tax Funding the Modern Herbert Stein House income taxation individual industry inflation interest Keynesian leaders leadership legislation liberal major McAdoo Means Committee Mellon ment middle-class Modern American Morgenthau national emergencies Packwood percent political President produced profits progressive tax property taxation proposed Reagan administration redistributional reduced Republican Revenue Act Revolution Roosevelt administration Rostenkowski sales tax Secretary Social Security statism Stein Steuerle tariffs tax code tax cuts tax expenditures tax increases tax policy tax rates tax reform tax regime tax revenues taxpayers taxpaying tion Treasury University Press wartime wealth Wilbur Mills Woodrow Wilson Center World World War II York