Document Type
Lecture
Publication Date
3-3-2026
Publisher
Brookings Mountain West
First page number:
1
Last page number:
22
Abstract
As part of the Brookings Scholar Lecture Series, Brookings Mountain West presented a lecture titled, "The Price of Democracy: The Revolutionary Power of Taxation in American History" by Brookings senior fellow in governance studies, Vanessa Williamson.
From tariffs to “no tax on tips”, taxation has often been a hot topic in American elections. What is not commonly recognized, however, is that—from the framing of the Constitution to the decades-long backlash to the civil rights movement—taxes have been at the heart of battles over the breadth of our democracy. Brookings senior fellow Vanessa Williamson discusses her new book, The Price of Democracy, revealing that fights over taxes have always been proxies for deeper conflicts over who is included in “We the People.” Throughout American history, would-be authoritarians have used two strategies to gain and hold power: subverting elections and undermining the tax system.
Keywords
Taxation; Taxpayer; Democracy; Government; Legislation; Politics
Disciplines
American Politics | Economic History | Economic Policy | Public Policy | Taxation
File Format
File Size
5.4 MB
Run Time
00:58:05
Language
English
Repository Citation
Williamson, V.
(2026).
The Price of Democracy: The Revolutionary Power of Taxation in American History.
1-22.
Available at:
https://oasis.library.unlv.edu/brookings_lectures_events/167
Included in
American Politics Commons, Economic History Commons, Economic Policy Commons, Public Policy Commons, Taxation Commons