Summary: As the White House and Congressional Republicans press for sweeping tax reform, Truth Politics and Power Host Neal Conan explores the economic and political history of the federal tax system. From the tariffs and excise taxes that funded government in the 18th and 19th century to the 16th amendment and a permanent income tax to “Taxes to beat the Axis” in WWII which created the federal tax system as we know it. How both political parties became allergic to tax increases and the hidden tax benefits of the welfare state that subsidize the middle class. With Molly Michelmore, author of "Tax and Spend: The Welfare State, Tax Politics and the Limits of American Liberalism", and Joseph J. Thorndike, director of the Tax History Project at Tax Analysts and the author of "Their Fair Share: Taxing the Rich in the Age of FDR."
