Reshaping the Debate on Raising Taxes

In the NY Times Article “Reshaping the Debate on Raising Taxes” Robert Frank wades into the middle of the controversy of whether taxes are too high or too low. In it he illustrates how framing questions to the public can illicit dramatically different responses.

In the first survey, respondents were simply asked whether they favored the proposal (to repeal the estate tax). Almost 75 percent said they did. In the second, respondents were first told that lost revenue from eliminating the estate tax would necessitate some combination of raising other taxes, borrowing more money from abroad and further cutbacks in government services. This time, almost 80 percent of respondents favored keeping the estate tax.

The question for me is not which team will lower or raise taxes – It is which team will spend our money most efficiently to improve the quality of life for the most people. I used to think that if the GOP won control of the government they would cut out the waste while refining the social safety net and improving opportunity. I now have no faith that their party is willing or able to this. And so, while I believe that the Democrats are as corrupt and self promoting as the GOP it seems to me that incrementally fewer people are hurt and incrementally more people will get assistance when the Democrats are in charge.