Mehrotra on How the Income Tax Created the Modern Fiscal State

Over at Bloomberg.com, Ajay K. Mehrotra, Maurer School of Law at Indiana University, Bloomington, has posted How the Income Tax Created the Modern Fiscal State.  Here’s a taste:

As we commemorate the centennial of the 16th Amendment and look ahead to looming budgetary battles, we ought to keep in mind that the foundations of our modern fiscal state are rooted not in efforts to radically redistribute wealth, but in attempts to balance fiscal duties and civic responsibilities. The progressives who bequeathed this state to us certainly knew the difference.

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