November 21, 2006
Karlyn Bowman: Bipartisanship Needed for Tax Reform
For immediate release
Media contact: Brian Phillips (202) 464-5102
Tax Increases Lack Support from the American Public
November 21, 2006, Washington D.C. -- In order to enact fundamental tax reform, Republicans and Democrats are going to have to work together, according to Karlyn Bowman, Resident Fellow at the American Enterprise Institute.
"Tax reform doesn't have a lot of political sizzle," Bowman said. "But it's the right thing to do and I believe that many Americans, if they believed it was going to happen, they'd be fairly enthusiastic about it."
Bowman, who studies public opinion and polls, U.S. politics, and the media at AEI, discussed the aftermath of the 2006 election in the Tax Foundation's most recent Tax Policy Podcast.
Bowman said that while polls indicate support for higher taxes on the rich, generally Americans disagree with politicians who favor tax increases. When asked about rolling back the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts, she said Americans ranked it low on their list of priorities.
"If I were the Democrats, I wouldn't start there," she said, "Because that's just not going to be a very popular idea."
"A politician that is seen as raising taxes still has a lot to fear."
The interview is Number 15 in the Tax Foundation’s podcast series. It’s available online here.
The Foundation publishes a podcast each Tuesday, featuring an interview that sheds light on the nation’s tax system. Best known for its annual calculation of Tax Freedom Day®, the Tax Foundation is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that has monitored fiscal policy at the federal, state and local levels since 1937.
For media inquires please email Brian Phillips or call 202.464.5102.
