Why Americans oppose taxes that often benefit them |
Americans consistently express hostility toward taxes - even progressive taxes that many say they support in principle and that often align with their economic self-interest. Drawing on research by MIT political scientist Andrea Campbell, economic historian Jospeh Thorndike argues that this contradiction is not driven primarily by self-interest or partisanship. Instead, it stems from the complexity of the U.S. tax system, widespread use of tax breaks, low trust in government, and deep-seated racial resentment. Tax expenditures make the system opaque, obscuring who benefits and encouraging a generalized belief that all taxes are bad. This confusion leads many nonwealthy Americans to support tax cuts that primarily benefit the rich. Racial politics further shape attitudes, with many white Americans perceiving taxes as funding benefits for “undeserving” others, while Black and Hispanic Americans - often disadvantaged by the tax system - also distrust taxation due to historical and ongoing government coercion. The result is a bipartisan antitax culture that undermines progressive taxation, even as the nation faces worsening fiscal pressures.
