Hardcover
- ISBN-10
- 1560003030
- ISBN-13
- 978-1560003038
- Product Author
- William F. Shughart II
Subtitle: The Predatory Politics of Fiscal Discrimination, Edited by William R. Shughart II with foreword by Paul W. McCracken
Taxing behavior deemed “politically incorrect” has long been a convenient way for politicians to fund programs benefiting special interest groups to the public’s disadvantage. Government policy toward various foods, drugs, tobacco, and alcohol, for example, has been locked into a regulatory cycle of tax and taboo. In addition to alcohol and tobacco, airline tickets, long-distance telephone calls, soft drinks, margarine, and even fishing gear have been subject to selective excise taxation. Do such selective taxes against certain products and non-invasive behaviors represent ominous trends easily extended into other facets of people’s lives? If smoking and drinking are subject to special taxation, will eating fatty foods and sunbathing be next? This book shows how excise taxes are less about revenue raising and re instead more about controlling personal behaviors and limiting individual choice. William F. Shughart has produced a work of great interest to economists, policy makers, historians, sociologists, or anyone who pays taxes!
Taxing Choice shows that the record of “sin taxes” has been anything but successful, as they have hindered economic progress and failed to deliver the promised social benefits. In addition, the costs of selective taxation fall disproportionately on lower income groups while politically powerful special interest groups benefit. “Sin taxes” also foster political corruption and self-serving, largely unaccountable bureaucracies. Furthermore, policies discriminating against certain products and behaviors through tax policy represent ominous trends that can easily be extended into other areas of life. If tobacco and alcohol are considered “dangerous” and subject to discriminatory taxation, what is to prevent the same taxes from being applied against fatty foods, sunbathing, or even obesity?
Nineteen distinguished scholars analyze the history, applications, and results of “sin taxes” in this volume. This is a timely and far-reaching book of great interest to economists, policy makers, historians, sociologists—or anyone who pays taxes!
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