If you care about politics, you probably have strong views about tax policy. The officials we elect, Left and Right, certainly display a strong faith in its power to increase fairness and fund a European-style welfare state by taxing the rich, or to implement tax cuts that somehow will boost economic growth without increasing the national debt. Unfortunately, the hopes so many invest in tax policy often rest on myths.

This course gets real about what tax policy (including tariffs) can and cannot accomplish. We also examine the tax ideas embedded in the One Big Beautiful Bill.

This course will combine lecture with class discussions.