Why the Left Lost the Tax Issue

If there is any issue that exemplifies the rightward drift in American politics, it is the issue of taxes. Those of us with political memories that extend past June 6, 1978 will recall that the issue used to belong to the left. Tax data released by the federal government in the late 1960s revealed that several hundred millionaires were able legally to avoid paying any federal income tax. The outrage that ensued fueled a significant movement for tax reform.

As with most popular initiati...