Capital Taxation under Political Constraints

S-Tier
Journal: American Economic Review
Year: 2016
Volume: 106
Issue: 8
Pages: 2304-28

Score contribution per author:

4.022 = (α=2.01 / 2 authors) × 4.0x S-tier

α: calibrated so average coauthorship-adjusted count equals average raw count

Abstract

This paper studies optimal dynamic tax policy under the threat of political reform. A policy will be reformed ex post if a large enough coalition of citizens supports reform; thus, sustainable policies are those that will continue to attract enough political support in the future. We find that optimal marginal capital taxes are either progressive or U-shaped, so that savings are subsidized for the poor and/or the middle class but are taxed for the rich. U-shaped capital taxes always emerge when individuals' political behavior is purely determined by economic motives.

Technical Details

RePEc Handle
repec:aea:aecrev:v:106:y:2016:i:8:p:2304-28
Journal Field
General
Author Count
2
Added to Database
2026-01-29