Debating the Wealth Tax

The 2019 Conference on Free Markets and the Constitution featured three events, two of which featured debate about a proposal gaining increasing popularity: the wealth tax.

Two Democratic Party presidential candidates, Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders, have put forward proposals featuring a wealth tax, which they argue would decrease economic inequality and increase federal revenue. A wealth tax would be applied to the assets of the wealthy every year in addition to the income tax, which makes it quite unlike luxury sales taxes or inheritance taxes. Warren’s proposal, for example, would impose 2% annual tax on households with a net worth between $50 million and $1 billion, and a 3% annual tax on households with a net worth over $1 billion.

The Center for Constitutional Studies was joined by three distinguished scholars, Brian Domitrovic, Frank Garmon, and Denise Hearn, to debate whether a wealth tax would be good economic policy, and whether such a tax would be constitutional.

Additionally, the conference featured a talk by David Stirling, the Founding Executive and CEO of dōTERRA, in conjunction with the Reed & Christine Hallaway Executive Leadership Series.

October 24th: Debating the Wealth Tax

10:00-11:15am | CB 101B | Panel 1: Economic Inequality and the Wealth Tax

Brian Domitrovic- "The Evidence Condemns the Wealth Tax"

11:30am-12:20pm | Ragan Theater | The Reed & Christine Halladay Executive Lecture Series

David Stirling- "Creating Markets, Leaders, and Movements"

This event is sponsored by the Woodbury School of Business

2:30-3:45pm | CB 510 | Panel 2: Debating the Wealth Tax

Frank Garmon- "Is the Wealth Tax Constitutional?" 

Denise Hearn- "Wealth Tax: Cure for a Symptom, Not the Disease"