NO REPRESENTATION WITHOUT TAXATION

[I]t is a very bad thing — politically and morally as well as economically — that so many tax payers in the U.S. pay no income tax at all. Some public-spirited lawyer should bring a class-action suit on their behalf, asking why so many people have been denied this essential perquisite of citizenship simply because they are of (relatively) modest means. It is an outrage (this counsellor should argue) that this not-so-hidden half of the population be treated as second-class citizens and be deprived of a stake in the future of our commonweal.

It’s a pleasant thought, but there’s no evidence to support the thesis that tax payers make better voting choices than tax recipients. And if you’re a net tax recipient, is it not a rational choice to go with the party that promises more (What’s the Matter with Kansas?)?