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A poll released Wednesday by TheHill/HarrisX found that 67% of Americans support a wealth tax to combat inequality. (Photo: AFP/Getty)
'Rich People Have Profited Enough': New Poll Shows Two-Thirds of Americans Support Wealth Tax to Combat Inequality
"Americans are ready for a revolution—a massive change to how we run this country."
Feb 26, 2020
Support for a wealth tax to combat persistent inequality in the U.S. is growing, according to a new poll released Wednesday by TheHill/HarrisX which found that just over two-thirds of Americans favor a tax on the wealthiest households.
Sixty-seven percent of respondents--including majorities of Democrats and Independents--said there should be a wealth tax on billionaires, as Democratic presidential candidates Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) have proposed.
A clear majority of Democrats, 85%, backed the proposal, along with 66% of independent voters. Nearly half of Republican respondents--47%--said they would support a wealth tax in the poll, which was conducted between February 23 and 24 among more than 1,000 registered voters and had a margin of error of 3%.
The survey showed that, increasingly, "Americans are ready for a revolution," tweeted Alejo Gonzalez, a labor organizer.
The survey was released a month after Reuters/Ipsos reported similar findings in another poll, which showed 64% of Americans supported a wealth tax.
The Hill/HarrisX found similar support for Warren's proposed wealth tax a year ago, soon after the senator released her plan to impose a 2% tax on wealth over $50 million and a 3% tax on assets over $1 billion.
Last September, Sanders detailed his proposal to impose a 1% tax on wealth between $32 and $50 million, with the rate progressively increasing on richer Americans.
The two senators have said revenue from their wealth taxes would go to funding universal childcare programs, Medicare for All, and tuition-free public college--all of which a majority of Americans have also been shown to support.
We are at a crossroads
This country and this world are at a monumental crossroads. US voters have an opportunity to beat back the forces of fascism and confront the billionaires who are rigging the economy, our media system, and our democracy, making it increasingly impossible for ordinary people to get by. We’re not just talking about the election. We’re talking about what must be done once these fascist elements are vanquished from power. We need a bolder set of solutions than what either major party has so far been willing to offer and a working-class movement ready to fight like hell for it. Trump didn't emerge from nowhere. The conditions that fueled MAGA authoritarianism were created by decades of radical neoliberal economic policies and a corrupt political system dominated by corporate interests. They slashed taxes on the super-rich, promising that the benefits would trickle down. They said giveaways to the corporate titans would make life more affordable for the rest of us. It was all bullshit. And when a bitter, betrayed populace searches for someone to blame, right-wing demagogues have little trouble finding scapegoats. People know when they're being lied to, but you won't hear any of this from the corporate media. Only independent journalism—powered and funded by people who believe in building a better world—can deliver truly trustworthy daily news. If you share our vision, please contribute whatever you can to sustain our work. |
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Support for a wealth tax to combat persistent inequality in the U.S. is growing, according to a new poll released Wednesday by TheHill/HarrisX which found that just over two-thirds of Americans favor a tax on the wealthiest households.
Sixty-seven percent of respondents--including majorities of Democrats and Independents--said there should be a wealth tax on billionaires, as Democratic presidential candidates Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) have proposed.
A clear majority of Democrats, 85%, backed the proposal, along with 66% of independent voters. Nearly half of Republican respondents--47%--said they would support a wealth tax in the poll, which was conducted between February 23 and 24 among more than 1,000 registered voters and had a margin of error of 3%.
The survey showed that, increasingly, "Americans are ready for a revolution," tweeted Alejo Gonzalez, a labor organizer.
The survey was released a month after Reuters/Ipsos reported similar findings in another poll, which showed 64% of Americans supported a wealth tax.
The Hill/HarrisX found similar support for Warren's proposed wealth tax a year ago, soon after the senator released her plan to impose a 2% tax on wealth over $50 million and a 3% tax on assets over $1 billion.
Last September, Sanders detailed his proposal to impose a 1% tax on wealth between $32 and $50 million, with the rate progressively increasing on richer Americans.
The two senators have said revenue from their wealth taxes would go to funding universal childcare programs, Medicare for All, and tuition-free public college--all of which a majority of Americans have also been shown to support.
Support for a wealth tax to combat persistent inequality in the U.S. is growing, according to a new poll released Wednesday by TheHill/HarrisX which found that just over two-thirds of Americans favor a tax on the wealthiest households.
Sixty-seven percent of respondents--including majorities of Democrats and Independents--said there should be a wealth tax on billionaires, as Democratic presidential candidates Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) have proposed.
A clear majority of Democrats, 85%, backed the proposal, along with 66% of independent voters. Nearly half of Republican respondents--47%--said they would support a wealth tax in the poll, which was conducted between February 23 and 24 among more than 1,000 registered voters and had a margin of error of 3%.
The survey showed that, increasingly, "Americans are ready for a revolution," tweeted Alejo Gonzalez, a labor organizer.
The survey was released a month after Reuters/Ipsos reported similar findings in another poll, which showed 64% of Americans supported a wealth tax.
The Hill/HarrisX found similar support for Warren's proposed wealth tax a year ago, soon after the senator released her plan to impose a 2% tax on wealth over $50 million and a 3% tax on assets over $1 billion.
Last September, Sanders detailed his proposal to impose a 1% tax on wealth between $32 and $50 million, with the rate progressively increasing on richer Americans.
The two senators have said revenue from their wealth taxes would go to funding universal childcare programs, Medicare for All, and tuition-free public college--all of which a majority of Americans have also been shown to support.
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