Working Papers
A Network Approach to Geopolitics
Economics Working Paper 26127
October 16, 2026
Published May 16, 2023
Nordic countries are often portrayed as having fairer tax laws than the ones in America. However, their top marginal tax rate kicks in at much lower levels of income than in the United States. The use of relative terms like “fairness” muddies the discourse on taxes, leading people to reject absolutely efficient gains that they perceive as unfair—even though they may make everyone better off.
Discussion Question:
- After seeing the video, do you think America’s tax laws are more or less “fair” than the tax laws in Nordic countries?
- Is a flat tax more or less fair than a progressive tax? Why?
Additional Resources:
- Watch Tyler Goodspeed at the 2022 Fall SIEPR Policy Forum: Tax on Individuals Equity and Efficiency, on YouTube. Available here.
- Watch “Setting the Record Straight on Wealth Inequality,” with Tyler Goodspeed on PolicyEd. Available here.
- Read “Why scrapping the corporation tax rise is a no-brainer,” by Tyler Goodspeed via CapX. Available here.
Cast
Tyler Goodspeed
Related
Videos
The Counter Revolution: Victor Davis Hanson On The Fall And Rise Of Trump
How did Donald Trump go from political defeat and the aftermath of January 6 to a second term in the White House?
October 19, 2026
Videos
Monetary Policy And The Shadow Open Market Committee Since The 1970s
Mickey Levy on his early career working with Alice Rivlin at the Congressional Budget Office and with Arthur Burns at AEI, as well as being part of the Shadow Open Markets Committee from its early days in the 1970s.
October 16, 2026