In a time of high unemployment and increasing national deficits, some argue that the wealthiest Americans are not paying their fair share. From President Obama’s first budget message in 2009 to the Occupy Wall Street movement, there have been strong calls to ask more from the 1 percent to level the playing field for the 99 percent. But where do these numbers come from? This forum will take a critical look at inequality research, including the papers offered by economists Thomas Piketty and Emmanuel Saez over the last decade, and at solutions such as more progressive taxation and other measures offered to reduce inequality. Join us as our panelists examine the research behind these debates and discuss the real nature of income inequality in the United States.
Inequality: Sorting through the Facts
Featuring Brian Domitrovic,Chairman, Department of History, Sam Houston State University, Author of “The Left’s Dubious History of Income Inequality”; Alan Reynolds, Senior Fellow, Cato Institute, Author of Income and Wealth; and Scott Winship, Fellow in Economic Studies, Brookings Institution, Author of “Mobility Impaired”; moderated by Dan Mitchell, Senior Fellow, Cato Institute.
