Recent Polling Once Again Shows Bipartisan Support for Fairer Taxes on the Rich
The poll also revealed broad popularity for the kind of public services that fairer taxes on the rich and corporations can pay for.
By William Rice
In democracies like ours popular will is supposed to matter. So it’s strange that it’s been so difficult to achieve the kind of real reform that would ensure the rich and big corporations pay their fair share of taxes. Several recent surveys reinforce the conclusion that the American people all along the political spectrum want fairer taxes. So do President Biden and Congressional Democrats. It’s Republicans in Congress who don’t seem to be getting the message—or rather are apparently getting a stronger opposing message from their wealthy friends and donors.
A poll of likely voters released April 10 commissioned by MomsRising and the National Women’s Law Center, and conducted by the well-respected firm Lake Research Partners, found that around 80% of respondents favored raising taxes on wealthy corporations and individuals. More than half “strongly favored” such reform. Importantly, those numbers included around two-thirds of the Republican participants in the poll.
The poll also revealed broad popularity for the kind of public services that fairer taxes on the rich and corporations can pay for. Three-quarters of respondents favored a $400 billion investment in a more robust care system for elderly and disabled loved ones; a guarantee that would lower costs and improve the quality of child care and early education; and 12 weeks of paid family and medical leave. Again, those big majorities were not just made up of Democrats and political independents: around 60% of Republicans concurred.
A central issue in the upcoming elections and on the legislative calendar next year is what to do about portions of the 2017 Trump-GOP tax law scheduled to expire at the end of 2025. Just like the overall law, those parts due to expire mostly benefit the rich. When asked if we should let the Republican tax cuts expire on schedule at the end of next year and instead make sure the “wealthiest individuals and wealthy corporations pay their fair share in taxes” so that we can better fund those desired public services, two-thirds—including half the Republicans—agreed.
A Navigator poll of registered voters released six days later found three-quarters supported “closing tax loopholes that benefit Big Pharma, Big Oil, and wealthy corporations,” “raising taxes on the wealthiest Americans to fund Social Security and Medicare,” and “fully funding the IRS to crack down on the wealthy and corporate tax cheats.” Once again, most Republicans were on board.
In addition to funding Social Security and Medicare, support was widespread for using those higher taxes on the rich to expand the Child Tax Credit (CTC)—especially after hearing what expansion could achieve. Given additional information (including that three million kids could be lifted out of poverty), support for an improved CTC support jumped from 66% to 72%. Among Republicans, the majority rose from 52% to 55%.
On April 24, Bloomberg reported on its poll of registered voters in seven states that will be key to deciding this year’s presidential election: Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. Over three-quarters favored a special tax on billionaires to shore up Social Security funding. A majority supported lifting the cap on Social Security taxes so that high-paid workers would be taxed on all their wages. Now, no pay over about $170,000 received this year (the amount rises annually with inflation) is subject to the tax.
This poll is part of a series; last month Bloomberg reported that over two-thirds (69%) of respondents favored higher taxes on billionaires. That included 58% of Republicans.
These are numbers politicians ignore at their peril. Republicans will try to change the subject to avoid confronting this bipartisan demand for tax fairness. But they can only hide for so long.