Michael J. Graetz is professor emeritus at Columbia Law School and Yale Law School. He is a leading authority on tax politics and policy, having served in the US Treasury’s Office of Tax Policy and been an expert witness on a variety of tax matters before Congressional Committees.

He has written or co-written many books, including DEATH BY A THOUSAND CUTS: THE FIGHT OVER TAXING INHERITED WEALTH; THE WOLF AT THE DOOR: THE MENACE OF ECONOMIC INSECURITY AND HOW TO FIGHT IT; and TRUE SECURITY: RETHINKING AMERICAN SOCIAL INSURANCE.

His latest book, is THE POWER TO DESTROY: HOW THE ANTITAX MOVEMENT HIJACKED AMERICA, published by Princeton University Press. We spoke with him via Skype on February 6, 2024.

Articles pertinent to this interview:

Michael Zweig: An Economicst With an Alternative View of the National Debt https://www.nytimes.com/1992/11/01/nyregion/long-island-qa-michael-zweig-an-economist-with-an-alternative-view.html?searchResultPosition=1

It Shouldn’t Be a Crime to Disclose Tax Returns https://www.nytimes.com/live/2024/01/24/opinion/thepoint#trump-tax-return-public

Everyone’s Income Taxes Should Be Public https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/13/opinion/sunday/taxes-public.html

Former Contractor Who Leaked Trump’s Tax Returns Sentenced to 5 Years in Prison https://www.nytimes.com/2024/01/29/us/politics/irs-trump-taxes-prison.html

Imagine Getting $840,000 a Year. Not as Your Pay—as a Raise. https://newrepublic.com/article/178570/executive-compensation-rising-congress

How Congress is planning to lift 400,000 kids out of poverty https://www.vox.com/future-perfect/2024/1/16/24035922/child-tax-credit-wyden-smith-deal

‘A Mockery’: House Passes Tax Bill That Favors Corporations Over Children https://www.commondreams.org/news/corporations-child-tax-credit?utm_source=Common+Dreams&utm_campaign=34e881a33a-Top+News%3A+Thur.+2%2F1%2F24&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_-f33353396e-%5BLIST_EMAIL_ID%5D

T.E.A. (Taxed Enough Already?!) by emma’s revolution https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tGpRN7ZWlp8