Book & podcast collection

My Tax Dollars: The Morality of Taxpaying in America

byRuth Braunstein

Sociologist Ruth Braunstein examines how Americans understand the moral meaning of paying taxes. Through the stories people tell about contribution, fairness, government, deservingness, and citizenship, she reveals that tax debates are about much more than rates or economic self-interest. Different groups imagine the public good—and their obligations to strangers—in sharply different ways. The book connects everyday tax talk with religion, race, class, and political identity, showing how fiscal choices become expressions of who belongs and who owes what to whom. It offers a fresh perspective on one of the country's most persistent political conflicts.

Publisher

Princeton University Press

Publication date

2025

Format

Print edition

Pages

256

ISBN

9780691254999