Tax reforms in the USA from Reagan to Trump: main outcomes and possible impact on inequality

Ing. Anastasiia Goncharova

Master's thesis

Abstract:

This paper aims to provide an overview of the significant tax changes that have been implemented in the United States over the past forty years, to examine the results they have had on the economy in general and on the population in particular, and to discover the impact on inequality. The first chapter presents a background of taxation in the United States, an overview of tax systems, including their purposes, categorization, and relationship to inequality. The second section examines the three most significant tax reforms from Reagan to the Trump administration and a summary of the results and proposals. The findings contribute to existing methods for evaluation of economic outcomes and income inequality by broadening the range of the questions examined to an extent of three most contentious reforms in the United States.

Abstract:

This paper aims to provide an overview of the significant tax changes that have been implemented in the United States over the past forty years, to examine the results they have had on the economy in general and on the population in particular, and to discover the impact on inequality. The first chapter presents a background of taxation in the United States, an overview of tax systems, including their purposes, categorization, and relationship to inequality. The second section examines the three most significant tax reforms from Reagan to the Trump administration and a summary of the results and proposals. The findings contribute to existing methods for evaluation of economic outcomes and income inequality by broadening the range of the questions examined to an extent of three most contentious reforms in the United States.

Keywords

Tax Reforms, Public Policy, Taxation, Inequality, Reagan, Trump, Clinton

Language used: English

Date on which the thesis was submitted / produced: 19. 5. 2021

Thesis defence

• Date of defence: 25. 6. 2021
• Supervisor: doc. Ing. Robert Jahoda, Ph.D.
• Reader: Ing. Eduard Bakoš, Ph.D.

Masaryk University

Faculty of Economics and Administration

Master programme / field:
Public Finance and Economics / Public Finance and Economics