The price of democracy: The revolutionary power of taxation in American history
A conversation with author Vanessa Williamson and former IRS Commissioner Danny Werfel

Thursday, November 20, 2025, 10:00 – 11:15 a.m. EST 
Online: https://www.brookings.edu/events/the-price-of-democracy-the-revolutionary-power-of-taxation-in-american-history/ 

Americans have always fought over the meaning of freedom and equality. What is not commonly recognized is that the battles most pivotal in defining our democracy, from the framing of the Constitution to the decades-long backlash to the civil rights movement, hinged on one issue: taxes. In her new book, “The Price of Democracy: The Revolutionary Power of Taxation in American History,” Brookings Senior Fellow Vanessa S. Williamson challenges the myth that Americans are instinctively anti-tax, revealing that fights over taxes have always been proxies for deeper conflicts over who is included in “We the People.” 

On November 20, join Governance Studies at Brookings for a discussion with Vanessa Williamson and former IRS Commissioner Danny Werfel about the book and the future of taxation and democracy in America. .

Online viewers can submit questions via e-mail to events@brookings.edu or on X/Twitter using #PriceOfDemocracy.