Grover Norquist on Reagan-Bush-Trump Tax Reforms and America’s Fiscal Future | Hoover Institution

For more than four decades, Grover Norquist has been one of the most influential figures in the American conservative movement on tax policy and limited government. In this episode of Capitalism and Freedom in the 21st Century, host John Hartley sits down with the founder and president of Americans for Tax Reform to trace his journey from anti-communist activist to architect of the Taxpayer Protection Pledge and a central figure in nearly every major tax reform debate since the Reagan era.   Norquist reflects on the Reagan tax revolution, the origins and lasting impact of the Taxpayer Protection Pledge, the rise of the modern conservative coalition, and why he believes America's fiscal challenges stem from excessive spending rather than insufficient tax revenue. He also outlines his vision for the future of tax reform—including consumption-based taxation, eliminating or indexing the capital gains tax, expanding investment incentives, reducing state income taxes, and strengthening fiscal federalism—as he argues for policies designed to promote long-term economic growth, investment, and individual liberty.  ABOUT THE SERIES Each episode of Capitalism and Freedom in the 21st Century, a video podcast series and the official podcast of the Hoover Economic Policy Working Group, focuses on getting into the weeds of economics, finance, and public policy on important current topics through one-on-one interviews. Host Jon Hartley asks guests about their main ideas and contributions to academic research and policy. The podcast is titled after Milton Friedman‘s famous 1962 bestselling book Capitalism and Freedom, which after 60 years, remains prescient from its focus on various topics which are now at the forefront of economic debates, such as monetary policy and inflation, fiscal policy, occupational licensing, education vouchers, income share agreements, the distribution of income, and negative income taxes, among many other topics. For more information about the podcast, or subscribe for the next episode, click here.