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Tax Policy, Inequality, and the Future of the American Economy | April 23, 2025

Please join IMPA and the Department of Economics for a timely conversation about the future of U.S. economic policy — and the democratic and institutional values that underpin it.

10:00 am | Welcome reception | Join us for coffee and light breakfast

10:30 am – noon | Program | Details below

American University, SIS Building, Abramson Family Founders Room

Registration required.

Details

In a moment of economic, political, and institutional uncertainty, a debate about tax policy is taking center stage. With key provisions of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act set to expire in 2025, the U.S. has a pivotal opportunity to rethink the structure, fairness, and long-term goals of its tax system. This reassessment occurs alongside discussions about fiscal responsibility and potential adjustments to federal spending, highlighting the need for a comprehensive evaluation of national economic priorities. Yet much of the current discussion remains narrowly focused on technical details – such as dynamic scoring, marginal incentives, and short-term growth – while broader concerns around inequality, democratic legitimacy, and institutional resilience receive far less attention, despite their growing importance.

IMPA and the Department of Economics are bringing together leading voices in economics and public policy to examine how tax policy intersects with foundational questions of justice, democracy, and the role of government in shaping an inclusive and sustainable economy. The conversation will explore how our tax and welfare system reflect societal values and influence economic opportunity.

Featured Participants

Joseph E. Stiglitz

University Professor, Columbia University; Nobel laureate in Economics; Founder and Co-President, Initiative for Policy Dialogue; Board Member, IMPA

Ilyana Kuziemko 

Theodore A. Wells ’29 Professor of Economics, Princeton University; Co-Director, Griswold Center for Economic Policy Studies & Princeton Program in Public Finance

Vanessa Williamson

Senior Fellow, Brookings Institution & Tax Policy Center

Ignacio Gonzalez

Assistant Professor of Economics, American University; Co-director, IMPA

Alex Jacquez

Chief of Policy and Advocacy at the Groundwork Collaborative

Join us for this timely and critical conversation on April 23rd at the AU campus.