What does "Tax and Spend" Mean?

Taxation has a long history in nearly all parts of the world. The phrase tax and spend, however, can invoke strong feelings if it is utilized during a political debate. In this manner, the terminology typically denounces many tax polices as unnecessary government spending. As a more neutral definition, the term may also refer to a government’s ability to impose taxes and use these collected payments to help run a region.

In general, taxes are required financial payments an individual or larger organization must submit to a region’s governing body. These sums are usually placed on monetary profits or products to be sold for profit. Tax and spend as a politically objective term alludes to the ways in which a government uses — or spends — collected taxes. Public works projects like building or road construction, funding for social service organizations, government debt payment, and financial compensation for certain government employees are some of the products of tax and spend power. In the United States, permission to tax for the country’s general welfare is granted by the Tax and Spend Clause in the American Constitution.

Since the American presidency of Franklin Roosevelt, tax and spend has become more contentious lingo. Newspaper editorials of the 1930s condemned out-of-control government spending and blamed the government’s bloated ambitions for higher taxes. In the ensuing years, many similar accusations have been aimed at so-called tax and spend liberals.

Critics charge that many politicians will support raising taxes in order to fund unnecessary government projects. One common alleged consequence of government taxes and expenditures is investment in pork-barrel projects, or expenditures financed solely so that a politician may secure financial favor for select members of his or her constituency. Another consequence of overreaching government expenditure is the increase in a region’s overall debt, creating a budget deficit. This debt must in turn be paid by higher taxes, which creates a constant cycle of taxing and spending. Finally, critics contend that tax and spend may build a larger, more intrusive, and less manageable government system.

Many theorists have proposed solutions for the purported negative aspects of tax and spend. One approach is to simply lower government spending levels, thereby lowering taxes in return. Some believe that a temporary raise in taxes coupled with lower government spending can help regions move from a budget deficit to a budget surplus. Another proposal involves reversing the philosophy to spend and tax. In other words, a government should put a down payment on its investments with its own assets before collecting money from tax-payers. As more regions around the world face financial crisis, debates and proposed laws on taxation standards will likely continue.