Middle class marriage is declining, and likely deepening inequality
By Richard V. Reeves, Christopher PulliamOver the last few decades, family formation patterns have altered significantly in the U.S., with long-run rises in non-marital births, cohabitation, and single...
View ArticleThe middle class is not ready for the looming recession
By Christopher Pulliam, Isabel V. SawhillThe conversation around wealth has mainly focused on how much total wealth the top has relative to everyone else and the implications for fairness and political...
View ArticleTaxing wealth transfers through an expanded estate tax
By William G. Gale, Christopher Pulliam, John Sabelhaus, Isabel V. SawhillAmerican political leaders are currently focused on policies to address the health and economic implications of the COVID-19...
View ArticleThe SALT tax deduction is a handout to the rich. It should be eliminated not...
By Christopher Pulliam, Richard V. ReevesThe politics of tax policy can be as hard to understand as the tax system itself. The latest case in point is the current push from Democrats to lift the cap on...
View ArticleThe middle class is already racially diverse
By Christopher Pulliam, Richard V. Reeves, Ariel Gelrud ShiroThe intersection of race and class in America is complex. As we argue in our New Contract with the Middle Class, the terms “middle class” or...
View ArticleMemo to Dems: Don’t lift SALT cap to help the rich, help states directly instead
By Richard V. Reeves, Christopher Pulliam
View ArticleNew child tax credit could slash poverty now and boost social mobility later
By Christopher Pulliam, Richard V. ReevesChild poverty is center stage in current policy debates, at last. Far too many American children grow up poor. One in seven children live in poverty, according...
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Long shadows: The Black-white gap in multigenerational poverty
By Scott Winship, Christopher Pulliam, Ariel Gelrud Shiro, Richard V. Reeves, Santiago DeambrosiIssues of Black-white inequality and racial injustice have taken center stage over the past year to a...
View ArticleNote to Bernie: The 8 arguments for restoring the SALT deduction, and why...
By Richard V. Reeves, Christopher PulliamSenator Bernie Sanders appears to have changed his mind on the deduction for state and local taxes (SALT). Chairman of the Senate Budget Committee, Sanders...
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Tax wealth, reward work
By Christopher PulliamPresident Biden has proposed an ambitious domestic policy agenda meant to “build back better” and ensure that “every American enjoys a fair return for their work and an equal...
View ArticleCollective defined contribution plans
By J. Mark Iwry, David C. John, Christopher Pulliam, William G. GaleOver the past four decades, the U.S. retirement system has largely shifted from defined benefit pension (DB) plans to defined...
View ArticleSmall retirement accounts: Issues and options
By David C. John, J. Mark Iwry, Christopher Pulliam, William G. GaleEvery new retirement saver starts with a small account. Over time, balances can grow with continuing contributions by savers or...
View ArticleHow Dems can get out of the SALT mess and save $1 trillion
By Richard V. Reeves, Christopher PulliamThe debate among Congressional Democrats over the $10,000 cap on the deduction for state and local taxes (SALT) continues. Here we offer a proposal that could...
View ArticleEstimating income tax liabilities with data from the Survey of Consumer Finances
By William G. Gale, Swati Joshi, Christopher Pulliam, John SabelhausIn a recent paper, we describe a new methodology for estimating income tax liabilities in public-use Survey of Consumer Finances...
View ArticleHow much economic income shows up on tax forms?
By William G. Gale, Swati Joshi, Christopher Pulliam, John SabelhausIn a new paper, we describe the extent to which various forms of economic income generated in the economy actually show up on tax...
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Revenue and distributional effects of untaxed business income
By William G. Gale, Swati Joshi, Christopher Pulliam, John SabelhausA major finding of our new work is that more than half of the income generated by closely held businesses (that is, businesses other...
View ArticleSimulating income tax liabilities in the Survey of Consumer Finances
By William G. Gale, Swati Joshi, Christopher Pulliam, John SabelhausAbstract The Survey of Consumer Finances (SCF) is a triennial household survey with extensive demographic, income, and balance sheet...
View ArticleTaxing business incomes: Evidence from the Survey of Consumer Finances
By William G. Gale, Swati Joshi, Christopher Pulliam, John SabelhausAbstract More than half of economic income generated by closely held businesses does not appear on tax returns and that ratio has...
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Taxing capital income
By William G. Gale, Swati Joshi, Christopher Pulliam, John SabelhausLegislated changes affecting capital income have dramatically reduced the federal income tax base and revenues over the past 25...
View ArticleStuck on the Ladder: Intragenerational wealth mobility in the United States
By Ariel Gelrud Shiro, Christopher Pulliam, John Sabelhaus, Ember SmithWealth cushions adverse economic shocks, such as loss of employment, and helps to fund investments in human capital, like college...
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