Source: The American Prospect
by David Dayen and Ryan Cooper
“The last couple of weeks in Democratic politics has seen a rise in what is sometimes called ‘the ideas primary’: the competing sets of policy announcements, often well in advance of the next presidential race, intended to set priorities and draw battle lines for the future. As our colleague Harold Meyerson has documented, the early ideas primary is around tax policy, and in particular a debate that encompasses the role of taxes in society, how to best deal with rampant inequality, and how to prioritize America’s biggest challenges. Sens. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) and Cory Booker (D-NJ), both of whom appear to be at least considering a run for the presidency in 2028 … have released bills that in different ways expand the standard deduction, which exempts a certain amount of earnings from taxation, and attempt to compensate for that further up the income ladder.” (03/16/26)