The Terrific Engine

Income Taxation and the Modernization of the Canadian Political Imaginary

Nonfiction, History, Canada, Social & Cultural Studies, Political Science, Politics, History & Theory
Cover of the book The Terrific Engine by David Tough, UBC Press
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: David Tough ISBN: 9780774836807
Publisher: UBC Press Publication: May 15, 2018
Imprint: UBC Press Language: English
Author: David Tough
ISBN: 9780774836807
Publisher: UBC Press
Publication: May 15, 2018
Imprint: UBC Press
Language: English

The Terrific Engine is the story of how the engine of income taxation profoundly transformed the way people talk and think about politics in Canada. What do we mean by left wing or right wing? This language of a political spectrum came into use in the early twentieth century, when political parties began to distinguish their platforms by offering different approaches to income distribution.

Drawing on heated debates that demonstrated the immense imaginative power of income taxation, David Tough traces the modernization of political language from the 1911 election through the Second World War. It was during this time that a new political imaginary was born, when political parties began to map themselves from left to right based on their ideas about the use of income taxation to fund equalizing social programs.

Countering a strongly held myth that income taxation was imposed on a reluctant public, Tough argues that its introduction is in fact a story of democracy. People first demanded that this new form of taxation replace existing ones, and then that it be used to address income inequality. And, in establishing a clear basis for party differences, income taxation made elections significantly more democratic.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

The Terrific Engine is the story of how the engine of income taxation profoundly transformed the way people talk and think about politics in Canada. What do we mean by left wing or right wing? This language of a political spectrum came into use in the early twentieth century, when political parties began to distinguish their platforms by offering different approaches to income distribution.

Drawing on heated debates that demonstrated the immense imaginative power of income taxation, David Tough traces the modernization of political language from the 1911 election through the Second World War. It was during this time that a new political imaginary was born, when political parties began to map themselves from left to right based on their ideas about the use of income taxation to fund equalizing social programs.

Countering a strongly held myth that income taxation was imposed on a reluctant public, Tough argues that its introduction is in fact a story of democracy. People first demanded that this new form of taxation replace existing ones, and then that it be used to address income inequality. And, in establishing a clear basis for party differences, income taxation made elections significantly more democratic.

More books from UBC Press

Cover of the book Otter’s Journey through Indigenous Language and Law by David Tough
Cover of the book When the Caribou Do Not Come by David Tough
Cover of the book Political Communication in Canada by David Tough
Cover of the book A Healthy Society by David Tough
Cover of the book What We Learned by David Tough
Cover of the book The Harper Era in Canadian Foreign Policy by David Tough
Cover of the book Law and Religious Pluralism in Canada by David Tough
Cover of the book Dominion of Race by David Tough
Cover of the book The Industrial Diet by David Tough
Cover of the book Public Interest, Private Property by David Tough
Cover of the book Protection of First Nations Cultural Heritage by David Tough
Cover of the book Grit by David Tough
Cover of the book Resource Communities in a Globalizing Region by David Tough
Cover of the book Debating Hate Crime by David Tough
Cover of the book Building a Collaborative Advantage by David Tough
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy