You're playing a semantic game and you know it. What I'm referring to are the social-welfare benefits that have become a staple of our current income-tax-addicted government. Such would not be possible if government only depended on revenue from tariffs. Are we in agreement on this?
Such would not be possible if government only depended on revenue from tariffs. Are we in agreement on this?
First of all the premise that government would be bound to a tariff only is a fiction you have concocted. There is no mechanism in your proposition to bind government to that sole source of revenue nor to even limit spending to the level of revenues available from a tariff. You forget the ultimate answer to all shortages of revenues, the inflation tax.
The constitution provides the authority to tax in several modes. Tariffs are only one such mode and tariffs under modern industrial society cannot be implemented to the degree that they will preceptibly reach the broad base of the electorate and fund even the most minimal functions of a viable national government.
Congressional representatives will assure the demand for largess by their constitutencies will be met until such time as there is a proportionate cost felt by a broad majority of all citizens.
Government will never be held to account nor limited by those who benefit from largess as long a there is an effective majority believing they are getting more than they pay for. A tariff alone creates an automatic avenue for avoidence of the cost, (i.e. turning to untaxed domestic goods and services).
Where there is a voting majority who receive without a commensurate burden, the tendency towards social largess will continue buying incumbency for career politicians willing to provide largess to the public.
Your tariff will do nothing to discourage that simple and historically recognised tendency of all politicians in representative governments to provide largess in response to the majority to maintain their incumbency nor the tendency of individuals to aquire the maximum benefit for the least cost to themselves.
To put it in the bluntest and most basic terms you are selling nothing more than populist snake oil.