'If You Can Keep It': What The Wealth Gap Means For Democracy

'If You Can Keep It': What The Wealth Gap Means For Democracy

From 1A by NPR

April 27, 2026 · 38 min

About this episode

The episode discusses the implications of the growing wealth gap in the U.S. and the proposed wealth taxes in various states.

A growing number of states are looking at implementing a wealth tax to fund social services. California is among them, with a billionaire tax set to be included on its November ballot. And this month, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, a democratic socialist, and Democratic New York Gov. Kathy Hochul introduced a proposed tax on luxury second homes in the city. In March, Washington passed its first ever income tax – which has already been met with a legal challenge. All this comes as the wealth gap in the U.S. grows to its widest point in three decades – and only looks set to keep increasing. In this installment of “If You Can Keep It,” we look at how tax codes have contributed to a growing inequality in the country, how to fix it, and what this wealth gap means for the health of our democracy. Find more of our programs online . Listen to 1A sponsor-free by signing up for 1A+ at plus.npr.org/the1a . See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy

Topics covered

  • wealth tax
  • wealth gap
  • social services
  • income tax
  • inequality
  • democracy

Keywords

  • wealth tax
  • California
  • New York City
  • income tax
  • inequality
  • democracy
  • social services

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: California, Washington

Places: New York City, U.S.

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