IS TAX-REFORM IN THE PUBLIC-INTEREST - A RENT-SEEKING PERSPECTIVE

This article argues that rent-seeking competition over tax reform can prospective efficiency gains, thus making tax reform a potential negat ive-sum activity-especially when considered over the entire rent-seeki ng cycle. It concludes that a positive defense against negative-sum ta x reform games can arise from public choice economists debunking the g ame's ideological basis and constructing ''rent-seeking impact stateme nts'' for proposed tax reforms.