We worry about growing inequality and the dwindling middle class, and advocate various policies to reverse these trends. And yet at the same time, we talk about reducing or eliminating the tax deduction that does the most to promote a more equal distribution of economic well-being.

Caption
A Mexican National Guard officer stands guard on a pickup truck during a vehicle check heading to the United States at the San Ysidro Port of Entry crossing in Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico, on February 6, 2025. (Getty Images)