Spring 2022
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Nina Olson “Taxpayer rights, taxpayer advocates, and trust in the tax system”
February 15th
On February 15, Nina Olson, Executive Director of the Center for Taxpayer Rights, spoke at an event cosponsored with the WSU Hoops Institute of Taxation Research & Policy on the subject of taxpayer rights.
Olson began her talk by pointing out the importance of taxation to meet the needs of the population. However, she noted that as part of due process, taxpayers do have a right to be informed and a right to quality service, and that the IRS has lagged behind these standards recently. Olson said that the IRS has not provided timely service to taxpayers and providers, and that COVID served to exacerbate the problem, leading to what Olson predicted would be the worst filing season since 1985.
Olson outlined the process that the IRS goes through during filing season, which involves a lot of manual work, including 13 million math error notices this year, each of which looked at individually by a person. She felt that there should be an automated method of correcting these math error notices so that taxpayers can get their returns in a timely manner.
There is currently an environment of distrust and frustration with the IRS, making it difficult for the IRS to get necessary funding. Olson concluding by suggesting that there must be a balance of power and trust in the tax system, where the use of power serves to build trust in the fairness of the tax system instead of eroding trust by using coercive power.
Nina Olson was the IRS National Taxpayer Advocate for 18 years, and was the principal author of the Taxpayer Bill of Rights, which was adopted by the IRS in 2014, and subsequently became federal law in 2019.
Ryan Busse: “Gunfight! Gun policy and the gun industry”
February 22nd
On February 22, Ryan Busse, a former gun industry executive with over twenty years in the field, gave a talk on the decline of self-regulation in the gun industry and how it played a leading role in the radicalization of American politics.
Busse began his talk by highlighting his love of gun sportsmanship and deep belief that responsible gun ownership has fundamental benefits to society. He noted that when he first entered the gun industry in the late 1990s, there was generally a responsible and healthy adherence to gun ownership standards.
He suggested that this was followed by a surge of gun-centered political extremism seen in today’s political climate. Busse argued that the heroization of self-defense stories, the spike in conspiracy theories revolving around a mass seizure of firearms, and misuse of open carry laws have all contributed to a toxic fear-driven discussion of the Second Amendment.
He went on to state that a melding of the NRA and gun manufacturers has created a spiral of vote garnering and negative advertising centered upon the almost impossible narrative of a mass gun seizure by the US government.
He concluded by expressing a glimmer of hope for change, suggesting that responsible gun owners have the power to break away from extremist groups like the NRA and to start their own advocacy groups to create change.
Tom Preston: “Crisis in Ukraine”
February 24th
On February 24, the institute welcomed Washington State University’s Tom Preston, C.O. Johnson Distinguished Scholar of Political Science to talk about the situation in Ukraine, as the Russian army was invading.
Preston began his talk by arguing that the media, average Americans, and the intelligence community all have basic misunderstandings of who Putin is and why he is invading Ukraine.
He said that in order to counter Putin’s worldwide influence and help Ukraine, a basic understanding of Vladimir Putin and his motives was needed. Preston noted that Putin has stated that the collapse of the Soviet Union was a tragic event for Russia and its former satellite states, and also that the rapid expansion of NATO post-1997 poses a fundamental threat to the security of Russia.
Ukraine itself is deeply divided on NATO membership and its relationship with Russia. This critical situation became a crisis in 2013, when democratically elected President Viktor Yanukovych opted to enter into a trade deal with Russia which would bring in 15 billion dollars of foreign investment to his nation.
In response, the ‘Orange Revolution’ occurred, Yanukovych was ousted from power, and the trade deal was trapped. This triggered large-scale instability and counter-uprisings in the Eastern part of the country. This led Putin to annex Crimea in 2014.
The current Russian invasion of Ukraine is largely based around the same narrative of NATO incursion. Putin genuinely believes that Ukrainian membership in NATO is dangerous for Russia and desires to replace Ukrainian leadership with a puppet government in order to keep his own regime stable.
Diana Butler Bass: “The shifting landscape of American religion and politics”
February 28th
On February 28th Diana Butler Bass, a Christian historian and progressive Christian advocate, came into the Foley Institute to discuss the recent history of Christian fundamentalism and the resurgence of it since World War Two.
At the dawn of the 20th century Christian institutions were held in high regard by everyday Americans. Ministers in particular were trusted, they often held levels of esteem and their views on current issues were taken very seriously.
This changed dramatically after the publicity given to the Scopes Monkey Trial over whether evolution should be taught in school. While the court ruled in favor of the state mandated ban on teaching evolution, the public largely viewed the fundamentalist case in favor of the ban to be out of touch and counter factual.
Bass argues that while the Scopes Monkey Trial saw a major setback for Christian Fundamentalism, it never truly went away.
The 1950’s saw a revival of Christian fundamentalism in wake of World War Two that saw internationally recognized ministers like Billy Graham gain huge followings for their beliefs that America is a uniquely protected place under god.
According to Bass, more radical parts of this movement emerged and gained greater prominence and political power, arguing in favor of a white dominated traditionally centered social, political, and economic system.
She stated that these radical fundamentalists have become gradually more popular both in the United States and the globe. Fundamentalist Christianity played a huge role in the Russian invasion of Ukraine, as several noted Russian Orthodox leaders have come out publicly in favor of the occupation because of their beliefs in Russian ethnonationalism. There has also been a surge in ultra-catholic conspiracy theories that Pope Francis stole the Papacy from Pope Benedict and is a pawn of a worldwide liberal agenda to corrupt traditional values.
Bass ended her talk by remarking on how the struggle to define faith in the United States is a continued one, and that while these trends of radical fundamentalism are concerning, they do not make the only part of the history of faith in the United States.
General James Mattis: “Democracy at home and abroad”
March 24th
James Mattis, former four-star Marine Corps General and Secretary of Defense, came to the Foley Institute to give a talk and answer questions about the future of American democracy.
Mattis began his talk by stating that the biggest threat to democracy was the internal bickering that hurts America’s ability to govern itself. He urged Americans to move past the hot political rhetoric seen in politics and have uncomfortable but civil conversations with one another. He emphasized his belief that compromise is the only way we will move forward as a nation.
Mattis then took questions about the ongoing war in Ukraine, U.S. foreign policy, and the state of democracy.
Of Ukraine, Mattis argued that it was important to keep the war in Ukraine limited between Russia and Ukraine while continuing to sanction Russia and assist Ukraine. He argued that sharing intelligence information with allies to the U.S. and the press demonstrated greater international cooperation and took the thunder away from Russia’s invasion. Mattis said that the U.S’s strategy was working so far but required more humanitarian aid to Ukraine to be fully effective.
Mattis relayed his belief that war between China and the United States was not inevitable and must be avoided at all costs. Through diplomacy and hard conversations, he argued, war could be averted by working with a broad coalition of nations to constrain China’s actions like the U.S. is constraining Russia now.
Regarding the War in Yemen, Mattis said continued cooperation with Saudi Arabia is necessary to counteract Iranian plans to dominate the region. If the Iran backed Houthi rebels took control of Yemen he argued, Iran would destabilize the region.
In closing, Mattis argued that the January 6th riots show the absolute need to keep our internal friendship as a nation. He called on young people to make amends for the failures of his generation and roll up their sleeves and heal this nation.
Chris Matthews: “Hardball Politics”
April 20th
On Wednesday April 20, the Foley Institute welcomed Chris Matthews, Hardball Politics, to deliver a talk on changes in civility in American Politics.
Matthews opened up by noting how Speaker Tom Foley’s representation of a purple district forced him to be accountable to his constituents, unable to rely on a partisan shield for protection. Foley understood the basic doctrine of democratic politics, which is to accept that you must make compromises and accept losses to your own agenda.
This contrasts heavily to modern politics in an age of Trump. Politicians, whether left, right, or center, modern have moved away from accepting losses and into a winning only mindset. Matthews argues that officeholders need to be more professional and accountable to their constituents. Politicians must have sober expectations for their agendas while also showing respectful conduct towards one another.