Poll Taxes (clearing up some Thatcher confusion)

[cthulu2016]

Last edited Wed Apr 10, 2013, 03:53 PM - Edit history (4)

We know that "poll taxes" were used to prevent black Americans from voting in southern states. And we vote at polling places.

So it sounds like a poll tax is a tax on voting.

A "poll tax" is, however, a per-capita tax. Like, "Every person in the land must pay the state $500." (And if you add a requirement that all your taxes have to be paid up before you vote, then obviously nobody without that $500 can vote.)

Per capita taxation is the ultimate regressive tax, taking no notice of income, wealth, property... just a tax on being alive. Very unfair to the poor.

It took the 24th Amendment in 1964 to finally end requirements that taxes be paid up before you can vote. "The right of citizens of the United States to vote in any primary or other election for President or Vice President, for electors for President or Vice President, or for Senator or Representative in Congress, shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or any State by reason of failure to pay any poll tax or other tax."


Since Thatcher's final and fatal over-reach was widely referred to as a poll tax, I think that may have been confusing news to many Americans where we think of it as connected to voting.

Essentially, she decided that local governments shouldn't pick on property owners, but should go right after people because people use local government services.

Riots resulted, and MASS civil disobedience of people not registering for the thing to the point where it could not be enforced.

In hopes of surviving, the Tories threw Maggie under the bus and replaced with with John Major who never spoke of the poll tax again.

[WhaTHellsgoingonhere]

1. Thanks. I knew it wasn't like ours, but this clears it up!

[dipsydoodle]

2. Poll tax was its nickname : proper term was Community Charge.

For full understanding of what it was , what preceded it and what followed it read here :

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Community_Charge.

This bit was almost tragic farce :

"There is also some evidence that the community charge had a lasting effect of people not registering themselves on the electoral register to evade collection attempts. This may have had an effect on the results of the 1992 general election, which ended in a fourth successive Conservative victory, despite most opinion polls pointing to a hung parliament or narrow Labour majority.[3]"

It may differ in the US but in the UK not being on the electoral register also meant, and may still mean , no credit.

The change back to Council Tax April 1993 used house prices in price bands based on 1991 valuations. From memory I paid less following the change. Subsequent passing consideration to revaluing house / bands to account for price changes since then was dropped like a hot potato. The situation may leave some councils underfunded.

[steve2470]

3. thank you for explaining that :) nt

[Recursion]

4. The sense of "head" predates the sense of "vote"

Using "poll" to mean vote comes from the sense of taking a "headcount". From Middle German "pol", "scalp".

[cthulu2016]

5. Thank you -- the similarity to Greek polis = city is confusing

I didn't know the German root, which clears up the question some

[Recursion]

6. It was a surprise to me

But, AFAICT the "pol" in "poll" does not bear any relationship to the "pol" in "politics".