The Insurgent as Ideologue: George L. Record and the Single Tax in Mexico. A Research Note

• Published in: The American journal of economics and sociology 1976-07, Vol.35 (3), p.325-331
• Main Author: Tobin, Eugene M.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Agricultural land; Democracy; Ideology/Ideologies/Ideological; Insurgence/Insurgency; Insurgency; Land/Lands; Liberalism; Mexico/Mexican/Mexicans; Political reform; Progressive Era; Railway systems; Reform/Reformed/Reformer/ Reformers/ Reformism/ Reformist/ Reformists/ Reforms; Single tax system; Suburbs; Tax/Taxes/Taxation; Taxation; Value/Values/Valuation/ Valuations
• ISSN: 0002-9246; 1536-7150
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1536-7150.1976.tb03017.x

The career of G. Record illustrates the inadequacy of the usual criterion for evaluating political influence; Record, like other insurgents, eschewed conventional approaches & instead gave advice of a radical nature. First a liberal Republican, & later a Democrat, Record was outstanding among turn of the century politicians in NJ & among the leaders of the progressive movement. Record's economic views in regard to Mexico are explored in this study. Influenced by H. George's proposals for a single land value tax as the foundation for taxation, Record carried on a lengthy correspondance with President W. Wilson & with Wilson's Secretary of State, advising each to establish in Mexico the land value tax as a means of reforming Mexican society & economics & as a means of development. Like others, Record viewed Mexico as a social laboratory in which the pursuit of economic & political democracy could be carried out. The land tax would be of benefit because it could be paid fairly by all, & because it would not discourage capital investment. The background for Record's proposals was America's intervention in the Mexican civil war. F. Hydoski.