# The Income Tax Bait and Switch… How It Changed America  |  4/16/26

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/at-the-mic-with-keith-malinak-7173299/the-income-tax-bait-and-switch-how-it-changed-america-4-16-26
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/at-the-mic-with-keith-malinak-7173299/the-income-tax-bait-and-switch-how-it-changed-america-4-16-26.md
Podcast: [At The Mic With Keith Malinak](https://stenobird.com/podcast/at-the-mic-with-keith-malinak-7173299)
Published: 2026-04-17T03:25:00+00:00
Episode link: https://www.atmshow.com
Audio file: https://episodes.captivate.fm/episode/57bba34e-de38-4ed0-8040-15e4ead0f36e.mp3
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/at-the-mic-with-keith-malinak-7173299/episodes/the-income-tax-bait-and-switch-how-it-changed-america-4-16-26
Duration seconds: 4307

## Resource

The history of the income tax and the 16th Amendment isn’t what most people think. It started small, limited, and temporary… so how did it grow into something that touches nearly every paycheck in America? In this episode of At The Mic: Thursday Deep Dive , Keith Malinak is joined by Phil Magness to break down how the federal income tax began, why it was originally aimed at high earners, and how it expanded over time. From its origins in 1913 to major turning points like World War I, the Great Depression, and World War II, this episode traces how a targeted system became a permanent part of American life. What began as a solution for a specific moment evolved into a system that now affects nearly everyone. This is a closer look at how that shift happened, and what it means today. If the income tax began as a limited, temporary solution, what does it say about modern systems that continue to expand long after their original purpose is gone?

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## Transcript

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