Annie Lowrey on the Time Tax, Fraud, and Rationing by Paperwork

Annie Lowrey discusses her book The Time Tax, arguing that the hours Americans spend on hold, in waiting rooms, and filling out forms is a regressive tax that falls hardest on the poor. Tyler Cowen pushes back, suggesting that bureaucratic friction can serve useful purposes like fraud prevention and screening for motivated immigrants. The conversation covers welfare programs, AI agents potentially automating paperwork, UBI studies, the oddest places for moss, and the 'time tax of friendship.'