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The Ezra Klein Show · August 25, 2026 · 1h 17m 28s

This Is Why People Hate the Government

Annie Lowrey
Show Notes

Annie Lowrey discusses her book 'The Time Tax' and the staggering hidden cost of government paperwork. Americans spend 12 billion hours a year on forms, worth $430 billion in lost time. She argues that while programs like Social Security and Medicare are efficient, those for the poor are deliberately punitive, and that this administrative burden is a regressive policy tool that drives distrust in government.

This summary was generated from show notes and public descriptions, not from a full transcript review. Details may contain inaccuracies.

Curious

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Government Programs for the Poor Are Intentionally Burdensome
While universal programs like Social Security and Medicare are simple to use, programs for the poor are often designed with cumbersome requirements that humiliate and deter applicants.
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Highlights

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6 Workdays Per Year Lost to Government Paperwork
Americans spend an average of six full workdays a year filling out government forms, totaling 12 billion hours and $430 billion in uncompensated labor annually.
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Editorial

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The Government's Own Estimate Reveals a Design Failure
The fact that the government itself calculates Americans waste 12 billion hours on paperwork reveals a profound failure in public service design.
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Tax Filing Is Intentionally Painful to Cultivate Anti-Government Sentiment
Republicans want paying taxes to be a hellish hassle in order to make citizens resent government broadly.
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References

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The Time Tax — Annie Lowrey (2026) — Discussed as the central subject of the episode
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Give People Money — Annie Lowrey (2018) — Referenced as her previous work on universal basic income
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Why Americans Hate Welfare — Martin Gilens (1999) — Mentioned in the context of public resentment toward welfare programs

Misc

✧Ezra Klein interviews his wife, Annie Lowrey, about her new book.
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