Bi-Partisan Agreement on Income Taxes

A Fox News poll released Thursday found 79% say all Americans should pay something in federal income taxes, even if it's only 1%. The sentiment enjoys broad bi-partisan support:  85% of Republicans, 83% of Independents and 71% of Democrats.

Instapundit links to this September report suggesting Americans have reason to be concerned when nearly half the population has no federal income tax liability:

Aside from the revenue impact of not having 58 million Americans pay income taxes, economists worry about the social and political effects of having so many people disconnected from the cost of government—a phenomenon known as fiscal illusion.[1] The concern is that when people perceive the cost of government to be cheaper than it really is, they will demand ever more government benefits because they either don’t feel the cost directly or believe that others will be paying those costs. Indeed, when one takes into account those who do not file, about half of all households pay no federal income tax, making the situation particularly worrisome in a majority-rule democracy.[2]