The Atlantic

The Time Tax

A six-month wait for unemployment insurance. A paperwork nightmare over an insurance reimbursement. Drug tests for cash benefits. Why is there so much red tape in American life?

Summary Open original

381

Made me smarter

Most highlighted

“time tax”—a levy of paperwork, aggravation, and mental effort imposed on citizens in exchange for benefits that putatively exist to help them.

Your notes & highlights

Save highlights in Reader View or with our Chrome extension.