Grover Norquist

Grover Norquist (Twitter: @GroverNorquist) is president of Americans for Tax Reform (ATR), a taxpayer advocacy group he founded in 1985 at President Reagan’s request. ATR works to limit the size and cost of government and opposes higher taxes at the federal, state, and local levels and supports tax reform that moves towards taxing consumed ...

Websites

Grover's episode appearances

Episode 215: “To Shrink Government, Cut Taxes: How the States are Doing It” with Grover Norquist

For an excellent primer about how the politics of our over-complicated state and local tax systems operate, this conversation with Grover Norquist is absolutely the place to start. It’s comprehensive, easy to understand and often humorous, as only Grover knows how to make it. (When Grover is not doing taxes, he’s doing stand-up comedy. For real, and he’s good at it.) As founder of Americans for Tax Reform, which opposes all tax increases as a matter of principle, no one in modern times has fought harder than Grover Norquist to shrink the state by keeping the issue of high taxes and IRS abuses in the public eye. To my delight, I learn that there are some good things taking place at the state level, where many states are either getting rid of their income tax altogether or moving to a flat tax. Grover explains where and how this is happening, with ATR playing a leading role. “Americans for Tax Reform,” explains Grover, “hosts frequent conference calls among the various governors and legislative leaders. We’re creating a community where each of […]

about Grover

Grover Norquist (Twitter: @GroverNorquist) is president of Americans for Tax Reform (ATR), a taxpayer advocacy group he founded in 1985 at President Reagan’s request. ATR works to limit the size and cost of government and opposes higher taxes at the federal, state, and local levels and supports tax reform that moves towards taxing consumed income one time at one rate.

ATR organizes the Taxpayer Protection Pledge, which asks all candidates for federal and state office to commit themselves in writing to the American people to oppose all net tax increases. In the 117th Congress, 175 House members and 44 Senators have taken the pledge.

Norquist chairs the Washington, DC-based Wednesday Meeting, a weekly gathering of more than 150 elected officials, political activists, and movement leaders. The meeting started in 1993 and takes place in ATR’s conference room. There are now 51 similar center-right meetings in 45 states.

Mr. Norquist also:

Serves on the board of the Parental Rights Organization and Center for the National Interest (formerly The Nixon Center.)
Served on the board of directors of the National Rifle Association of America, from 2000 – 2018.
Serves as a Contributing Editor to the American Spectator Magazine.
Serves as president of the American Society of Competitiveness.
Authored four books: Rock the House; Leave Us Alone – Getting the Government’s Hands Off Our Money, Our Guns, Our Lives; Debacle: Obama’s War on Jobs and Growth and What We Can Do Now to Regain Our Future (with co-author John Lott) and End the IRS Before it Ends Us — How to Restore a Low Tax, High Growth, Wealthy America — published April 7, 2015.

Previously, Mr. Norquist served as:

A commissioner on the Advisory Commission on Electronic Commerce.
A commissioner on the National Commission on Restructuring the Internal Revenue Service.
Economist and chief speech-writer, U.S. Chamber of Commerce (1983-1984.)
Campaign staff on the 1988, 1992, 1996 Republican Platform Committees.
Executive director of the National Taxpayers’ Union.
Executive director of the College Republicans.

Mr. Norquist holds an MBA and a BA in Economics, both from Harvard University. He lives in Washington, DC with his wife, Samah, and two daughters.