Does Georgism Work? Five Years Later

Lars Doucet revisits Georgism and the land value tax (LVT), summarizing Henry George’s core claim that rising material prosperity translates into higher land rents that disproportionately harm lower-income workers, and that taxing unimproved land value can capture that unearned rent. Economists broadly prize LVT as an efficient tax, though the full “single tax” remains controversial. Since Doucet’s earlier pieces, LVT has moved from theoretical debate to real-world policy: Virginia and Kentucky passed enablement laws for split-rate taxation, Baden-Württemberg implemented a modest LVT, and pro-LVT leaders in the UK and South Korea elevate the idea internationally. Interest is growing around transit land-value capture and the argument that AI-driven wealth could further concentrate land values in tech hubs.

Doucet admits he misjudged strategy: changing policy via practical, local implementation precedes and drives broader consensus. His organization focuses on pragmatic work for policymakers - mapping land value with CivicMapper, modeling revenue-neutral shifts with LVTShift, and packaging playbooks and reports that show winners and losers (surface parking and vacant lots lose; many median homeowners gain). Case studies in cities like Cincinnati, Spokane, Houston, and a Louisville activist success illustrate the approach. Partnerships with think tanks and a public legislation tracker support a “succeed anywhere” tactic that has already produced legislative traction.