First, the effects of the 1986 Tax Reform were fleeting; the majority of regulations imposed were later repealed at the behest of lobbyists and interest groups. These policy reversals show that even though legislators initially broke ranks in favor of the people, the power of interest groups and parties ultimately compelled congressmen to bat for their bankrollers. The day after Reagan signed the Tax Reform Act of 1986, the Wall Street Journal said, “The battle to get tax reform is over; the battle to keep it is just beginning…enjoy it while you can. Congress will be back on Jan. 6, and the movement to take away tax reform will start” (Chamberlin). It was apparent to the beltway denizen that this bipartisanship was unrepeatable and evanescent.
