What did Huey Long propose in his 'Share Our Wealth' program?

• A. A 100% tax on annual incomes over $1 million and fortunes over $5 million, with a guaranteed income for families
• B. A plan to balance the federal budget by cutting defense
• C. A plan to tax only luxury goods
• D. A plan to return to the gold standard

Answer: (A)

During the 1930s, amid the Great Depression, Huey Long pushed a plan to dramatically redistribute wealth to reduce poverty. He proposed a 100% tax on annual incomes over $1 million and on fortunes over $5 million, with the revenue used to provide a guaranteed income for families. This approach targeted the concentration of wealth and aimed to guarantee a basic standard of living for everyone, funded by taxes on the very rich. The other options reflect different policy ideas (defense cuts to balance the budget, taxing only luxury goods, or returning to the gold standard) and do not match Long’s emphasis on wealth redistribution and a guaranteed family income.