
We look at changes to the size and shape of the state, and changes in the tax system. We also give our initial response to the Lib Dem manifesto.
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It’s manifesto week, and we’ll be coming to you with plenty of analysis of the promises, pledges and numbers. In this episode, we’ll dive into some work looking at the how the size and shape of the state have changed over recent decades, and how the tax system has changed since 2010. We'll also give our reaction to the Liberal Democrat manifesto.
Zooming In: discussion questions
Every week, we share a set of questions designed for A Level economics students to discuss, written by teacher Will Haines.
1. Why has the size of state increased as a proportion of national income?
Host

Director
Paul has been the Director of the IFS since 2011. He is also currently visiting professor in the Department of Economics at University College London.
Participants


Deputy Director
Carl, a Deputy Director, is an editor of the IFS Green Budget, an expert on the UK pension system and sits on the Social Security Advisory Committee.
Podcast details
- DOI
- 10.1920/pd.ifs.2024.0012
- Publisher
- Institute for Fiscal Studies
Suggested citation
. (2024). Election Special: The government's record on tax [Podcast] Institute for Fiscal Studies. Available at: https://ifs.org.uk/articles/election-special-governments-record-tax (accessed: 19 June 2025).
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