Scott A. Hodge

Scott A. Hodge is president of the Tax Foundation in Washington, D.C., and is recognized as one of Washington’s leading experts on tax policy, the federal budget and government spending. During his tenure, the Tax Foundation has become one of the most influential organizations on tax policy in Washington and in state capitals. He led the development of the Tax Foundation’s most successful programs, the Taxes and Growth Dynamic Tax Modeling project and the State Business Tax Climate Index; two projects that have changed the terms of the tax debate at the federal and state level.

Over the past 25 years Scott has been a leader in many successful efforts to change public policy. During the 1990s, he helped design the major tax components for the Contract with America. These tax cuts were the eventual centerpieces of the 1997 tax bill and the Bush tax cuts in 2001 and 2003.

Scott has written and edited three books on the federal budget and streamlining the government and has authored over 100 studies on tax policy and government spending. He has also authored dozens of editorials and opinion pieces for publications such as The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, USA Today, The New York Post and The Washington Times. Hodge has conducted over 600 radio and television interviews—including NBC Nightly News, CBS Nightly News, CNN, Fox Network, Hardball with Chris Matthews, and C-SPAN.

Scott began his career in Chicago where he helped found the Heartland Institute in 1984. Before joining the Tax Foundation, Scott was Director of Tax and Budget Policy at Citizens for a Sound Economy. He also spent ten years at The Heritage Foundation as a fellow analyzing budget and tax policy. He holds a degree in political science from the University of Illinois at Chicago.