The Nonlinear Dynamics of the Varlik Vergisi (Turkish Wealth Tax)
Open AccessIn this study the nonlinear causal dynamics which produced the Varlik Vergisi (Turkish “Wealth Tax”) are explored within the scope of an historical-deductive methodological approach. As a highly discriminatory tax, the Varlik Vergisi is a notable example of economic policy directed towards the goal of nation-building. While narrative accounts of the Varlik Vergisi’s creation exist, there has been little work done to analyze the causal factors influencing its development. References to the tax within the existing literature tend to assert straightforward, linear, simplistic explanations for the tax’s creation, neglecting the impact of complex nonlinear dynamics. This study employs an historical-deductive methodological approach centered around three categories of historical processes: economic, ideological, and bureaucratic. The three historical processes are analyzed not only within the context of their endogenous dynamic capabilities, but also with respect to the combinatorics available through their mutual interaction. The results of the study find that the interplay of such nonlinear dynamics were essential to the creation of the Varlik Vergisi, and that its creation should therefore be construed as an emergent phenomenon. From a policy standpoint, this analysis contributes to the development of a theoretical framework in which an understanding of the nonlinear dynamics at play in such processes – rather than the merely contingent elements of such phenomena themselves – allow for the generation of policy recommendations.
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