"A tax is levied to raise revenues. If the law were successful, the mandate would raise no revenue."
Patently not true. Taxes are implemented for many reasons, one of which is to impose a confiscatory level of tax to cut down on cigarette consumption. If that one is successful, there is NO revenue, now is there?
As I have said many times, one can look at the ACA as imposing a per capita tax, which tax can be ameliorated by buying your own insurance. THERE IS NO MANDATE! You are not required to buy health insurance. Strongly urged to by having to pay a fairly heft tax, but you get to make a choice. A mandate is where you have no choice.
