America's Fiscal Constitution

America's Fiscal Constitution PDF Author: Bill White
Publisher: PublicAffairs
ISBN: 1610393449
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 577

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Book Description
What would Washington, Jefferson, Madison, Lincoln, the Roosevelts, Truman, and Eisenhower have done about today's federal debt crisis? America's Fiscal Constitution tells the remarkable story of fiscal heroes who imposed clear limits on the use of federal debt, limits that for two centuries were part of an unwritten constitution. Those national leaders borrowed only for extraordinary purposes and relied on well-defined budget practices to balance federal spending and revenues. That traditional fiscal constitution collapsed in 2001. Afterward -- for the first time in history -- federal elected officials cut taxes during war, funded permanent new programs entirely with debt, grew dependent on foreign creditors, and claimed that the economy could not thrive without routine federal borrowing. For most of the nation's history, conservatives fought to restrain the growth of government by insisting that new programs be paid for with taxation, while progressives sought to preserve opportunities for people on the way up by balancing budgets. Virtually all mainstream politicians recognized that excessive debt could jeopardize private investment and national independence. With original scholarship and the benefit of experience in finance and public service, Bill White dispels common budget myths and distills practical lessons from the nation's five previous spikes in debt. America's Fiscal Constitution offers an objective and hopeful guide for people trying to make sense of the nation's current, most severe, debt crisis and its impact on their lives and our future.

America's Fiscal Constitution

America's Fiscal Constitution PDF Author: Bill White
Publisher: PublicAffairs
ISBN: 1610393449
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 577

Get Book Here

Book Description
What would Washington, Jefferson, Madison, Lincoln, the Roosevelts, Truman, and Eisenhower have done about today's federal debt crisis? America's Fiscal Constitution tells the remarkable story of fiscal heroes who imposed clear limits on the use of federal debt, limits that for two centuries were part of an unwritten constitution. Those national leaders borrowed only for extraordinary purposes and relied on well-defined budget practices to balance federal spending and revenues. That traditional fiscal constitution collapsed in 2001. Afterward -- for the first time in history -- federal elected officials cut taxes during war, funded permanent new programs entirely with debt, grew dependent on foreign creditors, and claimed that the economy could not thrive without routine federal borrowing. For most of the nation's history, conservatives fought to restrain the growth of government by insisting that new programs be paid for with taxation, while progressives sought to preserve opportunities for people on the way up by balancing budgets. Virtually all mainstream politicians recognized that excessive debt could jeopardize private investment and national independence. With original scholarship and the benefit of experience in finance and public service, Bill White dispels common budget myths and distills practical lessons from the nation's five previous spikes in debt. America's Fiscal Constitution offers an objective and hopeful guide for people trying to make sense of the nation's current, most severe, debt crisis and its impact on their lives and our future.

The Fiscal Revolution in America

The Fiscal Revolution in America PDF Author: Herbert Stein
Publisher: A E I Press
ISBN: 9780844737379
Category : Fiscal policy
Languages : en
Pages : 526

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Book Description
This study chronicles the revolution in fiscal policy that occurred in the United States between the administrations of Herbert Hoover and John F.Kennedy. Unforeseen by any economist or school of economics, this period saw the doctrine of balancing the budget give way to the principle of managing government expenditures and taxes to ensure stability and growth.

Restoring America's Fiscal Constitution

Restoring America's Fiscal Constitution PDF Author: John Merrifield
Publisher: Lexington Books
ISBN: 1498553540
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 259

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Book Description
Restoring America’s Fiscal Constitution estimates the potential impact of new fiscal rules on the U.S. economy over the next two decades. The new rules would require a cyclically balanced budget and an expenditure limit. The study shows that over the forecast period, the budget could be balanced and the total debt-to-GDP ratio reduced to the 60 percent tolerance level under this scheme, but this fiscal consolidation can only be achieved using a combination of fiscal reforms that go far beyond what has been proposed by Congress and the President. The first chapter explores the theoretical foundations of a fiscal constitution. The orthodox public finance view of public debt is contrasted with a public choice perspective. This is followed by chapters surveying the new fiscal rules enacted in other countries to address debt issues. Several chapters provide a historical perspective on U.S. debt, including a critical appraisal of our fiscal rules. New laws are proposed to address the debt crisis, and a dynamic simulation model is used to estimate the impact of the proposed laws on the U.S. economy. The final section provides a roadmap for enacting the proposed constitutional and statutory fiscal rules.

A Fiscal Cliff

A Fiscal Cliff PDF Author: John Merrifield
Publisher: Cato Institute
ISBN: 1948647893
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 616

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Book Description
"'A Fiscal Cliff' is precisely the right book for perilous fiscal times. Giants in economics and public policy offer a spirited defense of fiscal rules critically needed to protect our children and grandchildren from a bleak future." -Richard K. Vedder, Distinguished Professor of Economics Emeritus, Ohio University/p> The unsustainable, and still rapidly growing, U.S. federal government debt is a classic case of ‘'in denial.” Indeed, we are no closer to a solution to the debt crisis than we were ten years ago when the Simpson-Bowles Commission issued a report with recommendations to address the nation's debt crisis. The bipartisan Commission fell short of the supermajority vote required to submit their recommendations to Congress. President Trump declared a debt crisis, but didn't act like it. Various commissions and think tanks have made numerous recommendations. In 2019, a Congressional Committee was appointed to recommend budget process reforms, but that Committee could not agree on any recommendations to submit to Congress. While the dominant sentiment is that maybe if we ignore it, it will just go away, the debt crisis will not just vanish. A Fiscal Cliff: New Perspectives on the U.S. Debt Crisis is a timely addition to a critical policy discussion.

Downsizing the Federal Government

Downsizing the Federal Government PDF Author: Chris Edwards
Publisher: Cato Institute
ISBN: 1933995513
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 263

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Book Description
The federal government is running huge budget deficits, spending too much, and heading toward a financial crisis. Federal spending soared under President George W. Bush, and the costs of programs for the elderly are set to balloon in coming years. Hurricane Katrina has made the federal budget situation even more desperate. In Downsizing the Federal Government Cato Institute budget expert Chris Edwards provides policymakers with solutions to the growing federal budget mess. Edwards identifies more than 100 federal programs that should be terminated, transferred to the states, or privatized in order to balance the budget and save hundreds of billions of dollars. Edwards proposes a balanced reform package of cuts to entitlements, domestic programs, and excess defense spending. He argues that these cuts would not only eliminate the deficit, but also strengthen the economy, enlarge personal freedom, and leave a positive fiscal legacy for the next generation. Downsizing the Federal Government discusses the systematic causes of wasteful spending, and it overflows with examples of federal programs that are obsolete and mismanaged. The book examines the budget process and shows how policymakers act contrary to the interests of average Americans by favoring special interests.

Founding Choices

Founding Choices PDF Author: Douglas A. Irwin
Publisher: University of Chicago Press
ISBN: 0226384756
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 365

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Book Description
Papers of the National Bureau of Economic Research conference held at Dartmouth College on May 8-9, 2009.

Federal Taxation in America

Federal Taxation in America PDF Author: W. Elliot Brownlee
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 9780521545204
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 308

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Book Description
This brief survey is a comprehensive historical overview of the US federal tax system.

Fix It Now

Fix It Now PDF Author: Chip Maxwell
Publisher: Createspace Independent Pub
ISBN: 9781475183221
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 250

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Book Description
A reader-friendly explanation of the need to restore limited government and other American founding values.

Comeback America

Comeback America PDF Author: David M. Walker
Publisher: Random House
ISBN: 1588369765
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 242

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Book Description
He's one of America's most capable, canny, candid, and independent financial experts. Now David M. Walker sounds a call to action. Comeback America is a tough-minded, innovative, inspiring guide to help us avoid the approaching economic abyss and put the country back on track again. As comptroller general of the United States and head of the Government Accountability Office (GAO)—"the nation's top auditor"—Walker warned Congress and the administration as the federal surplus became a giant deficit under George W. Bush. As president and CEO of the Peter G. Peterson Foundation, he now works full-time to raise public awareness regarding mounting debt burdens being imposed on future generations. Comeback America is his crucial manifesto, a way for President Obama to end out-of-control government spending and reform our tax, retirement, health care, defense, and other systems—before it's too late. Walker believes that by 2030, absent significant reforms to current government programs and policies, federal taxes could double from current levels, meaning less money and poorer education for kids—which will hurt families along with our nation's economic strength and position in the world. If our foreign creditors—such as China—decide to buy fewer of our Treasury bonds, interest rates will rise and cars and homes will become less affordable. But it doesn't have to be that way. Comeback America shows how we can return to our founding principles of fiscal responsibility and stewardship for future generations. The book includes bold ideas to control spending, save Social Security, dramatically alter Medicare, and simplify the tax code—all taking into account the Obama Administration's current efforts, which receive never-before-published assessments both complimentary and critical. Nonpartisan, nonideological, and filled with a love of the country its esteemed author has spent his life serving, Comeback America is a book for anyone interested in America's economic future—in other words, a book everyone should read.

Making the Modern American Fiscal State

Making the Modern American Fiscal State PDF Author: Ajay K. Mehrotra
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 1107043921
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 447

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Book Description
Making the Modern American Fiscal State chronicles the rise of the US system of direct and progressive taxation.