A topical issue but hardly a new one, the concern for balancing the federal budget has been a perennial source of conflict in American political life. In Balanced Budgets and American Politics, James Savage explores the causes and development of the nation's preoccupation with this issue. Savage argues that the American fascination with the idea of balancing the federal budget is deeply rooted and reflects more than a contemporary concern about interest rates, inflation, or even the outcome of recent budget battles. His analysis demonstrates the considerable influence that the principle budget balancing has had on politics and public policy from 1690 through Ronald Reagan's first term as president.

When the first edition of Why Budgets Matter was published in 2003, the federal budget had fallen back into deficit. At the time, fairly modest changes in taxes and spending would have ensured that deficits and debt would remain at tolerable levels. Instead, the disconnect between taxes and spending that had plagued the United States since the 1960s grew even greater. A near-catastrophic economic collapse beginning in December 2007 then magnified the fiscal consequences of irresponsible policy choices. This new edition examines how and why the balanced-budget equilibrium of the 1990s was destabilized in the 2000s. It also places this latest partisan battle over the size of government in historical perspective by exploring its connection to earlier budget policy eras.

From the clashes between Federalists and Republicans in the 1790s until today, partisan battles over taxing, spending, and public debt have shaped American political development. These battles were formerly constrained by fiscal norms that mandated balanced budgets and low debt. In his Farewell Address, President George Washington counseled the nation to "cherish public credit" by using "it as sparingly as possible". In the 1980s, however, tax cuts and spending increases created large structural deficits and much higher debt levels. With only a brief interruption in the late 1990s, deficit politics has been a mainstay ever since. Over this period, the Republican Party has passed large tax cuts but failed to retrench the large entitlement programs that continue to raise spending. Likewise, the Democratic Party has expanded the domestic role of government but has abandoned the broad-based taxation it supported in the 1990s. Funding their domestic agenda with matching revenues is now as unappealing for Democrats as entitlement cutbacks are for Republicans, contributing to the current stalemate of Republican tax policy, Democratic spending policy, and soaring deficits and debt. The economic risks this entails are serious, yet an end to the era of deficit politics is nowhere in sight.

Government spending has increased dramatically in the United States since World War II despite the many rules intended to rein in the insatiable appetite for tax revenue most politicians seem to share. Drawing on examples from the federal and state governments, Rules and Restraint explains in lucid, nontechnical prose why these budget rules tend to fail, and proposes original alternatives for imposing much-needed fiscal discipline on our legislators. One reason budget rules are ineffective, David Primo shows, is that politicians often create and preserve loopholes to protect programs that benefit their constituents. Another reason is that legislators must enforce their own provisions, an arrangement that is seriously compromised by their unwillingness to abide by rules that demand short-term sacrifices for the sake of long-term gain. Convinced that budget rules enacted through such a flawed legislative process are unlikely to work, Primo ultimately calls for a careful debate over the advantages and drawbacks of a constitutional convention initiated by the states—a radical step that would bypass Congress to create a path toward change. Rules and Restraint will be required reading for anyone interested in institutional design, legislatures, and policymaking.

The Constitution grants Congress the power 'to lay and collect taxes, duties, imposts and excises'. From the First Congress until today, conflicts over the size, role and taxing power of government have been at the heart of national politics. This book provides a comprehensive historical account of US tax policy that emphasizes the relationship between taxes and other budget components. It explains how wars, changing conceptions of the domestic role of government, and beliefs about deficits and debt have shaped the modern tax system. The contemporary focus of this book is the partisan battle over budget policy that began in the 1960s and triggered the disconnect between taxes and spending that has plagued the budget ever since. With the US government now facing its most serious deficit and debt challenge in the modern era, partisan debate over taxation is almost completely divorced from fiscal realities.

When it comes to the economy, American voters can no longer count on the Political Class. We are the ones who truly want progress, and—despite what politicians would lead us to believe—we are the only ones willing to make the difficult but necessary changes that willrestore our country’s fiscal sanity. For years, Americans have elected candidates who promise to reduce spending. Yet spending has steadily increased for more than half a century. For just as long, politicians have blamed voters, claiming a lack of public support for the necessary cuts to reduce the budget deficit. On the contrary, evidence suggests that voters are far more willing than politicians to make the compromises to eliminate this massive burden from future generations. Now, influential political analyst Scott Rasmussen, one of the most recognized public opinion pollsters in America, proves that our politicians are intentionally perpetrating a flat-out lie about their short-sighted and destructive economic choices and our hard-earned money. In The People’s Money, Rasmussen explores clear-headed, responsible, and reasonable ways to eliminate a deficit that is much larger than politicians would have us believe—$123 trillion and counting—all with the vast support of the American people. This is Rasmussen on: ·The bailouts—the cause and effects, and the catalyst that fueled the current era of discontent ·National defense—and the $100 billion annual cost that could be erased today with absolutely no threat to security ·Social security—and a plan that could not only reduce spending by trillions of dollars but offer a more satisfying plan for retirees ·Tax burdens—and the truth behind the changes Americans are willing to make for the sake of their country ·Government payroll—and the commonsense cuts that are necessary ·Health care—and why the current plans, from both Republicans and Democrats, are financially unhealthy Drawing on a comprehensive review of history, revelatory budgetary documents, and enlightening public opinion polls, Rasmussen lays out a step-by-step budget that could wipe out trillions from the national debt. It’s his job to call on the American people for their opinion. Resoundingly, they have called back with a collective voice that is at once hopeful, frustrated, honest, and angry. If only the American Political Class would listen. Until then, The People’s Money is a call to arms for the people to be heard, an ultimatum for a grossly out-of-touch American political system, and one of the most provocative, important, informed, and yet hopeful books on the economic state of the country yet written.