Deficits, Debt, and the New Politics of Tax Policy

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 federal tax policy that emphasizes the relationship between taxes and other components of the budget. 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 federal 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. Continuing to indulge the public about the true costs of government has served the electoral interests of the parties, but it precludes honest debate about the urgent task of reconnecting taxes and budgets.

Author: Dennis S. Ippolito
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Published: 11/19/2012
Pages: 302
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 1.20lbs
Size: 9.10h x 6.10w x 0.90d
ISBN: 9781107017276

Review Citation(s):
Choice 09/01/2013

About the Author
Ippolito, Dennis S.: - Dennis S. Ippolito is Eugene McElvaney Professor of Political Science at Southern Methodist University. Among his previous books are Why Budgets Matter: Budget Policy and American Politics, Uncertain Legacies: Federal Budget Policy from Roosevelt through Reagan, Hidden Spending: The Politics of Federal Credit Programs, Congressional Spending, and The Budget and National Politics. He was awarded the 2010 Aaron B. Wildavsky Award for Lifetime Scholarly Achievement in the Field of Public Budgeting and Finance.