How Big Should Our Government Be?

by Jon Bakija, Lane Kenworthy, Peter Lindert, Jeff Madrick

Overview

The size of government is arguably the most controversial discussion in United States politics, and this issue won't fade from prominence any time soon. There must surely be a tipping point beyond which more government taxing and spending harms the economy, but where is that point? In this accessible book, best-selling authors Jeff Madrick, Jon Bakija, Lane Kenworthy, and Peter Lindert try to answer whether our government can grow any larger and examine how we can optimize growth and fair distribution.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780520291829
Publisher:	University of California Press
Publication date:	06/21/2016
Edition description:	First Edition
Pages:	224
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.20(h) x 0.60(d)

About the Author

Jon Bakija is Professor of Economics at Williams College. Lane Kenworthy is Professor of Sociology and Yankelovich Chair in Social Thought at the University of California, San Diego. Peter Lindert is Distinguished Professor of Economics at the University of California, Davis. Jeff Madrick is Director of the Bernard L. Schwartz Rediscovering Government Initiative at the Century Foundation, editor of Challenge magazine, and a frequent contributor to the New York Review of Books.

Table of Contents

Preface vii

1 Can Government Help? 1

2 Are Government Social Programs Bad for Economic Growth? 34

3 Would a Bigger Government Hurt the Economy? 67

4 Thinking Sensibly about the Size of Government 135

Notes 145

References 171

Index 199

Editorial Reviews

"An Important new book . . . goes deep into this question of government footprint and growth."

The Washington Post - Jared Bernstein