The myth of fair and efficient government : why the government you want is not the one you get / Michael L. Marlow.
Record details
- ISBN: 9780313392917 (hardcopy : alk. paper)
- ISBN: 0313392919 (hardcopy : alk. paper)
- ISBN: 9780313392924 (ebook)
- ISBN: 0313392927 (ebook)
- Physical Description: viii, 214 p. : ill. ; 25 cm.
- Publisher: Santa Barbara, Calif. : Praeger, c2011.
Content descriptions
Bibliography, etc. Note: | Includes bibliographical references and index. |
Formatted Contents Note: | Our disappointment with government -- What markets do well -- Theory is not practice of government -- Government : last place to look for efficiency -- Government rarely promotes fairness -- Misconceptions of tax fairness -- "Vocal advocates" encourage inefficient government -- Tax preferences : government playing favorites -- Unfunded liabilities of future citizens -- More efficient and fairer taxation -- Improving government. |
Search for related items by subject
Subject: | Administrative agencies > United States > Management. Fiscal policy > United States. Taxation > United States. |
Available copies
- 1 of 1 copy available at Kirtland Community College.
Holds
- 0 current holds with 1 total copy.
Location | Call Number / Copy Notes | Barcode | Shelving Location | Status | Due Date |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Kirtland Community College Library | JK 421 .M375 2011 | 30542383 | General Collection | Available | - |
CHOICE_Magazine Review
The Myth of Fair and Efficient Government : Why the Government You Want Is Not the One You Get
CHOICE
Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
Marlow (economics, California Polytechnic State Univ., San Luis Obispo) does not care for the federal government as it functions and rejects romantic notions that government intervention can make improvements. In general, he asserts markets work, largely because of competition, and governments do not. Governments waste money through inefficiencies and waste driven by politics. The tax system is inefficient and plays favorites through tax preferences that are disguised spending. Tax incentives direct resources in inefficient directions; direct subsidies to businesses normally represent wasted money. The public social insurance system is woefully underfunded, adding to the burdens on future generations. Marlow would, among other things, shrink the federal government, direct spending according to results rather than fanciful promises of programs, end tax preferences, let markets rather than government subsidies determine business survival, flatten the tax code, and make the connection between government cost and individual tax bills more apparent. However, he presents no evidence that Americans now have a romantic view of the federal government or that they would support his corrections. That is the rub for democracies--policy makers may make inefficient decisions, but citizens are the ones who elected them. A timely book, given the contentious debates over the US federal budget. Summing Up: Recommended. All levels of undergraduate students. J. L. Mikesell Indiana University--Bloomington