The origins of American public finance : debates over money, debt, and taxes in the Constitutional era, 1776-1836

Author(s)

• Stabile, Donald

Bibliographic Information

The origins of American public finance : debates over money, debt, and taxes in the Constitutional era, 1776-1836

Donald R. Stabile

（Contributions in economics and economic history, no. 198）

Greenwood Press, 1998

Note

Includes bibliographical references and index

Description and Table of Contents

Description

An examination of an early version of the debate over money, debt, and taxes sheds light on current debates regarding public finance, a balanced budget, and paying off the public debt. Stabile shows that while special interest lobbying during the constitutional convention produced tax loopholes as part of the Constitution, determined leaders were able to get a reluctant population used to paying taxes and were capable of putting together plans of public finance that attained their goals. Such historical evidence challenges the view that political leaders are incapable of passing the unpopular taxes needed to balance the federal government's budget and pay off the public debt. Taking a political economy approach that describes how political leaders took economic ideas and made them work, this book combines intellectual history with economic history. Previous books on public finance history have focused on economic issues regarding taxes. Exploring the intellectual history of the debates over money, debt, and taxes as the three potential forms of public finance, Stabile provides insight into the constitutional debate alive at the end of the 20th century.

Table of Contents

Foreword by David O. Whitten Preface Introduction: To Mortgage the Public Revenue Too Frequent Emissions Requisitions Small and Slow To Levy Money Directly We the People A National Revenue Subject to all the Burdens A Choice of Evils A Wise and Frugal Government A Proper Selection of Moderate Internal Taxes An Unprecedented Spectacle Epilogue: As Sure as Debt and Taxes Bibliography Index

by "Nielsen BookData"

• NCID: BA37097885
• ISBN:
  • 0313307547
• LCCN: 98011163
• Country Code: us
• Title Language Code: eng
• Text Language Code: eng
• Place of Publication: Westport, Conn
• Pages/Volumes: xii, 208 p.
• Size: 25 cm
• Classification:
  • NDC9 : 342.53
  • LCC : HJ247
  • DC21 : 336.73
• Subject Headings:
  • LCSH : Finance, Public -- United States -- History -- 18th century
  • LCSH : Finance, Public -- United States -- History -- 19th century
• Parent Bibliography ID:
  • BA00199946