{"product_id":"americas-fiscal-constitution-bill-white-9781610393430","title":"America's Fiscal Constitution: Its Triumph and Collapse","description":"What would Washington, Jefferson, Madison, Lincoln, the Roosevelts, Truman, and Eisenhower have done about today's federal debt crisis? \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e America's Fiscal Constitution tells the remarkable story of fiscal heroes who imposed clear limits on the use of federal debt, limits that for two centuries were part of an unwritten constitution. Those national leaders borrowed only for extraordinary purposes and relied on well-defined budget practices to balance federal spending and revenues. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e That traditional fiscal constitution collapsed in 2001. Afterward -- for the first time in history -- federal elected officials cut taxes during war, funded permanent new programs entirely with debt, grew dependent on foreign creditors, and claimed that the economy could not thrive without routine federal borrowing. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e For most of the nation's history, conservatives fought to restrain the growth of government by insisting that new programs be paid for with taxation, while progressives sought to preserve opportunities for people on the way up by balancing budgets. Virtually all mainstream politicians recognized that excessive debt could jeopardize private investment and national independence. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e With original scholarship and the benefit of experience in finance and public service, Bill White dispels common budget myths and distills practical lessons from the nation's five previous spikes in debt. America's Fiscal Constitution offers an objective and hopeful guide for people trying to make sense of the nation's current, most severe, debt crisis and its impact on their lives and our future.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e Bill White\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-10:\u003c\/b\u003e 1610393430\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-13:\u003c\/b\u003e 9781610393430\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e PublicAffairs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eLanguage:\u003c\/b\u003e English\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 04\/01\/2014\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 576\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eFormat:\u003c\/b\u003e Hardcover\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 1.80lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 9.30h x 6.40w x 2.10d\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eReview Citation(s): \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eKirkus Reviews\u003c\/i\u003e 02\/01\/2014\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eBooklist\u003c\/i\u003e 04\/15\/2014 pg. 7\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eNew York Times Book Review\u003c\/i\u003e 04\/13\/2014 pg. 20","brand":"Bill White","offers":[{"title":"Hardcover","offer_id":44125013442815,"sku":"9781610393430","price":47.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0662\/2982\/9887\/files\/img_94ff0900-dbcc-46e3-a5ad-90f951fe681e.jpg?v=1687440126","url":"https:\/\/www.whiterainbookhouse.com\/products\/americas-fiscal-constitution-bill-white-9781610393430","provider":"WR Book House","version":"1.0","type":"link"}