William E. Hudson is professor of political science at Providence College. He is the author of The Libertarian Illusion and Experiencing Citizenship: Concepts and Models for Service-Learning in Political Science (with Richard Battistoni). Hudson has published numerous articles on public policy issues in journals such as Political Science Quarterly, Polity, Western Political Quarterly, Economic Development Quarterly, and Policy Studies Journal.

"Succinct and insightful, this book is classic Bill Hudson. He has done citizens and students a service in providing such a clear overview of the most pressing domestic policy challenge of our time. It's often said that a budget is the concrete expression of values, and in this work Hudson deftly shows how deep normative commitments drive the battles over federal taxes and spending."—Grant Reeher, Syracuse University"Every American needs to read this well-written primer on the budget debate. It provides all the crucial facts and concepts citizens need to understand these increasingly bitter political battles and it will help them to intelligently decide where they stand on the crucial issues that will determine the future of American government."—Douglas Amy, Mount Holyoke College"Hudson offers a comprehensible investigation of the complex politics of federal budgeting. Analyzing federal deficits and debt from the perspective of what’s best for the public good, Hudson provides important insights into the causes and consequences of deficits and the national debt."—Patrick Fisher, Seton Hall University"Hudson does a superb job taking the reader through the ins and outs of fiscal policy, and in the process he makes this important topic very accessible. If you truly want to understand contemporary American politics, then this book is a must-read."—Elizabeth A. Oldmixon, University of North Texas

• Introduction: Political Conflict over Deficits and Debt: What’s it about? What’s at stake? Part I: The Shape of the Federal Budget. 1. Federal Deficits and Debt. 2. Budget Pies: An Overview of Federal Spending and Revenue. 3. Do Entitlements Entitle? Is What’s Mandated Mandatory? 4. How Discretionary Is Discretionary Spending? 5. Raising Federal Tax Revenue. 6. Predicting Future Deficits and Debt. Part II: The Politics of Deficits and Debt. 7. Deficit Hawks versus Deficit Doves. 8. "Starve the Beast" versus Protect the New Deal. 9. Partisan War over America’s Fiscal Future: 2009 – 2013. 10. The Future of Deficits and Debt.

William E. Hudson is professor of political science at Providence College. He is the author of The Libertarian Illusion and Experiencing Citizenship: Concepts and Models for Service-Learning in Political Science (with Richard Battistoni). Hudson has published numerous articles on public policy issues in journals such as Political Science Quarterly, Polity, Western Political Quarterly, Economic Development Quarterly, and Policy Studies Journal.

"Succinct and insightful, this book is classic Bill Hudson. He has done citizens and students a service in providing such a clear overview of the most pressing domestic policy challenge of our time. It's often said that a budget is the concrete expression of values, and in this work Hudson deftly shows how deep normative commitments drive the battles over federal taxes and spending."—Grant Reeher, Syracuse University"Every American needs to read this well-written primer on the budget debate. It provides all the crucial facts and concepts citizens need to understand these increasingly bitter political battles and it will help them to intelligently decide where they stand on the crucial issues that will determine the future of American government."—Douglas Amy, Mount Holyoke College"Hudson offers a comprehensible investigation of the complex politics of federal budgeting. Analyzing federal deficits and debt from the perspective of what’s best for the public good, Hudson provides important insights into the causes and consequences of deficits and the national debt."—Patrick Fisher, Seton Hall University"Hudson does a superb job taking the reader through the ins and outs of fiscal policy, and in the process he makes this important topic very accessible. If you truly want to understand contemporary American politics, then this book is a must-read."—Elizabeth A. Oldmixon, University of North Texas

• Introduction: Political Conflict over Deficits and Debt: What’s it about? What’s at stake? Part I: The Shape of the Federal Budget. 1. Federal Deficits and Debt. 2. Budget Pies: An Overview of Federal Spending and Revenue. 3. Do Entitlements Entitle? Is What’s Mandated Mandatory? 4. How Discretionary Is Discretionary Spending? 5. Raising Federal Tax Revenue. 6. Predicting Future Deficits and Debt. Part II: The Politics of Deficits and Debt. 7. Deficit Hawks versus Deficit Doves. 8. "Starve the Beast" versus Protect the New Deal. 9. Partisan War over America’s Fiscal Future: 2009 – 2013. 10. The Future of Deficits and Debt.

William E. Hudson is professor of political science at Providence College. He is the author of The Libertarian Illusion and Experiencing Citizenship: Concepts and Models for Service-Learning in Political Science (with Richard Battistoni). Hudson has published numerous articles on public policy issues in journals such as Political Science Quarterly, Polity, Western Political Quarterly, Economic Development Quarterly, and Policy Studies Journal.

"Succinct and insightful, this book is classic Bill Hudson. He has done citizens and students a service in providing such a clear overview of the most pressing domestic policy challenge of our time. It's often said that a budget is the concrete expression of values, and in this work Hudson deftly shows how deep normative commitments drive the battles over federal taxes and spending."—Grant Reeher, Syracuse University"Every American needs to read this well-written primer on the budget debate. It provides all the crucial facts and concepts citizens need to understand these increasingly bitter political battles and it will help them to intelligently decide where they stand on the crucial issues that will determine the future of American government."—Douglas Amy, Mount Holyoke College"Hudson offers a comprehensible investigation of the complex politics of federal budgeting. Analyzing federal deficits and debt from the perspective of what’s best for the public good, Hudson provides important insights into the causes and consequences of deficits and the national debt."—Patrick Fisher, Seton Hall University"Hudson does a superb job taking the reader through the ins and outs of fiscal policy, and in the process he makes this important topic very accessible. If you truly want to understand contemporary American politics, then this book is a must-read."—Elizabeth A. Oldmixon, University of North Texas

• Introduction: Political Conflict over Deficits and Debt: What’s it about? What’s at stake? Part I: The Shape of the Federal Budget. 1. Federal Deficits and Debt. 2. Budget Pies: An Overview of Federal Spending and Revenue. 3. Do Entitlements Entitle? Is What’s Mandated Mandatory? 4. How Discretionary Is Discretionary Spending? 5. Raising Federal Tax Revenue. 6. Predicting Future Deficits and Debt. Part II: The Politics of Deficits and Debt. 7. Deficit Hawks versus Deficit Doves. 8. "Starve the Beast" versus Protect the New Deal. 9. Partisan War over America’s Fiscal Future: 2009 – 2013. 10. The Future of Deficits and Debt.