Low Taxes and Small Government

Michael A. Smith is professor of political science and chair of social sciences at Emporia State University.Robert J. Grover is retired university administrator and professor emeritus in the School of Library and Information Management at Emporia State University.Rob Catlett is professor of economics at Emporia State University.

The authors combine a concise summary of supply-side economics with a detailed study of Governor Sam Brownback’s Kansas economic “experiment” to provide a clear-headed assessment of the roots and implications of this major policy change. While Kansas is just a single state, national editorialists and reporters have noted that it provides the clearest test of supply-side economics policies and the claims that lower taxes would lead to enhanced economic growth. With clear writing and straightforward analysis, “Low Taxes, Small Government” offers on-the-ground political and economic insights within the narrative of a cautionary tale.

• 1. Sam Brownback’s Great Experiment2. From God’s Senator to Glide Path 3. Laying the Foundation for the “Great Experiment” 4. Supply-Side Economics in U.S. Politics 5. Implementing the Experiment 6. 2014 Election Becomes A Referendum on the Experiment 7. Brownback’s Second Term: End of the Experiment 8. Impact of the “Great Experiment”: Summary and Analysis 9. Assessment of the “Great Experiment” 10. Afterword