First published 2004
Peterson and Howe examine the federal budget's most untouchable programs. Social Security, Medicare, and government pensions consume growing shares of national spending while lawmakers treat them as beyond question. The authors demolish common assumptions about these programs. Most recipients are not poor or desperate. Entitlement spending dwarfs defense costs and accelerates faster than economic growth. The current path forces workers to shoulder increasing burdens while starving investments in education, poverty reduction, and economic opportunity. Peterson and Howe argue that budget balance requires cuts to these sacred programs. They present data showing how entitlement growth threatens the country's ability to fund critical priorities. The book targets policymakers, economists, and citizens worried about fiscal sustainability in an era of competing national needs.
Genres: politics, economics, non-fiction, academic
Vibes: thought-provoking
Tropes: data-driven
444 pages · Paperback · Routledge