First published 2012
Scott Rasmussen argues that American voters want fiscal responsibility while politicians refuse to deliver it. For over fifty years, elected officials have increased spending despite campaign promises to cut it. They blame voters for lacking support for necessary budget reductions. Rasmussen uses polling data and budget analysis to prove the opposite. Voters support difficult compromises to reduce the national deficit, which reaches $123 trillion when properly calculated. The book examines bailouts, defense spending, Social Security, taxes, government payroll, and healthcare. Rasmussen shows how $100 billion in defense costs could be eliminated without harming security. He proposes Social Security reforms that would cut trillions while improving retirement benefits. Drawing from historical analysis and public opinion research, he presents a budget plan that could eliminate trillions from the national debt. The book reveals that Americans are willing to make sacrifices for fiscal health, but politicians ignore this readiness for change.
Genres: american, political-science, economics, non-fiction, 21st-century, academic
Vibes: thought-provoking
Tropes: data-driven
288 pages · Hardcover · Threshold Editions