Title: The Sixteen-Trillion-Dollar Mistake
First published: 2001
Description: "This book is the first analysis of American national priorities to link social policy, military policy, tax policy, and national politics in a far-reaching critique of the way the United States expends its national resources. By chronicling the failed priorities of eleven presidencies over a seventy-three year period (1931-2004), Jansson meticulously examines how each administration struggled to prioritize its share of the $56 trillion spent over that time.

However, presidents only propose budgets, while Congress actually crafts budget and tax legislation. Jansson's research analyzes many of the problems created by this usually contentious relationship between the president and Congress: exorbitant military expenditures, corporate welfare, tax breaks for affluent Americans, interest payments on excessive debt, and pork-barrel spending.

In identifying $16 trillion the United States wasted during the past seven decades, The Sixteen-Trillion-Dollar Mistake points the way for greater citizen surveillance of the federal budget and affords average citizens a stronger voice in determining national priorities."--BOOK JACKET.
Subjects: Politics and government, Government spending policy, Human services, Finance, Appropriations and expenditures, Central government policies, History of specific subjects, Public finance, Political Science, Politics / Current Events, History: World, USA, Economic Conditions, History & Theory - General, Public Policy - Social Services & Welfare, Social Science / Social Work, American, General, Appropriations and expenditure, United States, United states, politics and government, 20th century
Places: United States
Time periods: 20th century
LC classification: HV95 .J355 2001