Subjects:  1. Default (Finance)    2. Finance, Public    3. General    4. New York    5. New York (State)    6. Politics / Current Events    7. Politics/International Relations    8. Public Finance    9. Political Science / Government / National   

Reviews (2)

if you like specialized books about city governance, getthis
If you like specialized books about city governance, you would probably like Mayors and Money. Unreadable
I tried to read this book for an urban studies project. It is completely unreadable. It's easily one of the top-10 dullest books I've ever come across. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Budget    2. Business & Economics    3. Business/Economics    4. Chicago    5. Fiscal policy    6. General    7. Illinois    8. New York    9. New York (State)    10. Politics / Current Events    11. Politics/International Relations    12. Public Finance    13. Business & Economics / Public Finance    14. Central government policies    15. Monetary economics    16. Political Science / General    17. Political economy    18. USA   

Subjects:  1. 1743-1826    2. 18th century    3. Business / Economics / Finance    4. Debts, Public    5. Europe - Great Britain - General    6. History    7. History: World    8. Jefferson, Thomas,    9. Public Debt Management    10. Public Finance    11. United States    12. United States - Revolutionary War    13. American history: c 1800 to c 1900    14. Central government    15. History / United States / 19th Century    16. History, American    17. Jefferson, Thomas    18. Revolutions & coups    19. USA    20. Views on public debt    21. c 1700 to c 1800    22. c 1800 to c 1900   

Subjects:  1. General    2. Government - Legislative Branch    3. Political Ideologies - Democracy    4. Political Science    5. Politics - Current Events    6. Politics / Current Events    7. Politics/International Relations    8. Public Finance    9. Central government    10. Grants-in-aid--United States    11. Political Science / General    12. USA   

Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business / Economics / Finance    3. Business/Economics    4. Economic policy    5. Finance, Public    6. Problems, exercises, etc    7. Public Finance    8. Welfare economics    9. Business & Economics / Public Finance    10. Political economy   

Editorial Review

Over the past couple of decades, our national debt has become a favorite political football for Democrats and Republicans alike. Yet few Americans seem aware that the debt has a long and (mostly) honorable history. Alexander Hamilton considered it a kind of political Krazy Glue, which would also spur American industry by keeping taxes high. This borrowing power enabled the North to win the Civil War without wrecking its economy and rescued us from the Great Depression. John Steele Gordon doesn't deny the dangers of an entire nation living on credit; indeed, he believes that our fiscal affairs are a mess. But he puts this mess in fascinating perspective. And he's quick to see the human side of economic behavior: "One problem," he writes, "is that human nature predisposes us to recognize depression easily and quickly, but prosperity, like happiness, is most easily seen in retrospect." Bull's-eye! ... Read more

Reviews (11)

Fantastic, brief history of a nation's national debt
John Steele Gordon has taken what could be an amazingly dull topic, limited in appeal, and translated it into a spectacular read for anyone with at least a basic education. This great little book is a welcome addition for folks interested in finance, the U.S. economy, and the national deficit. Nonetheless, despite its breezy style and short length (traits typically necessary for widespread appeal), I don't expect it will reach a wide audience. Consider yourself lucky that you've discovered this plain-language, excellent primer on how our national debt came to be!
acceptable... but not unique
The book is okay ... but in general the book attempts to have the reader buy into Hamilton and his develpment of the National Debt as a good thing in todays economic system.
An insightful look into the making of the national debt
I tip my hat to Mr. Gordon for providing a compelling short history of national debt, and how it has been shaped by tariffs, taxation and ever-increasing spending that has run amok in recent decades.It is a fascinating study into the competing visions of fiscal responsibility, notably the balanced budget extolled by Jeffersonians, which has actually been achieved on numerous occasions, versus deficit spending espoused by Hamiltonians, and of which John Maynard Keynes became the leading exponent in the inter-wars years between WWI and WWII.Read more

Subjects:  1. Budget deficits    2. Business & Economics    3. Debts, Public    4. Economic History    5. Government - U.S. Government    6. Government spending policy    7. History - General History    8. History: American    9. Public Finance    10. United States    11. United States - General    12. History / United States / General   

Reviews (1)

A sorely needed update on Japanese financial politics
Amyx is one of very few scholars doing the kind of yeoman's work in political science today that is necessary for successfully integrating original source field research with rigorous theoretical analysis.The payoff is the kind of detailed and informed study that made Johnson's MITI and the Japanese Miracle a classic. Amyx's analysis of networks inclusive of the Ministry of Finance provides a rich explanatory framework for policy paralysis over the course of a dozen + years.A particularly interesting insight is that networks (i.e., people) make institutions durable even as institutions structure incentives for individuals. This reinforcing relationship, in Japan's case, led to intransigence and suboptimal outcomes for nearly all parties.I highly recommend this to readers interested in an update on bureaucratic politics in Japan, and those interested in the backstory to the grim headlines on Japan in the financial papers over the last decade.Even as Japan starts its long-delayed turnaround, this book will help readers understand where change is most likely to occur, and where the bottlenecks still exist.
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Subjects:  1. Asia - Japan    2. Banks & Banking    3. Business / Economics / Finance    4. Economic Conditions    5. Government & Business    6. Political Science    7. Politics/International Relations    8. Public Finance    9. Asian and Asian American Studies    10. Central government policies    11. Economics    12. Finance    13. Japan    14. Political Science / Economic Conditions    15. Political Science and International Relations   

Subjects:  1. Germany    2. International    3. Law    4. Law and legislation    5. Legal Reference / Law Profession    6. Military    7. Taxation    8. Business & Economics / Public Finance    9. International economics   

Subjects:  1. Accounting - General    2. Business / Economics / Finance    3. Business/Economics    4. Fiscal Policy    5. History    6. Public Finance    7. United States    8. Non-Classifiable    9. Reference / General   

Reviews (5)

Exonerates the hedge funds
One of the most common (mis)interpretations of the east Asian currency crises of the late 1990s is that they were caused by George Soros and other speculators, hedge fund principals for the most part, who shorted those currencies and the respective bonds in order to create a self-fulfilling prophecy. A refreshing view
Michael Pettis has succeeded in mystifying the collapse of EM economies. His approach is new and indeed very methodical. I found the book intellectually challenging and have learned quite a lot reading it. I highly recommend it for those who want to understand how LDC economies rise and fall. Having a background in corpporate finance is crucial to enjoying the book though.

Understand What's Happening In Emerging Markets
This is a MUST READ for institutional investors worldwide! For the first time I have a confident sense of what is at the core of emerging market instability. Now if only some government policy makers would read this (even they would understand it!), the causal conditions might start to improve. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business / Economics / Finance    3. Business/Economics    4. Capital    5. Contemporary Economic Situations And Conditions    6. Debts, External    7. Finance    8. Financial crises    9. International - General    10. International finance    11. Loans, Foreign    12. Monetary Policy    13. Public Finance    14. Business & Economics / Finance    15. Business & Economics / International    16. Business & Economics-Finance    17. Business & Economics-Public Finance    18. Developing countries    19. Economic systems    20. Economic theory & philosophy    21. Economics | Business   

Subjects:  1. Debt relief    2. Debts, External    3. General    4. International Relations - General    5. Loans, Foreign    6. Political Science    7. Politics / Current Events    8. Politics/International Relations    9. Public Finance    10. International finance    11. Political Science / General   

Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business / Economics / Finance    3. Business/Economics    4. Finance, Public    5. Public Finance    6. Business & Economics / Public Finance    7. Finance   

Reviews (21)

We're Not Rome, But Who Cares!
Joe Scarborough of Pensacola, Florida, knows this subject from the get-go, as he served in Congress for seven years.He confirms what the young aide to Clinton explained in DERELICTION IN OFFICE that golf was the only thing he knew how to do well, with the exception of entertaining young women in the Oval Office.
Not quite what I expected
From the info on the dust jacket, I was expecting shocking new facts about the government.This book had no surprises and no new revelations; it's basically a retelling of what we already know about politicians:(1) They'll say anything and promise anything to get elected; (2) None actually keep their word; (3) They all push for massive pork projects that bleed taxpayers dry; and(4) Both parties share the blame for our catastrophic national debt.
A Real Eye Opener
If you are either a Reagan Democrat or a Reagan Republican, Joe Scarborough has bad news for you. Ten years after the Republican take over of the House of Representatives the former champions of limited government are now the primary dispensers of government cash. Far from limiting the growth of government, the ruling Republicans are merely doling out the cash in a different pattern than did the Democrats. The game has not changed in the least.
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Subjects:  1. Conspiracy & Scandal Investigations    2. Economic Conditions    3. General    4. Political Science    5. Politics / Current Events    6. Politics/International Relations    7. Public Debt Management    8. Public Finance    9. U.S. - Contemporary Politics   

Subjects:  1. Business / Economics / Finance    2. Public Finance   

Subjects:  1. Business / Economics / Finance    2. Business/Economics    3. Public Finance   

Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Fiscal Policy    3. Governmental Income And Expenditure    4. Intergovernmental fiscal relat    5. Money & Monetary Policy    6. Politics - Current Events    7. Politics / Current Events    8. Public Finance    9. Public Policy - City Planning & Urban Dev.    10. Revenue    11. Revenue sharing    12. Sociology    13. Sociology - General    14. Taxation    15. Washington (D.C.)   

Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business/Economics    3. Public Finance    4. Public Finance (General)    5. Statistics    6. Yearbooks & Annuals    7. Social research & statistics    8. Yearbooks, annuals, almanacs   

Reviews (4)

Free Money
Title is very mis-leading..grants only apply if you live in certain states. If you need money why would you spend money for a book that does apply to you...waste of money..

A good buy if............
This book is a good buy if you live in California, Washington, New York or Floridia or if you are Jewish, elderly or disable or any combination of any of the above listed. I live in Illinois and there was NOT a lot of information for people living here(well not a lot of info. that one who lives here doesn't already know about). If you have the chance to get this book from the library before you buy it, I would suggest that you do so, then you decide.

Not helpful at all
I found that if you live in Indiana and you are not old, your health is not failing or you are not of a certain faith...FORGET IT there is nothing available to you.Not very helpful for me.Would not recommend wasting the time to buy this book.In 5 min I was done with it.Hardly worth the anticipation waiting for it. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Accounting - General    2. Business/Economics    3. Careers - Job Hunting    4. Careers / Job Opportunities    5. Directories    6. Domestic economic assistance    7. Economic assistance, Domestic    8. Grants-in-aid    9. Public Finance    10. United States    11. Business & Economics / Public Finance    12. Social issues   

Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business / Economics / Finance    3. Business/Economics    4. Economic policy    5. Economics - General    6. Public Administration    7. Public Affairs & Administration    8. Public Finance    9. Public Finance (General)    10. Public Policy - Economic Policy    11. United States    12. Business & Economics / Economics / General    13. Economics    14. Public finance accounting   

Subjects:  1. Business / Economics / Finance    2. Decentralization in government    3. Federal government    4. Fiscal policy    5. General    6. Latin America    7. Political Science    8. Politics/International Relations    9. Public Finance    10. Economic history    11. Political Science / General    12. Political economy