Controversial Issues in Economic Regulatory Policy

Regulation is a necessary underpinning of markets and capitalism, but who should make regulatory policy and how much power should they have? Has regulation in the United States gone too far? Marcia Whicker explores U.S. economic policy, drawing attention to the critical role played by political philosophy, political institutions, the cultural climate, and popular reaction to ever-changing economic conditions. Whicker examines the debates of U.S. economic policy--the proper size of government, the government's role in managing the economy, and the role the government should play in economic growth and in aiding the economically disadvantaged. She describes long-term economic and political cycles, such as the Kondratieff cycle, that appear to stymie government in its efforts to maintain a stable economy. Other issues discussed include tradeoffs between market versus government control of the economy, debates over a supply-side versus demand-side economic policy, deficit spending, taxation, controversies surrounding the savings and loan scandals of the 1990s, and the impact of living in a globalized economy. This is a comprehensive picture of the problems, issues, and debates that surround economic policy in the U.S. in the 1990s; it places in a political context the pros and cons of governmental efforts to deal with reality, rhetoric, and theory.Whicker, Marcia L. is the author of 'Controversial Issues in Economic Regulatory Policy' with ISBN 9780803940178 and ISBN 0803940173.