THE QUESTION OF GOVERNMENT SPENDING

The question of government spending is of primary importance to the adult reader in his role of citizen. In this book which grows out of material originally intended for the symposium, Postwar Trends in the American Economy (Harper, 1960), Professor Bator, of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Economics Department, tries to provide a full answer to the complex question. Avowedly pro-increased- spending, Professor Bator, nonetheless, gives the opposing side an objective presentation. In somewhat technical terms he explains the current allocation of government funds, -- public health, defense, administration--explains how government spending influences taxes, discusses various theories of economics in their relation to the subject, and presents pertinent statistical information, all of which is of interest to the voter, particularly during a presidential election year. But Francis Bator, while addressing the general public, writes in a vocabulary which essentially is the economist's, assuming familiarity with terms and concepts far beyond the reach of any but the most persistent students of economic affairs. Therefore, despite the astuteness and objectivity of his carefully considered answer to the American economic dilema, it cannot be recommended as a meaningful exposition for the reader at large.