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In We Are Better Than This: How Government Should Spend Our Money, Edward D. Kleinbard explores how budget debates in the United States are overly focused on tax policy. What is missing, according to Kleinbard, is a rational and serious debate about spending policy. The focus is too often on what will be “taken” from citizens, rather than what that income can then be used to achieve.
At the heart of this debate is an important question: what's our government good for? To Kleinbard, a strong and strategic government brings with it great rewards for the entire nation. It provides sound infrastructure, good schools, and effective healthcare, as well as a safety net for the less fortunate. Government spending can directly make citizens happier, healthier, and even wealthier.
In his analysis of the various considerations involved in spending policy, Kleinbard explains that value and belief systems are an intrinsic part of our collective decision making that cannot be ignored. Kleinbard discusses relevant moral philosophy---specifically, the teachings of Adam Smith---and how his own progressive values inform his opinions on the good that can be achieved by government. The book explores how government might usefully make things better in ways that reflect our deepest national values, including a strong commitment to private enterprise, personal liberty, and respect for fellow citizens.
Kleinbard relays the latest academic research into the trade-offs of taxation and government spending. Many of these debates have reached a consensus in academia, though the findings are often inadequately disseminated. The research presented here is based on accepted economic facts and analytical methods, made easily understandable for a general readership.
