Rules and Restraint
by David M. Primo
Winner, 2008 Alan Rosenthal Prize
APSA Legislative Studies Section
Book
Description
Government spending has increased
dramatically in the
despite the many rules intended to rein in the insatiable appetite
for tax revenue most
politicians seem to share. Drawing on examples from the federal and
state governments,
Rules and Restraint explains in lucid, nontechnical prose why these budget
rules tend to fail,
and proposes original alternatives for imposing much-needed
fiscal discipline on our legislators.
One reason budget rules are ineffective, David Primo shows, is that politicians
often create and
preserve loopholes to protect programs that benefit their
constituents. Another reason is that
legislators must enforce their own provisions, an arrangement that is
seriously compromised
by their unwillingness to abide by rules that demand
short-term sacrifices for the sake of
long-term gain. Convinced that budget rules enacted through such a
flawed legislative process
are unlikely to work, Primo ultimately calls for a careful
debate over the advantages and
drawbacks of a constitutional convention initiated by the states—a
radical step that would bypass
Congress to
create a path toward change. Rules
and Restraint will be required reading for anyone
interested in institutional design, legislatures, and policymaking.
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Return to David M. Primo’s University of Rochester home page
NSF-Mandated Disclaimer: This
material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under
Grant No. 0314786.
Any opinions, findings, and
conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the
author and do not necessarily
reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.