Taxes and Public Spending

Much of a country’s economic outcome is shaped by the way its national and local governments raise taxes and spend money. And persistent imbalances between revenues and expenditures can threaten the well-being of future generations. Sound tax policy requires understanding how taxes affect incentives and how workers and businesses respond.  It is also important to evaluate the effectiveness of government spending on defense, entitlements, education, and other programs. SIEPR researchers produce rigorous, nonpartisan evidence that goes beyond political rhetoric and informs discussions regarding tax and expenditure policy in the U.S. and around the world.

Keywords: income taxes, corporate taxes, incidence, optimal taxation, entitlements, public finance, debt, deficits, state and local public finance