Where Does the Money Go? REV Ed: Your Guided Tour to the Federal Budget Crisis - Paperback

by Scott Bittle (Author), Jean Johnson (Author)

"A book that manages to be entertaining and irreverent while serving as an informative primer on a subject that is crucial to the future of all Americans."

--New York Times

Before you vote in a national election, you should ask yourself: Where Does the Money Go? The acclaimed and essential work by Scott Biddle and Jean Johnson has been updated to reflect the recent financial crisis and the sweeping legislation passed by the Obama administration in its first years. Nonpartisan and well-balanced, Where Does the Money Go? is a candid, eye-opening, and delightfully irreverent guide to the ongoing federal budget crisis that breaks-down into plain English exactly what the Fat Cats in Washington, D.C. are arguing about.

This essential, nonpartisan guide to the US economy explains:

• The Federal Budget Crisis: The six key points you need to know about deficit spending, why the country spends more than it takes in, and what could happen if we don't change course.
• Taxes and Spending: A clear tour of where the government's money comes from (your paycheck) and where it goes, from farm subsidies for non-farmers to the Pentagon budget.
• The Entitlement Challenge: A straightforward look at why Social Security and Medicare are on an unsustainable path as the baby boomers retire, and why fixing them isn't as simple as you think.
• Voter Education Toolkit: A nonpartisan "Voter Protection Kit" to help you cut through political rhetoric, understand what candidates are really saying, and make informed choices at the ballot box.

Front Jacket

Revised and Updated to Include the Probable Effects of the Great Recession, the Government Stimulus, and President Obama's Health Care Overhaul

Federal debt will affect your savings, your retirement, your mortgage, your health care, and your children. How well do you understand the government decisions that will end up coming out of your pocket?

Here is essential information that every American citizen needs--and has the right--to know. This guide to deciphering the jargon of the country's budget problem breaks down into plain English exactly what the fat cats in Washington are arguing about. Where Does the Money Go? covers everything from the country's exploding federal debt to the fact that, for thirty-one out of the last thirty-five years, the country has spent more on government programs and services than it has collected in taxes. It also explores why elected leaders on both sides of the fence have so far failed to address this issue effectively and explains what you can do to protect your future.

--New York Times

Back Jacket

Revised and Updated to Include the Probable Effects of the Great Recession, the Government Stimulus, and President Obama's Health Care Overhaul

Federal debt will affect your savings, your retirement, your mortgage, your health care, and your children. How well do you understand the government decisions that will end up coming out of your pocket?

Here is essential information that every American citizen needs--and has the right--to know. This guide to deciphering the jargon of the country's budget problem breaks down into plain English exactly what the fat cats in Washington are arguing about. Where Does the Money Go? covers everything from the country's exploding federal debt to the fact that, for thirty-one out of the last thirty-five years, the country has spent more on government programs and services than it has collected in taxes. It also explores why elected leaders on both sides of the fence have so far failed to address this issue effectively and explains what you can do to protect your future.