In light of the very public debate on the federal budget this year between Democrats and Republicans, the economic ramifications of tax policy are now more than ever a focus of national
attention. Tax Policy and the Economy, Volume 25 is thus an invaluable tool, publishing current academic research findings on taxation and government spending, which informs important policy
debates with rigorous economic analysis. The papers in Volume 25 include a review of current fuel economy taxation; research on implicit taxes on work from Social Security and Medicare; an
analysis on how future increases in aggregate health care expenditures will impact future tax rates required to support Medicare and Medicaid; and two papers that analyze the implications of
large and sustained budget deficits on the economy.