In a thoroughly researched and clearly written account of the development experiences of mainland China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong, Alvin Rabushka examines three societies with similar populations but very different political and economic institutions. Rejecting one-dimensional explanations of successful development, Rabushka looks at the way in which

In a thoroughly researched and clearly written account of the development experiences of mainland China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong, Alvin Rabushka examines three societies with similar populations but very different political and economic institutions.

Taxation in Colonial America examines life in the thirteen original American colonies through the revealing lens of the taxes levied on and by the colonists. Spanning the turbulent years from the founding of the Jamestown settlement to the outbreak of the American Revolution, Alvin Rabushka provides the definitive history of taxation in the colonial era, and sets it against the backdrop of enormous economic, political, and social upheaval in the colonies and Europe. Rabushka shows how the colonists strove to minimize, avoid, and evade British and local taxation, and how they used tax incentives to foster settlement. He describes the systems of public finance they created to reduce taxation, and reveals how they gained control over taxes through elected representatives in colonial legislatures. Rabushka takes a comprehensive look at the external taxes imposed on the colonists by Britain, the Netherlands, and Sweden, as well as internal direct taxes like poll and income taxes. He examines indirect taxes like duties and tonnage fees, as well as county and town taxes, church and education taxes, bounties, and other charges. He links the types and amounts of taxes with the means of payment--be it gold coins, agricultural commodities, wampum, or furs--and he compares tax systems and burdens among the colonies and with Britain. This book brings the colonial period to life in all its rich complexity, and shows how colonial attitudes toward taxation offer a unique window into the causes of the revolution.

In the upcoming debates over fundamental tax reform, the flat tax will be a leading proposal for making federal taxation more efficient, fair, and simple. This volume presents a spirited and informative exchange on the flat tax by noted proponents and doubters.

"Taxation in Colonial America" examines life in the thirteen original American colonies through the revealing lens of the taxes levied on and by the colonists. Spanning the turbulent years from the founding of the Jamestown settlement to the outbreak of the American Revolution, Alvin Rabushka provides the definitive history of taxation in the colonial era, and sets it against the backdrop of enormous economic, political, and social upheaval in the colonies and Europe.

Rabushka shows how the colonists strove to minimize, avoid, and evade British and local taxation, and how they used tax incentives to foster settlement. He describes the systems of public finance they created to reduce taxation, and reveals how they gained control over taxes through elected representatives in colonial legislatures. Rabushka takes a comprehensive look at the external taxes imposed on the colonists by Britain, the Netherlands, and Sweden, as well as internal direct taxes like poll and income taxes. He examines indirect taxes like duties and tonnage fees, as well as county and town taxes, church and education taxes, bounties, and other charges. He links the types and amounts of taxes with the means of payment--be it gold coins, agricultural commodities, wampum, or furs--and he compares tax systems and burdens among the colonies and with Britain.

This book brings the colonial period to life in all its rich complexity, and shows how colonial attitudes toward taxation offer a unique window into the causes of the revolution.

First proposed twenty-five years ago, the flat tax concept has since been adopted by six states-Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, and Pennsylvania-and several countries around the world. In this new and updated edition of The Flat Tax, Robert Hall and Alvin Rabushka set forth what many believe is the most fair, efficient, simple, and workable tax reform plan on the table: tax all income, once only, at a uniform rate of 19 percent. Hall and Rabushka go beyond mere academic abstraction, designing new tax forms, rewriting tax regulations, and working out all the practical details. They show how all wage earners would pay less tax than under the current system, flat tax plan tax returns could be filed on a postcard, and April 15 would no longer be a national nightmare!

Fixing Russia's Banks documents how Russia's financial system is built on what Michael S. Bernstam and Alvin Rabushka call ersatz banks. These inferior imitation banks have served largely as tools of the government to redistribute public funds to favored firms. The highly vaunted achievements of privatization, removal of price controls, and foreign trade liberalization have failed to produce growth because of a lack of private financing. National income has declined nearly 40 percent since 1992, with no recovery in sight.

The essays in The United States in the 1980s, written by a group of renowned and widely respected specialists, are a major contribution to a balanced discussion of the choices that lie ahead. The authors analyze the central issues, describe the policy options open to the country, and recommend specific courses of action to deal with or mitigate the problems confronting the United Statest--in recognition of the fact that the major problems of the new decade "are interrelated, that no problem can be resolved in isolation, and that different perspectives can contribute to a clearer and more balanced understanding of the problems that are often viewed as separate from one another." The United States in 1980s will not provide comfort or reassurance for pessimists or optimists. On the contrary, by stressing that there are realistic limits to America's ability to solve all problemst--domestic and internationalt--the essays offer guidance for sensible solutions and identify the solid base of strength upon which the United States can build in the new decade.

This book reports on a three-year study of public housing tenants and their evaluation of public housing in Wilmington, Delaware.

Fixing Russia's Banks documents how Russia's financial system is built on what Michael S. Bernstam and Alvin Rabushka call ersatz banks. These inferior imitation banks have served largely as tools of the government to redistribute public funds to favored firms. The highly vaunted achievements of privatization, removal of price controls, and foreign trade liberalization have failed to produce growth because of a lack of private financing. National income has declined nearly 40 percent since 1992, with no recovery in sight.