Cato Public Policy Research Monograph

In this monograph, Professors Wagner and Tollison examine the important question of whether the United States should adopt a constitutional amendment requiring the government to balance its budget. Arguing that the government should be explicit and responsible about how much it spends and how it spends it, they determine that the balanced budget idea is fiscally sound and democratically necessary.

In this study, Dr. Charles Baird addresses the rent control boom currently underway in the United States. Beginning with the fundamentals of supply and demand for housing, Baird expands his analysis to include questions of equity, housing availability, and special interest manipulation of regulatory statutes. He shows that high housing costs do not occur in a vacuum but are related to many other governmental policies including zoning, housing codes, and environmental issues.