The vital debates on government today are concerned with its social role, its participation in the economy, and its redistributive responsibilities. These functions, not defined in the Constitution, reflect the evolution of society and its values and the powerful but jerky hand of the political process.

Richard J. Zeckhauser and Derek Leebaert, eds.

List of Tables vii
List of Figures ix
Introduction: What Role for Government? / Richard J. Zeckhauser and Derek Leebaert 3
Part I. Democracy and Elections
1. The Role of Television in American Politics / Fred Wertheimer and Randy Huwa 18
2. The Presidential Nominating System: Problems and Prescriptions / Michael Nelson 34
3. Morality, Democracy, and the Intimate Contest / Joel L. Fleishman 52
Part II. Economic Well-Being
4. Transfer Recipients and the Poor during the 1970s / Richard A. Kasten and John E. Todd 60
5. Labor Supply Response to a Negative Income Tax / Philip K. Robins, Richard W. West, and Gary L. Stieger 78
6. Measuring the Distribution of Personal Taxes / Marcus C. Berliant and Robert P. Strauss 97
7. Private Sector Unions in the Political Arena: Public Policy versus Employee Preference / James T. Bennett and Manuel H. Johnson 116
8. The Davis-Bacon Act / Arnold H. Raphaelson 123
9. OPEC II and the Wage-Price Spiral / Stephen G. Cecchetti, David S. McClain, Michael J. McKee, and Daniel H. Saks 137
10. The Political Economy of Wage and Price Regulation: The Case of the Carter Pay-Price Standards / W. Kip Viscus 155
Part III. Health
11. The Value of a Life: What Difference Does It Make? / John D. Graham and James W. Vaupel 176
12. The Formation of Health-Related Habits / Gerard F. Anderson, Anthony E. Boardman, and Robert P. Inman 187
13. The Effect of Liquor Taxes on Drinking, Cirrhosis, and Auto Fatalities / Philip J. Cook 203
14. Estimating Distribution Functions for Small Groups: Postoperative Hospital Stay / Michael A. Stoto 221
Part IV. Regulation
15. The Economic Basis for OSHA's and EPA's Generic Carcinogen Regulations / Ivy E. Broder and John F. Morrall III 242
16. When to Pay for Sunk Benefits / Michael O'Hare and David S. Mundel 255
17. What is Regulation? / Christopher C. De Muth 262
Part V. Management
18. The Search for Implementation Theory / Erwin C. Hargrove 280
19. Compensating When the Government Harms / Joseph J. Cordes, Robert S. Goldfarb, and James R. Barth 295
20. The Fundamentals of Cutback Management / Robert D. Behn 310
Postscript
21. The Creation of a Profession / Joel L. Fleishman 324
Notes and References 327
Index 359
Contributors 365