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Uncle Sam can't count : a history of failed government investments, from beaver pelts to green energy / Burton W. Folsom Jr. and Anita Folsom.
- Format:
- Book
- Author/Creator:
- Folsom, Burt W., author.
- Folsom, Anita, author.
- Language:
- English
- Subjects (All):
- Finance, Public--United States--History.
- Finance, Public.
- Free enterprise.
- History.
- Economic policy.
- Federal aid.
- Public investments.
- United States.
- Public investments--United States--History.
- Federal aid--United States--History.
- United States--Economic policy--History.
- Free enterprise--United States--History.
- Physical Description:
- 239 pages ; 24 cm
- Edition:
- First edition.
- Other Title:
- Uncle Sam can not count
- Place of Publication:
- New York, NY : Broadside Books, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers, [2014]
- Summary:
- "From the days of George Washington through World War II to today, government investments have failed dismally. They not only drain the Treasury of cash but also impede economic growth, and they hurt the very companies they try to support. Why does federal aid seem to have a reverse Midas touch? Simply put, federal officials don't have the same abilities or incentives as entrepreneurs. In addition, federal control always produces political control of some kind. What is best for politicians is not often what works in the marketplace. Politicians want to win votes, and they can do so by giving targeted CEOs benefits while dispersing costs to others. Uncle Sam Can't Count is filled with examples of government failures and free market triumphs"-- From publisher's description.
- Contents:
- Introduction 1
- 1 Beaver Pelts, Big Government, and John Jacob Astor 13
- 2 Vanderbilt Goes Upstream Against the Subsidies 33
- 3 The Boy Governor Endorses State Subsidies 51
- 4 James J. Hill vs. Subsidized Railroads 75
- 5 Herbert Dow Changed the World 97
- 6 The Wright Brothers Conquer the Air 117
- 17 The D.C. Subsidy Machine 139
- 18 Uncle Sam Invents the Energy Crisis 163
- 19 Uncle Sam Heals the Planet 179.
- Notes:
- Includes bibliographical references (pages 207-228) and index.
- ISBN:
- 0062292692
- 9780062292698
- OCLC:
- 850181058
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