Thick paperback, large in-8, 734 pp., bibliographical notes, impressive bibliography. Reference work.

In this comprehensive analysis of social systems of taxation and budgeting, the authors provide detailed examples from ancient Mesopotamia and Egypt, Greece and Rome, the Middle Ages in Europe, and modern times to show how governments through the ages have raised money and spent it. They examine the two essential activities of government - taxing and spending - against the background of the societies in which they were imbedded and the development of government's administrative capacities. They also argue that government mobilization of resources involves critical human concerns waging war and providing for the welfare of the people.

About the Authors
Carolyn Webber is an associate specialist at the Institute of Urban and Regional Development at the University of California, Berkeley. She has also been an associate specialist with the Graduate School of Public Policy at Berkeley.
Aaron Wildavsky is a professor of political science and public policy at the University of California, Berkeley. He has also been president of the Russell Sage Foundation and dean of the Graduate School of Public Policy at Berkeley. His many books include The Politics of the Budgetary Process, Presidential Elections (with Nelson W. Polsby), Speaking Truth to Power, and How to Limit Government Spending.