Policy Watch; Alcohol and Cigarette Taxes

Public policies are often made without much recourse to economic reasoning. Economists are often unaware of what is happening in the world of public affairs. As a result, both the quality of public decision-making and the role that economists play in it are less than optimal. This feature contains short articles on topics that are currently on the agendas of policy-makers, thus illustrating the role of economic analysis in illuminating current debates. Suggestions for future columns and comments on past ones should he sent to Daniel Weinberg, HHES Division, Bureau of the Census, Department of Commerce, Washington, DC 20233