The Suits Index is often used in tax policy analysis to measure the degree of progressivity of a tax, or to analyze changes in progressivity under alternative tax regimes. As a point estimator, however, the Index provides researchers with no assistance in assessing whether changes are in fact...

This paper explores how the U.S. budget deficit affects U.S. economic growth. Time-series data for the 1973-2004 period is applied to a simultaneous equation model to estimate the various direct and indirect effects of budget deficits on growth. The results indicate that, ceteris paribus, an...