Ever since John Maynard Keynes, deficit spending has been a practical way to minimize the pain of recession and launch a recovery. But with deficits running high, those who believe deficits should be reduced right now are gaining in influence. Does austerity at this point make any sense? This...

This report considers a proposal to reinstate the New York stock transfer tax (STT)that was phased out between 1979 and 1981. The proposal under consideration would reinstate the tax at half the rate that prevailed at the time of its repeal. The revenues from such a tax, at around $3.5 billion...