{'fraction_non_alphanumeric': 0.01828761429758936, 'fraction_numerical': 0.0, 'mean_word_length': 5.543478260869565, 'pattern_counts': {'":': 0, '<': 0, '<?xml version=': 0, '>': 0, 'https://': 0, 'lorem ipsum': 0, 'www.': 0, 'xml': 0}, 'pii_count': 0, 'substrings_counts': 0, 'word_list_counts': {'cursed_substrings.json': 0, 'profanity_word_list.json': 0, 'sexual_word_list.json': 0, 'zh_pornsignals.json': 0}}
Moving Forward: Tax Policy Lessons

Creating effective public policy is difficult. The myriad unintended and secondary consequences of tax and expenditure policy create much confusion regarding both the source of and solutions to social problems. Further adding to the complexity of effective policy making is the fact that policy is enacted through a political process that tends to reinforce discriminatory and inefficient policy solutions. The political system is plagued by imperfect information and unchecked self-interest. The analytical approach of this book [For Your Own Good] has been to apply fundamental economics to evaluate selective sales and excise tax policy. We examined the expected behavior of self-interested political participants under various institutional rules, incorporating lessons from public choice theory, constitutional economics, law and economics, and behavioral economics, among other fields of study. In this final chapter of the book, we summarize the common themes gleaned from the contributed chapters. We then conclude the book with a discussion of policy recommendations. We suggest policies that make taxes less burdensome, more efficient, and more transparent.