Preface -- Chapter 1: Progressives Need a Balanced Budget -- Chapter 2: Why the Deficit is a Problem -- Chapter 3: Health Reform: The Problems -- Chapter 4: Health Reform: The Policy -- Chapter 5: Health Reform: The Politics -- Chapter 6: Health Reform: The Barriers -- Chapter 7: Health Reform: Next Steps -- Chapter 8: Social Security -- Chapter 9: Guns vs. Medicare -- Chapter 10: How Much Should Government Spend? -- Chapter 11: Tax Reform -- Chapter 12: We Need to Act.

Progressives need a balanced federal budget more than Conservatives, because they believe that government has an important role to play in modern life. Lack of a long term plan to move toward a sustainable budget crowds out short term Progressive priorities: infrastructure spending, green technology, education and needed governmental interventions in the short term to support and improve our weak economy. The federal budget is unsustainable. For all the bluster of the debt ceiling debate, the plan passed so far does not address the changes most obviously needed if we are to ever have a balanced budget again: an increase in taxes and the next steps on health reform to address the biggest driver of our long term budget deficit, health care costs. Slowing the rate at which health care costs are growing is a necessary, but not a sufficient condition to developing a long range balanced budget. You should ask any politician saying they think a balanced budget is a priority one question: what is your health reform plan? Without one, they have no hope of achieving their goal.   This book offers progressives solutions to health care reform and a balanced budget, and will be of interest to academics, students and educated readers interested in politics, public policy and government finance.