A clear and informative look at the major policy issues in tax-exempt bond legislation-one of the major areas of federal tax legislation-over the last 20 years. Although exemption of interest on those bonds is one of the major avenues through which the federal government aids state and local governments, unfettered issuance of such bonds tends to erode the tax base, misallocate the supply of scarce savings, distort the equity of the income tax system, and involve the federal government in some inappropriate financing of state and local services.
