Plowshares & Pork Barrels: The Political Economy of Agriculture (Independent Studies in Political Economy) (Paperback)

by E.C. Pasour Jr. (Author), Randall R. Rucker (Author), Bruce L. Gardner (Foreword)

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Product Description

Agricultural subsidies in grains, cotton, milk, sugar, tobacco, honey, wool, and peanuts are analyzed in this examination of U.S. farm policy. Looking at such programs as food stamps, crop insurance, subsidized credit, trade credit, trade subsidies and import restrictions, conservation, agricultural research, and taxation, this historical perspective argues that these subsidies ultimately redistribute wealth to powerful agricultural interests who use their political clout to advance their economic interests at the expense of the general public. This analysis of government farm programs will appeal to professors and students who study agriculture; people affected by government farm policies; public officials, and businesses affected by agricultural policy such as those in food service, retail, and distribution.

About the Author

E. C. Pasour, Jr., is a professor of business and economics at North Carolina State University and the author of Agriculture and the State. He lives in Raleigh, North Carolina. Randall R. Rucker is a professor of agricultural economics at Montana State University. He lives in Bozeman, Montana. Bruce L. Gardner is the former assistant secretary for economics in the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the dean of the college of agriculture at the University of Maryland. He lives in College Park, Maryland.

Product Details

• Paperback: 368 pages
• Publisher: Independent Institute; illustrated edition edition (September 1, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0945999038
• ISBN-13: 978-0945999034
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #251,269 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Ag policy would be funny if it were not so tragic, November 12, 2007

By	Timothy Cranston "timcranston" (Bozeman, MT USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This book defines the terms "perverse incentives" and "unintended consequences." At virtually every turn, from subsidies and set-asides to tariffs and quotas, the authors show that U.S. agricultural policy is not only expensive and unproductive, but also economically damaging to farmers everywhere - domestic and foreign.

"Plowshares and Porkbarrels" is a must read for all who are concerned with the continued competitiveness of American industry, services, AND FARMING.