From 1974 to 1991, while the national inflation rate edged just over 100%, state government spending in Kansas grew a phenomenal 411%. During the same period, the state's federal revenue share declined from 23.9% to 19.1%. As a consequence, the average Kansas taxpayers have seen their yearly state and local tax bills increase from an average of $530 in 1974 to $1,676 in 1991.

How is this money spent? What is the state government doing with it and why? Investigating these and related questions, the authors in this book address the most pressing public policy issues confronting Kansas...