In defense of the Articles of Confederation and the contribution mechanism as a means of government finance: A general comment on the literature

@article{Sobel1999InDO,
  title={In defense of the Articles of Confederation and the contribution mechanism as a means of government finance: A general comment on the literature},
  author={Russell S. Sobel},
  journal={Public Choice},
  year={1999},
  volume={99},
  pages={347-356}
}
  • R. Sobel
  • Published 1 June 1999
  • Economics, History
  • Public Choice
I attempt to dispel several widely-held myths regarding government finance under the Articles of Confederation, some of which were reiterated in Dougherty and Cain (1997). I defend the contribution mechanism as a method of government finance that is superior to direct taxation by the federal government, and present evidence contradicting the belief that revenue collections under the Articles were poor. A proper comparison is with alternatives at that time, such as state tax collections and the… 
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