Do deficits matter? Yes and no, says Daniel Shaviro in this landmark political and economic study. Yes, because fiscal policy affects generational distribution, national saving, and the level of government spending. And no, because the deficit is an inaccurate measure with little economic content. Politicians and the media blame the deficit for economic ills ranging from high interest rates and low economic growth to undue government growth, but little attention is paid to why it would have these effects, if in fact it does. For the first time in two centuries of deficit debate, Shaviro unites the various strands of economic, legal, and political analysis of deficits in an effort to lay the foundation for rational public discussion.