Contemporary U.S. Tax Policy is, at its heart, an exciting, if not always pretty, tale of democratic decisionmaking,' writes C. Eugene Steuerle. The landmark 2004 first edition outlined the principles of taxation in the early postwar period and the tax policy battles that began with the Reagan revolution and continue today. The second edition has been expanded to investigate President George W. Bush's second term in office--the push to privatize Social Security, the stalled tax code revision, the extension of the 2001 tax cuts, and other battles. Tax policy history has always been messy, repetitive, and rancorous. Yet even in a contentious political environment, evolution--and revolution--can occur.