Includes bibliographies and index.

1. The political economy of Israel -- 2. Israel is like other countries -- 3. Israel's bizarre public finance -- 4. Israel's standard of living -- 5. Israeli municipalities -- 6. who gets what amidst high inflation? -- 7. Israeli inflation -- 8. Conundrums: problems without solutions-- 9. Public sector entrepreneurialism -- 10. policy-making by indirection -- 11. Government corruption or acceptable feasibility? Sorting out the differences -- 12.  Perspective on Israel's political economy