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The National Balance Sheet of the United States, 1953-1980

In what constitutes a landmark in the field of national accounts, Raymond W. Goldsmith gives detailed estimates of the nation’s assets and liabilities year by year from 1953 through 1975 and for the benchmark years of 1900, 1929, and 1980. Special features of this work include presentation of data sector by sector, which casts light on the changing roles of financial institutions, and Goldsmith’s expression of data in the form of ratios rather than in absolute dollar values, a device that makes the material both more informative and easier to absorb.

The most comprehensive and extensive study of national wealth ever attempted, The National Balance Sheet will be a rich resource for researchers and users of national accounts.

Table of Contents

List of Tables
Preface
Introduction

1. Secular Overview
1.1. Trends in the Distribution of National Assets in Current Prices
1.2. Differences between Broad and Narrow Concepts of Assets
1.3. Changes in the National Balance Sheet in Constant Prices
1.4. Sectoral Distribution of Assets
1.5. Decomposition of Rates of Growth of National Assets
1.6. National Balance Sheet Ratios
1.6.1. Capital/Output Ratios
1.6.2. Other Balance Sheet Ratios
 
2. Summary of Findings for the 1953-75 Period
 
3. Problems of Constructing National and Sectoral Balance Sheets
3.1. Sectoring
3.2. Categories of Assets and Liabilities
3.3. Valuations
3.4. Deflation (Reduction to Constant Prices)
3.5. Consolidation
3.6. Sources

4. The National Balance Sheet of the United States for 1975
4.1. The Overall Balance Sheet
4.1.1. Sectoral Distribution
4.1.2. Main Assets and Liabilities
4.2. The Structure of Sectoral Balance Sheets
4.3. Distribution of Assets and Liabilities among Sectors
4.4. The Financial Interrelations Ratio
 
5. Trends and Fluctuations in the National Balance Sheet, 1953-75
5.1. The National Balance Sheet
5.1.1. Annual Fluctuations
5.1.2. Rates of Growth
5.1.2.1. Types of Assets and Liabilities
5.1.2.2. Different Sectors
5.1.3. Structure of Assets and Liabilities
5.1.4. Sectoral Distribution of Assets
5.2. Revaluations
5.3. A Comparison of Three Estimates

6. Trends and Fluctuations in Sectoral Balance Sheets, 1953-75
6.1. Sectoral Distribution of Assets, Liabilities, Equities, and Net Worth
6.2. Two Financial Ratios
6.3. The Balance Sheet of All Nonfinancial Sectors
6.4. Households
6.4.1. Trends and Cyclical Movements of Total Assets
6.4.2. Structural Changes
6.4.3. Rates of Growth of Assets and Liabilities
6.4.4. Liquidity
6.4.5. Leverage Ratio
6.4.6. Subsectors of the Household Sector
6.4.6.1. Top 1 Percent of Wealthholders
6.4.6.2. Households of Different Size of Wealth
6.4.6.3. Households of Different Income
6.4.6.4. Households of Different Age
6.4.6.5. Male and Female Wealthholders
6.4.6.6. The Influence of Children
6.4.6.7. The Influence of Schooling
6.4.6.8. The Influence of Race
6.4.6.9. Regional Differences
6.5. Nonprofit Organizations
6.6. Farm Enterprises
6.6.1. The Sector as a Whole
6.6.2. Differences among size Classes of Farms
6.6.3. Regional Differences
6.7. Nonfinancial Nonfarm Unincorporated Business Enterprises
6.8. Nonfinancial Corporations
6.8.1. The Sector as a Whole
6.8.2. Main Subsectors
6.8.3. Two Financial Ratios
6.9. Federal Government
6.10. State and Local Governments
6.11. Rest of the World
6.12. Financial Institutions

7. Broader Definitions of National Assets
7.1. Standing Timber
7.2. Fish and Game
7.3. Collectors’ Items
7.4. National Monuments
7.5. Subsoil Assets
7.6. Research and Development Expenditures
7.7. Patents, Copyrights, and Goodwill
7.8. Unfunded Liabilities of Pension and Retirement Funds
7.9. Human Capital
7.10. An Estimate of Extended National Assets
 
8. Developments in 1976-80
8.1. Movements of National Assets
8.2. Changes in Distribution among Components: Overview
8.3. Reproducible Tangible Assets
8.4. Financial Assets
8.5. National Balance Sheet Ratios
 
References
Index

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