This book attempts to make the problem of budgetary choice at the federal level more intelligible by classifying, analyzing, and projecting into the future the components of the budget in a way which makes it possible to put together several comprehensive alternative budgets, each illustrating from a different view how the Federal Government could deal with national problems. The book first discusses domestic programs grouped into five major "strategies" or roles of the Federal Government: (1) affecting the distribution of income through taxes and transfer payments; (2) helping people buy such essential goods and services as housing, medical care, and higher education; (3) providing grants to State and local governments for specific programs; (4) investing in the physical environment; and (5) general revenue sharing. The book next analyzes the defense budget in terms of the cost and effectiveness of particular forces and weapon systems and in the context of alternative views about the world role of the United States and the mission of its armed forces abroad. Throughout the book current programs are compared with alternatives, and projections are made of the costs of each alternative. A final chapter presents several alternative budgetary futures which differ from each other in terms of budget size, tax structure, the split between domestic and defense programs, and the mix of domestic programs. (Author/DN)