Public Finance is a textbook by Harvey Rosen and Ted Gayer that provides an introduction to the economic analysis of government expenditure and tax policies. The 9th edition, published in 2014, incorporates recent developments and research in the field of public finance, and covers topics such as public goods, externalities, social insurance, income redistribution, taxation, fiscal federalism, and public choice.
The book is divided into four parts: Part I introduces the basic concepts and tools of public finance; Part II examines the role of government in providing public goods and correcting market failures; Part III analyzes the effects and design of various tax systems; and Part IV explores the issues of fiscal decentralization and intergovernmental relations. Each chapter contains a summary, key terms, review questions, problems, and empirical evidence applications that illustrate the relevance of theory to real-world policy issues.
One of the strengths of Public Finance is its clear and coherent presentation of the links between sound economics and policy analysis. The authors draw on their extensive experience in research and government to explain how the tools of economics can be used to evaluate alternative policies and their implications for efficiency, equity, and growth. The book also exposes students to the frontiers of current research and debates in public finance, such as the optimal provision of public goods, the incidence and efficiency costs of taxation, the behavioral responses to tax incentives, and the political economy of fiscal institutions.
Another strength of Public Finance is its global perspective and comparative approach. The book includes numerous examples of international policy issues and empirical evidence from different countries. For instance, the book discusses how different countries deal with public health care, social security, environmental regulation, education financing, tax evasion, fiscal consolidation, and fiscal federalism. The book also provides a global edition that adapts the content to meet the needs of courses outside of the United States.
Public Finance is a comprehensive and rigorous textbook that offers students a solid foundation in the principles and applications of public finance. It is suitable for undergraduate courses in public finance, public economics, public policy, or public administration. It is also a valuable reference for graduate students, researchers, and practitioners who are interested in learning more about the economic analysis of government spending and taxation.
Public Finance is organized in a logical and pedagogical way that helps students understand the main concepts and methods of public finance. The book starts with an overview of the role and scope of government in a market economy, and introduces the criteria of efficiency and equity for evaluating public policies. The book then proceeds to examine the theory and practice of public goods provision, externalities correction, social insurance design, and income maintenance programs. The book also covers the fundamentals of tax analysis, such as the concepts of tax incidence, excess burden, tax equity, and tax efficiency. The book then explores the various types of taxes, such as income taxes, consumption taxes, wealth taxes, and corporate taxes, and their effects on economic behavior and welfare. The book concludes with a discussion of the issues and challenges of fiscal federalism, such as the optimal allocation of expenditure and revenue responsibilities among different levels of government, the horizontal and vertical fiscal imbalances, the intergovernmental grants and transfers, and the fiscal competition and coordination among jurisdictions.
Public Finance is written in an accessible and engaging style that makes public finance interesting and relevant for students. The book uses graphs, tables, equations, and examples to illustrate the main points and arguments. The book also provides intuitive explanations and interpretations of the results and implications of the models and empirical studies. The book avoids excessive mathematical complexity and technical jargon, and focuses on the intuition and logic behind the analysis. The book also includes a glossary of key terms, an appendix of mathematical tools, a list of references, and an index for easy reference.
Public Finance is a well-written and well-researched textbook that provides a comprehensive and up-to-date introduction to the field of public finance. It combines theory and evidence to show how economics can inform and improve public policy making. It also exposes students to the diversity and complexity of public finance issues across countries and regions. It is an ideal textbook for anyone who wants to learn more about the economics of government spending and taxation.
51082c0ec5