Robert Holton argues that the relationship between economy and society is one of mutual dependence, in which political and cultural arrangements influence the functioning of economic life, just as much as economic contingencies influence the shape of politics and culture. This argument is pursued by means of a critical historical survey of major social scientific traditions, including economic liberalism and political economy. The author moves on to discuss the differentiation and re-integration of economy and society, the viability of the market as an economic institution, the centrality of power in economic life, the significance of economic values and economic culture, and the globalization of economy and society.

First Published in 1992. The federal budget has attained unparalleled significance at the heart of American politics in the last quarter of the twentieth century. The modern budget system has become the mechanism by which a distinctively American administrative state was put in place and made operative. The growth of the administrative state has transformed politics in America, but many Americans are unaware of its existence. This study looks at budget control within the realms of Congress, the Presidency and the development of the Administrative State.

First published in 1987. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

This volume offers a new answer to an age-old problem: the meaning of a just or equitable distribution of resources. Julian Le Grand examines the principal interpretations of equity used by economists and political philosophers, and argues that none captures the essence of the term as well as an alternative conception relating equity to the existence or otherwise of individual choice. He shows that this conception is not only philosophically well-grounded but is also directly relevant to key areas of distributional policy. The theoretical argument is complemented by detailed discussion of the application of the central idea to specific areas of policy, including the distribution of health and health care, central government grants to local governments and the measurement of income for tax purposes. This book is written by an economist, but is intended for political philosophers and social policy analysts as well as economists. The key chapters are written in a non-technical fashion, with specialized material relegated to appendices.

This century has seen the continuation of long-term trends in the movement of the territorial boundaries of nation states alongside the emergence of new tensions. The repercussions of the Scottish referendum and the heightened urgency of the Catalonia question along with the continued economic problems faced by the Eurozone have given new energy and context to debates on institutional and fiscal autonomy. Assessing the impact of increasing calls for wider fiscal autonomy in the UK, Spain, Switzerland, Argentina, Brazil, Germany, Italy and the USA this volume updates and adds significant new context to the debate. Framing the discussion on fiscal autonomy and drawing out ethical considerations it portrays the problems connected with the devolution of responsibilities and financial resources to sections of the population, sometimes content to be part of a lower layer of government, sometimes aspiring to an asymmetrical position or total independence.

This text offers a new answer to an age-old problem: the meaning of a just or equitable distribution of resources. Julian Le Grand examines the principal interpretations of equity used by economists and political philosophers, and argues that none captures the essence of the term as well as an alternative conception relating equity to the existence or otherwise of individual choice. He shows that this conception is not only philosophically well-grounded but is also directly relevant to key areas of distributional policy. The theoretical argument is complemented by detailed discussion of the application of the central idea to specific areas of policy, including the distribution of health and health care, central government grants to local governments and the measurement of income for tax purposes. The book also includes chapters on the elusive trade-off between equity and efficiency, and on the incorporation of equity considerations into the measurement of changes in economic welfare. This book is written by an economist, but is intended for political philosophers and social policy analysts as well as economists.

In 1962, the Committee on Urban Economics held a conference on public expenditure decisions in order to promote analysis of the issues facing the public sector of the urban economy. Originally published in 1965, this report pulls together key papers presented at this conference discussing issues such as urban services, the patterns of public expenditure and the quality of government services in urban areas to draw conclusions on the difficulties of analysis and how economic tools could be utilised more effectively to solve these difficulties. This title will be of interest to students of environmental studies and economics.

Public choice approaches have revolutionized contemporary political science, particularly in the United States. In addition, because public choice methods are closely associated with new right political movements, their impact on practical politics has also been considerable, for example, in encouraging the adoption of privatization and bureaucratic competition.

This is an introduction to taxation in the property world, written specifically for surveyors, valuers, estate agents and property developers who require a basic understanding of the subject. It aims to provide a unified and up-to-date account of the UK taxation system, so far as it affects land, buildings and legal rights in property. Coverage includes the 1989 Finance Act and 1990 budget. The reader is first introduced to the broad concepts of taxation before the structure and administration of the UK taxation system are examined. Specific taxation measures are then discussed and both income and capital taxes are considered together with an appraisal of the means by which interests in land and valued, for the purpose of determining liability and taxation. Betterment recompensement is given special attention as is revenue law and valuation methods. Their effects on the appraisal of land and buildings are assessed. Alistair MacLeary highlights specific tax measures and leading cases with particular implications for land and property throughout. This book: uses real-life examples; is aimed directly at surveyors; and incorporates the 1989 Finance Act.

"Think of the federal government as a gigantic insurance company (with a side line business in national defense and homeland security) which only does its accounting on a cash basis-only counting premiums and payouts as they go in and out the door.? An insurance company with cash accounting is not an insurance company at all.? It is an accident waiting to happen." Peter R. Fisher, former Bush Administration Undersecretary of the Treasury

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"Our objective in preparing the fiscal year 2005 Financial Report of the U.S. Government is to give Congress and the American people a timely and useful report on the cost of the Federal Government's operations." John W. Snow, former Bush Administration Secretary of the Treasury ?

"Scoring the budget on an accrual basis-the private sector norm and, I believe, a sensible direction for federal budget accounting-would better underscore the tradeoffs we face.? Under accrual accounting, benefits would be counted as they are earned by workers rather than when they are paid out by the government." Alan Greenspan, former Chairman of the Federal Reserve Board

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"The significance of these accrual-based reports is that they show the implications of current budgetary decisions over a longer time horizon?. This information is therefore an important element of the debate about the real effects of governmental commitments." Paul H. O'Neill, former Bush Administration Secretary of the Treasury

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"[A] practical management tool for policy-makers and a source of useful information for the public about the assets, liabilities, and operations of the government." Lawrence H. Summers, former Clinton Administration Secretary of the Treasury

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"We believe that the publication of this financial report is an important step in providing the American public with useful information about their government's assets, liabilities and operations." Robert E. Rubin, former Clinton Administration Secretary of the Treasury In December 2005, the White House published its Financial Report of the United States Government-only 2000 copies were printed despite the purpose of the report being to explain the country's financial wellbeing to Congress and the American people. Now, for the first time, that report is widely published so the American people can see what's really going on with the nation's finances.

This collection of articles traces the evolution over the 1980s of budget policy and tax reform by an architect of the Bradley tax reform bill. The articles present a chronological analysis of tax changes and the heated controversy over budget policy and the deficit. It concludes with an analysis of what the future holds. The author, currently staff director of the Joint Economic Committee of Congress, has the perspective of a fiscal expert with many years on the Washington scene.

The central issue debated at each successive legislative session for over a decade, Louisiana's significant fiscal problems have remained unresolved despite efforts to mitigate the state's financial woes and avoid cutting key services or resorting to stop-gap solutions. Louisiana created its current tax structure in the 1970s, with some subsequent revisions in response to new economic realities. While many developments in Louisiana's fiscal picture lie outside the state's control, other changes including shifting tax rates, shrinking the tax base, and increasing the number of exemptions, deductions, and tax credits, resulted from decisions made by the legislative body. In Exploring Long-Term Solutions for Louisiana's Tax System, James A. Richardson, Steven M. Sheffrin, James Alm, and other contributors advocate for establishing financial reforms geared to long-term change and more stable fiscal prospects. With a focus on practicality and accessibility, the authors explore the complexities of Louisiana's economic reality and explain the state's current tax structure. In so doing, they suggest several reforms that challenge the state's use of sales tax, application of the individual income tax, approach to corporate taxation, and allocation of other taxes such as mineral revenues. Crucial for those who want to engage with their representatives, colleagues, and fellow voters on the topic of taxation, this book equips readers with timely information about policy and, more importantly, nonpartisan solutions that could secure a more prosperous future for Louisiana.

This collection of articles traces the evolution over the 1980s of budget policy and tax reform by an architect of the Bradley tax reform bill. The articles present a chronological analysis of tax changes and the heated controversy over budget policy and the deficit. It concludes with an analysis of what the future holds. The author, currently staff director of the Joint Economic Committee of Congress, has the perspective of a fiscal expert with many years on the Washington scene.

First published in 1989. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

Although the future extent and effects of global climate change remain uncertain, the expected damages are not zero, and risks of serious environmental and macroeconomic consequences rise with increasing atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations. Despite the uncertainties, reducing emissions now makes sense, and a carbon tax is the simplest, most effective, and least costly way to do this. At the same time, a carbon tax would provide substantial new revenues which may be badly needed, given historically high debt-to-GDP levels, pressures on social security and medical budgets, and calls to reform taxes on personal and corporate income. This book is about the practicalities of introducing a carbon tax, set against the broader fiscal context. It consists of thirteen chapters, written by leading experts, covering the full range of issues policymakers would need to understand, such as the revenue potential of a carbon tax, how the tax can be administered, the advantages of carbon taxes over other mitigation instruments and the environmental and macroeconomic impacts of the tax. A carbon tax can work in the United States. This volume shows how, by laying out sound design principles, opportunities for broader policy reforms, and feasible solutions to specific implementation challenges.

`Some think that decentralization has not gone "far enough" to be considered successful; others argue that it has already "failed". As the studies of decentralization in 15 developing countries in this volume clearly show, every case is different, and persuasive generalizations are hard to find. Fortunately, the introductory chapter usefully pulls this diverse reality together to highlight some key obstacles to successful decentralization and to suggest some approaches that might - provided that those in power are sufficiently supportive - lead to better outcomes in the future.' - Richard M. Bird, University of Toronto, Canada This insightful study examines the decentralization experiences from 15 countries in different regions of the world. All of these countries have actively attempted to decentralize, or continue to do so, and have faced obstacles serious enough to either derail or significantly delay their decentralization objectives. Decentralization in Developing Countries evaluates the main obstacles to the decentralization process. The contributors expertly discuss the flaws in the decentralization design, resistance from those holding traditional or central power and, uniquely, weak central governments. They then extract lessons for policymakers, regarding what may be done and what should ideally be avoided. This important book focuses on how to implement decentralization plans as whole complete processes, rather than examining individual aspects of decentralization. It will therefore prove invaluable for academics and researchers of development economics, public finance and in particular decentralization. Employees of various bodies, including DFID, UNDP, the World Bank, as well as other development banks and bilateral aid organizations, will also find it an informative resource.

State fiscal decisions have a significant impact on the US economy. Taken together, subnational governments employ more than one out of every eight workers and provide the bulk of all basic governmental services consumed by individuals and businesses. Sustaining the States: The Fiscal Viability of American State Governments will give you a basic understanding of trends in, current status of, and future prospects for the fiscal sustainability of state governments. After reading this book, you should have a great appreciation for the reach and multiple contributions of state governments to individuals and communities across the nation. The book examines the broad range and depth of state revenues, responsibilities, and activities. It begins with an assessment of executive budgeting in the states, then presents the experiences of states with strong executive-driven systems and the various rules and institutions that impact state government budget discipline. The book goes on to examine state revenue sources, debt, pensions, and spending, honing in on vital state functions including education, transportation, health services and public safety. It concludes with an assessment of the challenges that will test the fiscal vibrancy of US state governments going forward: vulnerability to future economic downturns, growing dependence on an increasingly austere federal government, the obsolescence of state tax systems and an ever more coercive system of federalism. Edited by experts, with a hand-picked panel of contributors, the book delineates the resources that states generate and use to conduct the business of government. The chapters outline the very real and significant constraints on the ability of the states to fulfill their responsibilities and introduce several challenges that state governments face and are actively addressing as they strive for fiscal sustainability. These features provide a clear, realistic understanding of state operations and financing in the United States, today. The book should also leave you with a sense of optimism for the capacity of state governments to advance forward.

What is the appropriate design for environmental regulation? Gert Tinggaard Svendsen sheds new light on the appropriate mix of economic instruments to implement environmental regulation in the context of the world-wide attempts to abate CO2 emissions. Gert Tinggaard Svendsen offers a detailed and comprehensive study of two alternative methods for controlling CO2 emissions - tradable permits and taxation - using examples of varying success from the United States and Europe. He applies a blend of environmental economic theory and public choice theory to analyse these methods and reveals that they both have merits. He proposes a design incorporating the best features of the two approaches because it is both cost-effective and politically and administratively feasible. In the case of C02 regulation, a CO2 permit market based on the US experience with free historical emissions should be applied in relation to industry, electric utilities and environmental organisations. The author proposes that a CO2 tax should be applied to non-organized interests, such as households and the transport sector, based on the EU experience. In particular, these policy recommendations are applied to potential CO2 permit markets in Europe and the United States. The interdisciplinary approach and the resulting policy recommendations make this book relevant to policymakers and academics across the social sciences. It will be particularly pertinent to those interested in environmental economics and public choice economics.

First published in 1919, Taxation in the New State explores the practical application of tax policy to the financial situation of post-World War I Britain. Hobson assesses policy according to the tax payer's ability to bear the burden and draws a distinction between 'cost' and 'surplus'. He proposes a number of reforms and considers the pitfalls of attempting the find required revenue using ordinary taxation in a post-war financial crisis.

In this book Miroslav Beblavy, who has been involved in policy-making at the highest level in his country, offers a detailed study of monetary policy and monetary institutions in the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia during the 1990s and the early 2000s and a more general look at monetary policy in less developed, but highly open and financially integrated market economies. Taking an innovative approach, this text focuses on a range of areas where few articles or books have been published and where very little empirical research has been undertaken, covers the topics of monetary policy frameworks, institutions inflation in transition and developing economies. As well as these border themes it analyzes specific factors that have significant influence on the conduct or outcomes of monetary policy including: the transmission mechanism of monetary policy in Central Europe use of principal types of constraints on policy discretion, such as central bank independence, exchange rate commitments and domestic targets for monetary policy. This book is a valuable resource for postgraduate students and research working or studying in the areas of development economics, public finance and banking.

What do drivers' licenses that function as national ID cards, nationwide standardized tests for third graders, the late unlamented 55 mile per hour speed limit, the outlawing of the eighteen-year-old beer drinker, and the disappearing mechanical lever voting machine have in common? Each is the product of an unfunded federal mandate: a concept that politicians of both parties profess to oppose in theory but which in practice they often find irresistible as a means of forcing state and local governments to do their bidding, while paying for the privilege.

Mandate Madness explores the history, debate, and political gamesmanship surrounding unfunded federal mandates, concentrating on several of the most controversial and colorful of these laws. The cases hold lessons for those who would challenge current or future unfunded federal mandates. James T. Bennett also examines legislative efforts to rein in or repeal unfunded federal mandates. Finally, he reviews the treatment of unfunded mandates by the federal courts. Those who find wisdom in America's traditional federalist political arrangement maintain--perhaps with more wishfulness than realism--that the unfunded federal mandate has not yet joined death and taxes as an immovable part of the modern political landscape.

First Published in 1983. This book is a contribution to the debate about Monetarism as an economic policy, and whether and how Monetarist policies can contribute to solving the current economic crisis. The diverse backgrounds and opinions of the distinguished economists writing in this volume, some supportive and some critical of Monetarism, ensure a variety of interpretations of the causes of, and responses to, the crisis. Overall, however, the book lays emphasis on two related factors which are frequently neglected in the current debates. Firstly, that the current economic crisis is a world crisis which is felt concomitantly, though in different forms and with different intensities, in the industrial countries, in the countries of the socialist bloc, and in the Third World. And although its manifestations in the industrial and in the developing countries have been quite different, the proposed policy answer has been fairly homogeneously Monetarist. Secondly, the message occurs throughout the book that in today's highly integrated world economy, national economic policies have lost much of their autonomy; Monetarist policies should therefore be assessed as to their consistency with external conditions and their effects on other countries. The contributors analyse the manifestations of the economic crisis in various parts of the world and give their individual views on Monetarist policies. Obviously there is no agreement, but that is not the purpose of this volume: its aim is to place the Monetarism discussion in the international context in which it should be conducted.

A Dictionary of Taxation, Second Edition is comprehensive and more substantive than a simple listing of definitions and will prove to be an enormously valuable reference. Professor James provides just the right amount of detail and insight for each entry, frequently commenting on the historical evolution of a term, and for many entries, providing a list of the original sources upon which the entry is based. I highly recommend this directory to academic researchers, makers of public policy, and private sector professionals.' - Carl P. Kaiser, Washington and Lee University'Simon James' second edition of A Dictionary of Taxation has arrived at last! Tax is one of those things that is universal and unavoidable, and at the same time, dynamic and intriguing. James does a sterling job at capturing so many terms herein, not just technical explanations, but also their history and significance. There are also helpful suggestions for further reading. Both experts and novices alike will find this an interesting and very useful text to have close at hand.' - Margaret McKerchar, Australian School of Taxation and Business Law (Atax) This second edition of the Dictionary of Taxation contains over 200 new or substantially revised entries to enhance the existing wide range of accessible definitions and terms used to describe various aspects of tax and tax systems around the world. The entries relate to the analysis of taxation, key concepts, major developments and controversies in taxation. The Dictionary draws on economic, accounting and legal aspects of taxation as well as the contributions of other social sciences to the understanding of taxation and its effects. Sorted alphabetically, with cross-referencing, each entry presents the essential points of a particular law, accountancy practice or economic concept. Additionally this revised and updated Dictionary offers a guide to readers of other literature on certain concepts or practices. Written in an accessible style, it will be indispensable to all those who need to know more about the concepts of taxation, including practitioners, academics and students.

The election of the Clinton administration in the United States and the debate in the European Community about the consequences of the industrial policy clause in the Maastricht treaty have put industrial policy back on the academic and political agenda again. This volume brings together the key articles on industrial policy, ranging from general theoretical perspectives and overviews of the literature to studies of the experience of particular countries, including Japan and the newly industrialising countries of East Asia. Four articles are concerned with the industrial programmes of the European Community. This is a comprehensive and authoritative compilation of work on a theme of interest to economists and political scientists.

This innovative book proposes a new institutional arrangement for government to fulfil the needs of its citizens as well as possible. Existing aspects of federalism and direct democracy in Europe are strengthened, and as a result future developments arising in the region are coped with better. In this book Bruno Frey and Reiner Eichenberger propose a new model of federalism which includes new types of governmental units established by citizens from below. These units are called functional, overlapping and competing jurisdictions as they extend over task-specific areas and therefore overlap. They also provide competitive governance via direct and representative democratic institutions, and as jurisdictions they have independent power over taxation policy. This new model is more responsive to citizens' preferences and adjusts more dynamically to provide public services efficiently. The authors suggest that this new system should be allowed to develop in Europe to safeguard diversity and ensure that decentralization emerges effectively. It would also allow for the flexible integration of East European transition economies into the European Union and may also combine with traditional modes of government in developing countries. This book will be warmly welcomed by economists, political scientists and sociologists interested in the future of the European Union, by all those studying federal systems of government, and by those interested in the prospects for improving democratic institutions throughout the world.