Education Matters presents in one volume many of Alan B. Krueger's contributions to the economics of education. This invaluable collection of papers, based on his groundbreaking research from the 1990s, has been published in a wide range of professional outlets and has influenced public policy and research in the US and throughout the world. The book opens with an introductory essay explaining the importance of the study of the economics of education as well as providing an overview of the book. The author then goes on to discuss and analyse the important topics in the economics of education, including the economic pay off from attending school for longer, the return to investments in school resources, causes of the increased pay off to education, the contribution of education to economic growth, and racial differences in school quality and their consequences. The final chapter provides a framework for evaluating schools. This fascinating collection of work, from a writer at the forefront of economics and educational research, will be warmly welcomed by academics in the areas of human capital, economics and public policy, as well as by educational policymakers.

In an era of federal deficits and struggling municipalities, states have emerged as the most significant governmental actors. But state governments face the major challenge of fiscal planning in the midst of economic change. Roy Bahl and William Duncombe tackle this challenge head-on. Using New York as a case study, they identify looming dangers for state revenue and expenditure planning. Bahl and Duncombe begin with the premise that one cannot separate an evaluation of fiscal performance from an evaluation of economic performance. Accordingly, they describe and analyze the patterns of population, employment, and personal income growth. Following this is a study of state and local government finances in New York since 1970 and a recounting of the fiscal adjustments that were taken in the face of slower and then faster growth in the economy.

The authors conclude that based on current conditions, the state and its local governments are in for fiscal belt-tightening. They note that the state should take a comprehensive view in planning the development and retrenchment of its government sector. The book is thought-provoking, exhaustively researched, and sensibly written. Its lessons are applicable everywhere and should be read by all those seeking a route through the tangled thicket of government policy for economic growth.

Lifetime distribution and redistribution is analysed in this book, in far more detail than has been attempted before. A dynamic cohort microsimulation model is used as an exciting new tool to analyse several questions which have previously been almost impossible to answer. These questions concern income distribution and redistribution, social security and income tax incidence. This book will be of interest to those working in social and economic policy who are concerned about such issues. It will also be of interest to the rapidly growing numbers of researchers and government analysts constructing microsimulation models.

Local governments are hard-pressed to balance their budgets in the 1990s. Part of any budget-balancing effort is accurate forecasting. In this new work, Howard Frank introduces time-tested forecasting techniques from the private sector and military in a local forecasting environment. In a lucid, user-friendly treatment, Frank shows how simple and complex methods can be put to use in the contemporary local government setting. Through examples--many of them from his own research--the author delineates the strengths and weaknesses of quantitative and non-quantitative forecasting methods. Frank also shows how these techniques can be used to monitor changes in public programs--an increasingly important part of contemporary budget execution.

Frank does not assume an extensive mathematical or statistical background on the part of the reader--indeed, a forecast neophyte will have no difficulty understanding the text. Questions at the end of each chapter focus the reader on the major concepts and provide insights on practical applications within the urban setting. A cornerstone of the work is that local forecasters must be intelligent experimenters with the new tools--there is no canned advice that applies to all cities and forecast situations. But with application of forecasting approaches treated in this unique work, local budgeters--and those in training to become budgeters--will be able to adopt forecasting approaches that have been underutilized in local government.

The financial difficulties experienced by Greece since 2009 serve as a reminder that countries (i.e., sovereigns) may default on their debt. Many observers considered the financial turmoil was behind us because major advanced countries had adopted stimulus packages to prevent banks from going bankrupt. However, there are rising doubts about the creditworthiness of several advanced countries that participated in the bailouts. In this uncertain context, it is particularly crucial to be knowledgeable about sovereign ratings. This book provides the necessary broad overview, which will be of interest to both economists and investors alike. Chapter 1 presents the main issues that are addressed in this book. Chapters 2, 3, and 4 provide the key notions to understand sovereign ratings. Chapter 2 presents an overview of sovereign rating activity since the first such ratings were assigned in 1918. Chapter 3 analyzes the meaning of sovereign ratings and the significance of rating scales; it also describes the refinement of credit rating policies and tools. Chapter 4 focuses on the sovereign rating process. Chapters 5 and 6 open the black box of sovereign ratings. Chapter 5 compares sovereign rating methodologies in the interwar years with those in the modern era. After examining how rating agencies have amended their methodologies since the 1990s, Chapter 6 scrutinizes rating disagreements between credit rating agencies (CRAs). Chapters 7 and 8 measure the performances of sovereign ratings by computing default rates and accuracy ratios: Chapter 7 looks at the interwar years and Chapter 8 at the modern era. The two chapters assess which CRA assigns the most accurate ratings during the respective periods. Chapters 9 and 10 compare the perception of sovereign risk by the CRAs and market participants. Chapter 9 focuses on the relation between JP Morgan Emerging Markets Bond Index Global spreads and emerging countries' sovereign ratings for the period 1993-2007. Chapter 10 compares the eurozone members' sovereign ratings with Credit Default Swap-Implied Ratings (CDS-IRs) during the Greek debt crisis of November 2009-May 2010.

During recessions state government fiscal crises are widespread, as states find their revenues inadequate to meet their expenditure demands. This volume shows that state fiscal crises have only one significant cause: revenue downturns associated with recessions. Other analysts have argued that fiscal crises are the result of an interaction of many complex causes, including inadequate tax bases, increasing expenditure demands, and limits placed on state governments by voters. This analysis examines these other factors and shows that while they present significant challenges to state policymakers, they are not the cause of fiscal crises. The book presents an improved methodology for measuring cyclical variability of revenues and uses this methodology to show that there is no way to restructure state tax systems in order to appreciably reduce the fiscal stress associated with recessions. Fiscal stress can be lessened by setting aside revenues during prosperous years in a rainy day fund, but current rainy day funds are not large enough to eliminate the fiscal stress caused by recessions.

This volume is the first book-length treatment of state-level business tax issues. It addresses three broad questions: (1) How should businesses be taxed? (2) How does present practice compare with and depart from this prescription? and (3) How can present practice be improved? The contributors to the volume analyze these issues from a variety of perspectives, presenting a cross section of current thinking about states' business tax policies.

The work provides a conceptual framework for defining business taxes, measuring their levels and consequences, comparing interstate differences in business tax practices, and evaluating alternative business tax policies. It presents data showing current levels, trends, and interstate differences in business taxation. And it examines the political and economic rationales for taxing business and the implications of those rationales for tax policy. This analysis will be of interest to scholars and practitioners in taxation, public economics, and business finance.

Recently, a research program on the compliance costs and the economic effects of taxation in New Zealand was undertaken within the Inland Revenue Department. Taxation and the Limits of Government is an edited volume which presents the best of the papers that emerged from that research program. Topical coverage includes a brief history of reform in New Zealand, the effect of taxation on economic growth, the marginal cost of taxation, the employment effects of taxation, income distribution, the hidden economy and taxation, tax compliance, taxation and bankruptcy, and estimates of effective tax rates.

Fuguitt and Wilcox skillfully guide analysts, public sector managers, and students of decision-making through a full range of the essential steps to perform, interpret, and assess cost-benefit analysis. Their book shows how to grasp the principles of cost-benefit analysis and several related economic valuation methods, how to apply them in undertaking an objective analysis, and how to use the analysis as a decision-making tool across a wide range of fields and applications. An extensive knowledge of economic theory, calculus or advanced graphical analysis is not needed to understand the principles or techniques. Accessible to those who understand basic algebra and have a beginner's hold on statistics, the book also provides a bridge to the more advanced literature in economics and to other analyses used to perform sophisticated valuations. A unique, much-needed presentation of all that is required to gain an immediate, useful understanding of the topic.

The authors explain basic economic concepts and show how they are relevant to understanding an analytical approach. They enumerate principles and detail such technical components as with and without analysis, discounting, decision criteria and uncertainty assessment. The book provides especially extensive coverage of the contingent valuation method along with market valuation, the travel cost and property value methods, human life valuation, and cost-effectiveness analysis. They explain empirical methods used to perform these valuation techniques and cover survey and regression analysis as well. Most importantly, Fuguitt and Wilcox treat the topic within its real-world context--as a decision-making tool to assess a particular policy's efficiency and to provide the decision maker with necessary information. Trade-offs between efficiency and other policy objectives are also addressed, as is the interdisciplinary setting within which cost-benefit analysis is interpreted, enabling readers to understand that policy advocates and adversaries bring their own values and competing interests to bear on any decision-making process.

Highlighting recent revolutionary changes, this volume deals with the transformation from central planning towards more efficient economic structures in Eastern and Central Europe and the (former) Soviet Union. Political democracy and the creation of market economies have now become realistic aims; but the process of reform is only just beginning and is likely to take many years. The papers and discussion in this book deal with systematic changes, deregulation, abolition of price controls and macroeconomic fiscal and monetary policies needed to stablize the economies and to implement appropriate structural changes.

"Advances in Taxation" publishes articles dealing with all aspects of taxation. Articles can address tax policy issues at the federal, state, local, or international level. The series primarily publishes empirical studies that address compliance, computer usage, education, legal, planning, or policy issues. These studies generally involve interdisciplinary research that incorporates theories from accounting, economics, finance, psychology, and/or sociology. Although empirical studies are primarily published, analytical and historical manuscripts are also welcome.

Providing the poor with access to financial services is one of many ways to help increase their incomes and productivity. In many countries, however, traditional financial institutions have failed to provide this service. Microcredit and co-operative programmes have been developed to fill this gap. Their purpose is to help the poor become self-employed and thus escape poverty. Many of these programmes provide credit using social mechanisms, such as group-based lending, to reach the poor and other clients, including women, who lack access to formal financial institutions. With increasing assistance from the World Bank and other donors, microfinance is emerging as an instrument for reducing poverty and improving the poor's access to financial services in low-income countries. This book examines the experiences of the Grameen Bank and two other major microcredit programs in Bangladesh in order to quantify the potential and limitations of microcredit programmes as an instrument for reducing poverty and delivering financial sevices to the poor.

This text addresses the concerns of human rights in developing nations, reviews research, and suggests solutions for the problems. It is divided into three parts. The first section of the book presents an overview, in terms of the history of political terror in the developing world in the years 1980-1991 and also in examining the very term "human rights." The papers in Part II present different ways of looking at, conceptualizing and measuring human rights policies, practices or conditions. This is followed by an assessment of exactly why there are differences in human rights policies, practices and conditions in developing countries. The final chapter in this section reports the results of a study showing that good human rights practices in developing countries are promoted by the presence of democratic institutions.

This book deals with the role of the State in pension provision as an employer, regulator and provider. Part I deals with problems and reforms of public sector pension systems in OECD countries. The countries covered are Denmark, Finland, Germany, The Netherlands, Norway, and the USA. Part II considers the regulation of occupational pension schemes in The Netherlands and the United Kingdom, and whether there is still a role for the State in providing earnings-related pensions in the United Kingdom. Part III presents demographic projections for the next half-century, using Ireland as an example, looks at some of the options which have been used in Finland, and proposed in the United States, to cope with population ageing, and examines issues of intergenerational equity which are posed by these options. All the chapters deal with recent reforms. The chapters are written by acknowledged experts in their field who are independent of both the pensions industry and Government. Hence the chapters provide an informed critical account of current developments in relation to the reform of occupational pension schemes in the public sector and of the debate about the State's role as a regulator of private pension schemes and a provider of pensions based on the social insurance principal. The book is important as a source of information about pension schemes in OECD countries. It shows that there is not a unique model of occupational pension provision for public sector employees and that the pension benefits which are provided in different countries are quite variable. It also shows that public sector occupational pension systems have changed and are in the process of considerable further change in a number of OECD countries.

Written during the Second World War against the background of the economic and political futility of the 1930s, this book deals with the changing role of government, and particularly fiscal policy as an instrument for regulating the national income and its distribution. Arguing that the war had an economic basis - the inability of the great industrial nations to provide full employment at rising standards of real income - the book discusses how the failure to achieve a world order in the political sphere must be sought in the facts of economic frustration.

Taxation and Development highlights the importance of better understanding the ways in which taxes and expenditure are linked. Focusing on developing countries, the book argues for a broader approach to the topic, with a secondary focus on developing and applying new modeling techniques to country-specific data.The contributors demonstrate the critical importance of considering tax issues within the specific context of each country, taking into account not only the level and structure of its economic development but also its history, regional location, and political institutions. Individual chapters cover a range of issues both past and present, and offer insightful recommendations for future research and policy implementation. While a great deal of work has been done on the subject in recent decades, this comprehensive book reveals just how much more we have to learn. Taxation and Development will be of great interest to scholars and researchers of economics in general and in particular, taxation, development and public sector economics. Contributors: R. Bahl, R.M. Bird, M.R. Cyan, A. Feltenstein, W.F. Fox, R. Kelly, L. Lopes, Y.N. Madhoo, J. Martinez-Vazquez, T. Matheson, C.E. McLure, Jr., M.N. Murray, S. Nath, V. Perry, J. Porras-Mendoza, P. Smoke, C. Veung, V. Vulovic, S. Wallace, E.M. Zolt

The book presents the distributional consequences of the public sector. Examining both theoretically and empirically, both the effects of giovernment spending and taxation on personal distribution, i.e. on families and individuals and the relationship between the public sector and functional distribution of national income. Government expenditures are explored, asking who benefits from them, who from government transfer programs and who bears the tax burden?

This innovative book offers an original and radical tax policy proposal which can be used to promote growth and stability without affecting income equality. Immediately following the publication of Keynes's General Theory, Kalecki recognized that the theory of tax had to be re-thought, as aggregate income could no longer be thought of as fixed with respect to tax-induced changes in aggregate demand. To this day, orthodox tax policy analysis continues to ignore aggregate demand effects. The authors consider this orthodox approach to be deficient, and show how tax policies can promote growth without having a negative impact on equity. They incorporate Kalecki's theory of tax incidence into an analysis of income determination, income distribution, investment, business cycles, and growth. In addition, they examine the incidence of the corporate profits tax and the macroeconomic and regional incidence, and effects of local taxation. A Dynamic Theory of Taxation will be a welcome addition to the literature and will be of interest to tax policy analysts and government policy advisors, as well as scholars working in the fields of public finance, post Keynesian and Kaleckian economics.

In light of demographic change and the growing problems of traditional old-age security systems, this book discusses two essential instruments in connection with privately providing for old-age security: (1) savings in private pension schemes and (2) building up equity for home-ownership. Further, it assesses the relationship between the two instruments and offers a unique overview of the latest market developments. In order to represent the profound differences between the individual member states of the EU, this book features six country-specific studies - covering Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom - that provide detailed insights into the complexity of local private pension schemes, mortgage markets, and housing markets. Lastly, the book discusses public policies and fiscal incentives intended to better integrate residential property with private pensions. It will appeal to both, private households seeking to build up old-age security, as well as policy makers interested in providing secure pension schemes.

Having spent almost fifty years of my life defending the separate accou- ing, arm's length pricing method, I have to admit that I was somewhat surprised to be asked to contribute to a book suggesting that the European Union might do well to consider adopting a formulary approach to deal with the taxation of inter and intra company transactions. I was even more surprised to see the invitation coming from Ms. Joann Weiner an ardent co-defender of arm's length pricing and my strong right arm in that regard while we both served in the U.S. Treasury Department in the mid '90s. The book gives Ms Weiner the opportunity to comment frankly from an insider's perspective of the many admitted problems of the arm's length system which could be avoided by a formulary approach. Ms. Weiner brings to this project a thorough expert knowledge of the b- efits and shortfalls of each of the systems she discusses - separate accounting v. formulary apportionment. Who better to decide to give qualified support to formulary than someone who organized a U.S. Treasury conference to defend arm's length pricing against a Congressional challenge in favor of formulary apportionment.