Public finance and public policy: s tour through the Book, 5th ed.

Abstract

When I began writing this book 12 years ago, I hoped that my text would bring the excitement and enthusiasm that I have for the study of public finance to the students taking this important course. I believe that a public finance text should help students understand the public finance issues that are discussed in the media every day. By presenting rigorous theory, cutting-edge empirical evidence, and abundant policy-relevant applications, I hoped that students would find the main lessons of public finance accessible and appealing—perhaps even enjoyable. With the success of the first four editions of this text, I am gratified and happy to say that my approach has found wide acceptance among instructors and their students across the country. By augmenting the traditional approach of public finance texts with a true integration of theory, application, and evidence, Public Finance and Public Policy has enabled instructors to better engage their students. Whenever a major theoretical concept is discussed, the discussion is augmented by examples of the policy relevance of the topic and, where available, evidence about the key relationships highlighted by the theory. Public Finance and Public Policy improves on previous texts in public finance in three ways.