Up-to-date, holistic and comprehensive discussion of public expenditure, its history, value for money, risks and remedies.

The Economics of Public Spending investigates the extent of government involvement in the economy, details its rational, and traces its historical record. The book unites articles previously published in Fiscal Studies, each one addressing a different area of expenditure and written by an economist specializing in that field. They describe both the data on public expenditure and the theory relevant to understanding the policy issues. A new introduction investigates the overall role of the public sector and discusses the general theory of public expenditure. In providing a detailed analysis of public expenditure, the book makes an important contribution to the economics literature. There are no other texts with this breadth of coverage or depth of analysis. Insights are provided into both the policy issues, cross-country comparisons of expenditure, and alternative approaches to economic analysis. The chapters apply the tools of orthodox public finance, public choice, modern public economics, and game theory to reach a range of policy proposals and conclusions. These demonstrate the range and potential of economic analysis when applied to these important issues.

After a detailed account of reform experiences in several countries and the public debate regarding government reform, the study closes with an outlook on the future role of the state, a period when globalization may require and people may want "leaner" but not "meaner" states."--Jacket.

This work examines public expenditure, explaining the size and the structure of the system of public finance. Suitable for use as a course text, it can function as a point of departure for empirical and analytical studies on the behaviour of governments.

Public finance is an important branch of economics. Over the years it has become more important, more controversial, and more complex. This book aims to highlight to both economists and policymakers the need for simplicity in policies and to inform students of public finance and public policy about this growing problem.