The National Element in the Development of Fiscal Theory

by O. Kayaalp

Overview

Price theory has provided solutions to myriad problems affecting society without invoking any precepts beyond those encapsulated in the standard economic postulate. Fiscal theory, meanwhile, has been closely attentive to the political, sociological and historical circumstances that bear upon the fiscal act. This methodological duality has resulted in the development of fiscal theory in line with the political culture espoused by its originator, usually the one prevailing at home. Thus emerges the need for an analysis of the evolution of fiscal thought along national lines.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781403920775
Publisher:	Palgrave Macmillan UK
Publication date:	04/17/2004
Edition description:	2004

About the Author

Orhan Kayaalp is Associate Professor of Economics at Lehman College at the City University of New York.

Table of Contents

	List of Figures	ix
	Acknowledgments	x
1	Introduction	1
2	A National Taxonomy of Fiscal Doctrines	16
3	British Fiscal Doctrine: The Sacrifice View	26
	The organic beginnings of British fiscal theory	27
	Bentham and the rise of utilitarianism	30
	The origin of the sacrifice view of taxation	35
	Mill and the proper bases of social policy	37
	Chadwick and economic efficiency of social policy	39
	Henry Sidgwick: the great synthesizer	40
	The first principles of British fiscal theory	43
	Edgeworth and the problem of vertical equity	44
	Marshall: the link between Sidgwick and Pigou	47
	Pigou: the welfare view of the public economy	49
4	Italian Fiscal Doctrine: The Benefit View	56
	General characteristics of classical Italian fiscal theory	59
	Pantaleoni and the "Rational" fiscal authority	62
	De Viti de Marco and the "Sentient" fiscal authority	65
	De Viti's model of the political market	68
	The fiscal decision-making process	70
	The coercive element in Italian fiscal doctrine	73
	More on De Viti's view of the public economy	75
	De Viti de Marco: a precursor to the modern theory of public goods	76
	Ugo Mazzola and the "Efficient" public economy	78
	The Italian concept of ruling class	84
	Appendix	86
5	German Fiscal Doctrine: The Organic View	88
	The French beginnings of German theory of State	88
	Internalization of the ideas of the Philosophes	91
	The German theory of the public sector	92
	Wagner and his theory of communal economy	94
	General characteristics of German fiscal doctrine	98
6	Austrian Fiscal Doctrine: The Subjective Valuation Approach	100
	Menger: the father of Austrian theory of subjective valuation	101
	Wieser: a worthy disciple of Menger's	102
	Emil Sax's contribution to the Austrian theory of the public economy	110
7	Swedish Fiscal Doctrine: The Collective Choice Approach	117
	Wicksell: towards a just theory of taxation	118
	The political parameters of Wicksell's theory of the public economy	121
	Lindahl: the principle of unanimity revisited	125
	Is it indeed possible to attain justice in taxation?	131
8	Epilogue	134
	A Synopsis of General Characteristics of National Fiscal Doctrines	138
	British fiscal doctrine--sacrifice view	139
	Italian fiscal doctrine--benefit view	140
	German fiscal doctrine--organic view	142
	Austrian fiscal doctrine--subjective value approach	144
	Swedish fiscal doctrine--collective choice approach	146
	Notes	148
	References	168
	Index of Authors	179