Handbook of Public Economics

In the Handbook of Public Economics, vol. 5, top scholars provide context and order to new research about mechanisms that underlie both public finance theories and applications. These fundamental subjects follow the recent, steady movement away from rational decision-making and toward more personalized approaches to tax generation and expenditure, especially in terms of the use of psychological methods and financial incentives. Closely scrutinized subjects include new research in empirical (instead of theoretical) public finance, the methods for measuring taxes (both in revenue generation and expenditure), and the roles that taxes play in specific settings, such as emerging economies, urban settings, charitable giving, and among political entities (cities, counties, states, countries). Contributors look at both the "tax" and "expenditure" sides of public finance, emphasizing recent influences that psychology and philosophy have exerted in economics with articles on behavioral finance, charitable giving, and dynamic taxation. To a field enjoying rapid growth, their articles bring context and order, illuminating the mechanisms that underlie both public finance theories and applications.

Editor Raj Chetty is the recipient of the 2013 John Bates Clark Medal from the American Economic AssociationFocuses on new approaches to both revenue generation and expenditures in public financePresents coherent summaries of subjects in public economics that stretch from methodologies to applicationsMakes details about public economics accessible to scholars in fields outside economics

1. Charitable Giving-James Andreoni & A. Abigail Payne

2. Taxation and Development-Timothy Besley & Torsten Persson

3. Social Insurance: Connecting Theory to Data- Raj Chetty & Amy Finkelstein

4. Urban Public Finance- Edward L. Glaeser

5. The Theory of International Tax Competition and Coordination-Michael Keen & Kai Konrad

6. Taxation of Intergenerational Transfers and Wealth– Wojciech Kopczuk

7. Optimal Labor Income Taxation- Thomas Piketty & Emmanuel Saez