The wide gap between tax theory and tax practice may be traced back, among other things, to the focus in tax theory on the level and optimal structure of tax rates, assuming that tax bases are consistently defined, precisely measurable and readily and uniformly assessable. This approach...

The tax competition - tax harmonisation (TH) debate has of­ ten overlooked the fact that TH is not a simple and unitary phe­ nomenon. A brief survey of the European experience shows that actual TH is founded on various reasons and takes many different forms. Three factors have an important...

The global financial and economic crisis has reopened the debate on the role, the efficacy and limits of fiscal policies in sustaining aggregate demand. At the same time, the crisis has worsened the prospects of unsustainability of public debt in some countries. In order to conciliate fiscal...

The article reconstructs Luigi Spaventa's approach to economic policy. Spaventa contributed both to the theoretical and political debate on economic policy and as a member of Italy's Parliament and Government. The author focuses in particular on the implications for today's debate and practice...