In most rich democracies one finds a tendency for the share in public finance that is available for discretionary spending to shrink. This is because tax revenues do not keep pace with simultaneous increases in fixed expenditures and growing pressures for fiscal consolidation. The present paper...

The state of poverty in the United States and Western Europe: five theoretical approaches seeking to explain the variance -- The challenge to America -- The historical experience -- Attitudes, beliefs, and values -- System differences as explanations -- The role of political elites -- The role...