As the COVID-19 pandemic has shaped public policies and government finances, it has also influenced the topics that public finance economists are researching. Because the 2020 International Institute of Public Finance (IIPF) Congress featured papers that were submitted prior to the start of the...

In a paper delivered at the December 1955 meeting of the Econometric Society, Paul Samuelson noted that though economists had done "work of high quality and great quantity in the field of taxation," the theory of public expenditure had been "relatively neglected" (1958, 332). Anglo-American...

Chapter 1: Background and Emerging Challenges -- Chapter 2: Theory of Fiscal Federalism and Local Fiscal Domain -- Chapter 3: Fiscal Decentralization and Local Area Corporate Social Responsibility -- Chapter 4: Globalization, Climate Change and Changing Face of Urban Public Finance -- Chapter 5:...

The COVID-19 crisis poses new policy challenges and has spurred new research agendas in public economics. In this article, we selectively reflect on how the field of public economics has been shaped by the COVID-19 pandemic and discuss several areas where more research is necessary. We highlight...

The literature on vouchers often concludes that a vouchers-based system cannot be the outcome of a majority vote. This paper shows that, when the value of vouchers and who is entitled to receive them are fixed exogenously, the majority of voters are in favour of selective vouchers. On top of...

This paper tests for happiness differences among race groups in South Africa and also investigates the determinants of happiness for each race group. Using data from the 2008 National Income Dynamics Survey, the results indicate that reported happiness differs substantially among race groups,...

This paper investigates social democracy and the “developmental state” model as development alternatives for South Africa. This research is significant as it enhances the developmental debate in South Africa that is indispensable in light of South Africa’s poor socio-economic performance....

The paper analyzes the broad history underpinning the concept of sustainable development and its context within the events industry and specifically with regards to the South African National Arts Festival. A pilot contingent valuation study conducted at the 2010 National Arts Festival...