Government versus Markets - The Changing Economic Role of the State

Vito Tanzi offers a truly comprehensive treatment of the economic role of the state in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries from a historical and world perspective. The book addresses the fundamental question of what governments should do, or have attempted to do, in economic activities in past and recent periods. It also speculates on what they are likely or may be forced to do in future years. The investigation assembles a large set of statistical information that should prove useful to policy-makers and scholars in the perennial discussion of government's optimal economic roles. It will become an essential reference work on the analytical borders between the market and the state, and on what a reasonable 'exit strategy' from the current fiscal crises should be. Features • The most comprehensive, accessible treatment available on government's optimal role in the current economic crisis • Provides hard to get information on many countries and essential topics at the center of current debates • Easy to read and accessible to most educated readers even without an economics background

Preface Part I. Economic Role of State: 1. General introduction and main issues Part II. Historical Review: 2. The role of the state in the pre World War Two period 3. Forces that changed the role of the state 4. Growth of public spending in the 20th century 5. The role of the state in social protection: historical landmarks 6. Globalization and public spending Part III. Theoretical and Analytical Issues: 7. Theories of public sector behavior: taxonomy of government types 8. Voluntary exchange and public choice theories 9. The Nord European economic theory of fiscal policy 10. Policy tools and government roles Part IV. The Outcome of State Intervention: 11. Evaluating the impact of public spending on socio-economic indicators 12. Social protection in the modern world: quantitative aspects 13. The role of the state and economic performance in the Nordic countries Part V. Reflections on The Role of the State in the Future: 14. The economic role of the state in the future: concluding observations.