Public finance and public policy

"Jonathan Gruber’s groundbreaking Public Finance and Public Policy was the first textbook to truly reflect the way public policy is created, implement, and researched. Like no other text available, it integrated real-world empirical work and coverage of transfer programs and social insurance into the traditional topics of public finance. From its first edition, the book quickly became the market-leading text for Public Finance and Public Policy courses, and the margin is growing. Thoroughly updated, this timely new edition gives students the basic tools they need to understand the driving issues of public policy today, including healthcare, education, global climate change, entitlements, and more."--Publisher's description.

Pt. 1. Introduction and background. Why study public finance? -- Theoretical tools of public finance -- Empirical tools of public finance -- Budget analysis and deficit financing -- pt. 2. Externalities and public goods. Externalities: problems and solutions -- Externalities in action: environmental and health externalities -- Public goods -- Cost-benefit analysis -- Political economy -- State and local government expenditures -- Education -- pt. 3. Social insurance and redistribution. Social insurance: the new function of government -- Social security -- Unemployment insurance, disability insurance, and workers' compensation -- Health insurance l: health economics and private health insurance -- Health insurance ll: medicare, medicaid, and health care reform -- Income distribution and welfare programs -- pt. 4. Taxation in theory and practice. Taxation in the United States and around the world -- The equity implications of taxation: tax incidence -- Tax inefficiencies and their implications for optimal taxation -- Taxes on labor supply -- Taxes on savings -- Taxes on risk taking and wealth -- Corporate taxation -- Fundamental tax reform.