The Handbook of Public Sector Economics
is first and foremost a
textbook for graduate students in public administration and public
policy. Although most handbooks are used as reference texts, this
particular handbook was proposed and written as a textbook to be
used as the primary book in a graduate public economics course or
an important secondary or supplementary book in a public finance
or public policy course in a program where a course in public economics
is not offered. The primary goal of this book is to contribute
to the use and understanding of public economics and its role in
public administration, public policy, and decision making. The book
exposes students of public policy and administration to a wide array
of current issues surrounding the public provision and production
of goods and services.
Three major reasons, I believe, explain the usefulness of such a
text. First, the book documents the history of economics and fiscal
doctrine and their place in public policy and administration. Second,
it provides a comprehensive exploration of the theory of public goods
and the structures from which resources are collected and expended.
Finally, it explores the emerging and heavily-debated issues of
economics that are important to students, faculty, and practitioners;
for example, the effects of fiscal policies on saving and investment,
consumer behavior, labor supply, wealth, property, and trade. These
important reasons guided the development and organization of this
text.
Unlike textbooks, this handbook has no pictures, unless a supply
and demand figure is considered a picture. Another constraint is
that not all issues of public economics are included; for example,
specialization and the different market systems are not discussed.
My rationale for leaving out such topics, albeit important, rests on
a belief that most graduate students in public administration and
public policy have been exposed to these subjects in an undergraduate
economics course. If not, consulting an undergraduate introductory
text should clear up questions that this book does not
address.
Each chapter was written specifically for this book and in a
manner that is simple and straightforward; as such the text is easy
to follow and understand. Although each chapter could stand alone,
the flow of the book was put together in such a way that the first
two parts establish the foundation of public economics. In addition,
each part substantiates the aforementioned reasons for this book.