Louis Kaplow is the Finn M. W. Caspersen and Household International Professor of Law and Economics at Harvard, a research associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research, and a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. He has published widely on the theory of taxation and public economics.

"This is a very ambitious project which has the quality of proposing a unified view of all these topics. Moreover, on the various aspects of taxation, the reader will find an interesting critical survey and a valuable source of information about the literature and the pending questions."--Marc Fleurbaey, Social Choice and Welfare

• Preface xvii CHAPTER 1: Introduction 1 PART I: FRAMEWORK CHAPTER 2: An Integrated View 13 CHAPTER 3: The Social Objective 35 PART II: OPTIMAL TAXATION CHAPTER 4: Optimal Income Taxation 53 CHAPTER 5: Elaboration and Extensions 80 CHAPTER 6: Income and Commodity Taxation 122 PART III: GOVERNMENT EXPENDITURES CHAPTER 7: Transfer Payments 151 CHAPTER 8: Goods and Services 179 PART IV: ADDITIONAL ASPECTS OF TAXATION CHAPTER 9: Taxation of Capital 221 CHAPTER 10: Taxation of Transfers 249 CHAPTER 11: Taxation and Social Security 275 CHAPTER 12: Taxation of Families 315 PART V: DISTRIBUTIVE JUSTICE AND SOCIAL WELFARE CHAPTER 13: Welfare 347 CHAPTER 14: Social Welfare Function 370 CHAPTER 15: Other Normative Criteria 391 CHAPTER 16: Conclusion 407 References 417 Index 455

Louis Kaplow is the Finn M. W. Caspersen and Household International Professor of Law and Economics at Harvard, a research associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research, and a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. He has published widely on the theory of taxation and public economics.

"This is a very ambitious project which has the quality of proposing a unified view of all these topics. Moreover, on the various aspects of taxation, the reader will find an interesting critical survey and a valuable source of information about the literature and the pending questions."--Marc Fleurbaey, Social Choice and Welfare

• Preface xvii CHAPTER 1: Introduction 1 PART I: FRAMEWORK CHAPTER 2: An Integrated View 13 CHAPTER 3: The Social Objective 35 PART II: OPTIMAL TAXATION CHAPTER 4: Optimal Income Taxation 53 CHAPTER 5: Elaboration and Extensions 80 CHAPTER 6: Income and Commodity Taxation 122 PART III: GOVERNMENT EXPENDITURES CHAPTER 7: Transfer Payments 151 CHAPTER 8: Goods and Services 179 PART IV: ADDITIONAL ASPECTS OF TAXATION CHAPTER 9: Taxation of Capital 221 CHAPTER 10: Taxation of Transfers 249 CHAPTER 11: Taxation and Social Security 275 CHAPTER 12: Taxation of Families 315 PART V: DISTRIBUTIVE JUSTICE AND SOCIAL WELFARE CHAPTER 13: Welfare 347 CHAPTER 14: Social Welfare Function 370 CHAPTER 15: Other Normative Criteria 391 CHAPTER 16: Conclusion 407 References 417 Index 455

Louis Kaplow is the Finn M. W. Caspersen and Household International Professor of Law and Economics at Harvard, a research associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research, and a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. He has published widely on the theory of taxation and public economics.

"This is a very ambitious project which has the quality of proposing a unified view of all these topics. Moreover, on the various aspects of taxation, the reader will find an interesting critical survey and a valuable source of information about the literature and the pending questions."--Marc Fleurbaey, Social Choice and Welfare

• Preface xvii CHAPTER 1: Introduction 1 PART I: FRAMEWORK CHAPTER 2: An Integrated View 13 CHAPTER 3: The Social Objective 35 PART II: OPTIMAL TAXATION CHAPTER 4: Optimal Income Taxation 53 CHAPTER 5: Elaboration and Extensions 80 CHAPTER 6: Income and Commodity Taxation 122 PART III: GOVERNMENT EXPENDITURES CHAPTER 7: Transfer Payments 151 CHAPTER 8: Goods and Services 179 PART IV: ADDITIONAL ASPECTS OF TAXATION CHAPTER 9: Taxation of Capital 221 CHAPTER 10: Taxation of Transfers 249 CHAPTER 11: Taxation and Social Security 275 CHAPTER 12: Taxation of Families 315 PART V: DISTRIBUTIVE JUSTICE AND SOCIAL WELFARE CHAPTER 13: Welfare 347 CHAPTER 14: Social Welfare Function 370 CHAPTER 15: Other Normative Criteria 391 CHAPTER 16: Conclusion 407 References 417 Index 455