Jacques Drèze – författare

Over the last forty years, the field of public economics has emerged as a modern successor to public finance. It has gained importance on the research agenda of economists and in the curricula of economics depa- ments. It has become a diversified field, rich in theoretical developments and substantive applications. Beyond the traditional concerns with t- ation or public goods, a number of new concerns have entered the scene, concerning for instance public sector pricing, the management of public firms, social security or federalism. A comprehensive presentation of the field extends nowadays beyond the scope of textbooks and requires access to a growing specialised literature. The present volume, collecting 22 papers published by Henry Tulkens over the period 1978–2003, is offered as an illustration of these new developments. The illustration has three dimensions: approach, s- ject matters and methods. Coming from a single author, admittedly assisted by 18 co-authors, the different papers are illustrative of an underlying general approach, which I like to label ‘‘operational public economics’’. With these simple words, I mean an approach under which issues in public economics are formulated so as to capture essential elements of actual situations. Ty- cally, this leads to theoretical models more complex than standard te- book formulations. It is then up to the public economist to extend the theory as needed to fit the situation.

Over the last forty years, the field of public economics has emerged as a modern successor to public finance. It has gained importance on the research agenda of economists and in the curricula of economics depa- ments. It has become a diversified field, rich in theoretical developments and substantive applications. Beyond the traditional concerns with t- ation or public goods, a number of new concerns have entered the scene, concerning for instance public sector pricing, the management of public firms, social security or federalism. A comprehensive presentation of the field extends nowadays beyond the scope of textbooks and requires access to a growing specialised literature. The present volume, collecting 22 papers published by Henry Tulkens over the period 1978–2003, is offered as an illustration of these new developments. The illustration has three dimensions: approach, s- ject matters and methods. Coming from a single author, admittedly assisted by 18 co-authors, the different papers are illustrative of an underlying general approach, which I like to label ‘‘operational public economics’’. With these simple words, I mean an approach under which issues in public economics are formulated so as to capture essential elements of actual situations. Ty- cally, this leads to theoretical models more complex than standard te- book formulations. It is then up to the public economist to extend the theory as needed to fit the situation.

Over the last forty years, the field of public economics has emerged as a modern successor to public finance. It has gained importance on the research agenda of economists and in the curricula of economics depa- ments. It has become a diversified field, rich in theoretical developments and substantive applications. Beyond the traditional concerns with t- ation or public goods, a number of new concerns have entered the scene, concerning for instance public sector pricing, the management of public firms, social security or federalism. A comprehensive presentation of the field extends nowadays beyond the scope of textbooks and requires access to a growing specialised literature. The present volume, collecting 22 papers published by Henry Tulkens over the period 1978–2003, is offered as an illustration of these new developments. The illustration has three dimensions: approach, s- ject matters and methods. Coming from a single author, admittedly assisted by 18 co-authors, the different papers are illustrative of an underlying general approach, which I like to label ‘‘operational public economics’’. With these simple words, I mean an approach under which issues in public economics are formulated so as to capture essential elements of actual situations. Ty- cally, this leads to theoretical models more complex than standard te- book formulations. It is then up to the public economist to extend the theory as needed to fit the situation.

In instituting its prospective studies the European Cultural Founda­ tion has to some extent gone against tradition. Until now those who were deeply committed to the idea of a European Community looked into the past rather than into the future for bases on which the com­ munity could be integrated. However, if we want a European society to become a reality it must be built on the basis of shared fundamental values. The majority of publications dealing with a unified or inte­ grated Europe have until now accepted that this foundation guarantee­ ing the stability of a future European society should be found in certain common elements of the history of the European nations. The futurological studies instituted by the European Cultural Foun­ dation have not rejected this mode of approach outright. They have respected the historical framework indispensable to any futurological undertaking. But the research and discussions of the groups working within the framework of Plan Europe 2000 offer increasing support to the conviction expressed by Gaston Deurinck in the first words of his introduction to the present study: "The future does not exist .. thf> future is to be created, and before being created, it must be conceived, it must be invented, and finally willed" ..