Vito Tanzi – författare

Public finance is an important branch of economics. Over the years it has become more important, more controversial, and more complex. Much of the academic writing on it is highly theoretical, and it is often done by economists who have had little real world experience. Vito Tanzi has been continually engaged in this field for almost six decades, as a professor of public finance, a practitioner of it in many countries, and as a researcher, and has witnessed first-hand the growing gap between theoretical work and the real life practice of public finance. Public finance has come to be increasingly influenced by the pursuit of multiple government goals and by the growing complexity that now characterizes fiscal policy and government programs in many countries. Notably, the goal of simplicity has played only a small role in the practice of public finance and in academic work. Complexity puts a dense fog around many policies, making it difficult to predict and assess the results. This book aims to highlight to both economists and policymakers the need for simplicity in policies. It also aims to inform students of public finance and public policy about this growing problem and the need to pay more attention to it.

The growth of interest in fiscal decentralization has meant that there has been something of a rush to enshrine this in policy - The World Bank has reported that about seventy countries see this as a major part of their development strategy. This book critically examines the case for decentralization. This collection of contributions comes from a worldwide team of experts, including Albert Breton, Piero Giarda and Anwar Shah.

Inflation distorts income taxes in many ways, but primarily by redistributing the tax burden among taxpayers. This study analyses in detail the effects of inflation on income tax systems in many countries. It examines some of the more important distortions of income tax systems caused by inflation and discusses possible corrective measures, ranging from automatic adjustments (indexation) to ad hoc responses. These corrective measures are compared with the actual experiences of many countries that have pursued policies aimed at neutralizing the effects of inflation. By treating the problem of inflation and income taxes in a comprehensive manner and from an international perspective, this book fills an important gap in the income tax literature and will prove valuable to professional economists, policy makers concerned with tax problems, tax lawyers and accountants.

This book discusses the changing role of government finance in the twentieth century. It documents the enormous increase in government spending throughout the 1900s across all industrialized countries. However, the authors find that the growth of the welfare state over the past thirty-five years has not brought about much additional social and economic welfare. This suggests that public spending in industrialized countries could be much smaller than today without sacrificing important policy objectives. For this to happen, governments need to refocus their role on setting the 'rules of the game', and the study provides a blueprint for institutional and expenditure policy reform. After a detailed account of reform experiences in several countries and the public debate regarding government reform, the study closes with an outlook on the future role of the state, which is crucial in that globalization may require and people want much 'leaner' but not 'meaner' states.

This book discusses the changing role of government finance in the twentieth century. It documents the enormous increase in government spending throughout the 1900s across all industrialized countries. However, the authors find that the growth of the welfare state over the past thirty-five years has not brought about much additional social and economic welfare. This suggests that public spending in industrialized countries could be much smaller than today without sacrificing important policy objectives. For this to happen, governments need to refocus their role on setting the 'rules of the game', and the study provides a blueprint for institutional and expenditure policy reform. After a detailed account of reform experiences in several countries and the public debate regarding government reform, the study closes with an outlook on the future role of the state, which is crucial in that globalization may require and people want much 'leaner' but not 'meaner' states.

Tanzi explores how foreign taxes on repatriated income should be treated; how profits, sales, and ownership of property should be allocated among countries; and to what degree various taxes should be coordinated.As global markets for goods, services and financial assets have become increasingly integrated, national governments no longer have as much control over economic markets. With the completion of the Uruguay Round of the GATT talks, the world economy has entered a fresh phase requiring different rules and different levels of international cooperation. Policies once thought to be entirely domestic and appropriately determined by national political institutions, are now subject to international constraints. Cogent analysis of this deeper integration of the world economy, and guidelines for government policies, are urgent priorities. This series aims to meet these needs over a range of 21 books by some of the world's leading economists, political scientists, foreign policy specialists and government officials.A volume of Brookings' Integrating National Economies Series

This book revisits a distinction introduced in 1921 by economists Frank Knight and John Maynard Keynes: that between statistically predictable future events ('risks') and statistically unpredictable, uncertain events ('uncertainties'). Governments have generally ignored the latter, perceiving phenomena such as pandemics, natural disasters and climate change as uncontrollable Acts of God. As a result, there has been little if any preparation for future catastrophes. Our modern society is more interconnected and more globalized than ever. Dealing with uncertain future events requires a stronger and more globally coordinated government response. This book suggests a larger, more global government role in dealing with these disasters and keeping economic inequalities low. Major institutional changes, such as regulating the private sector for the common good and dealing with special harms, risks and crises, especially those concerning climate change and pandemics, are necessary in order to achieve any semblance of future progress for humankind.

Many economists argue that economic analysis should avoid the distributional consequences of policies. In democratic countries, however, the political power of individuals inevitably reflects their wealth and income. You cannot have a democracy when income and wealth distributions are greatly uneven. Monitoring the State or the Market explains that absolute income equality is not consistent with a market economy, yet neither is large inequality. This study provides a broad survey of major social and economic developments over the past two centuries, beginning with the Industrial Revolution and laissez faire and ending with neoliberalism and market fundamentalism. It explains how each of these periods initially brought moderation and accompanying benefits, showing that some countries, such as those in Scandinavia, have demonstrated that it is possible to have low Gini coefficients (low inequality), while preserving economic freedom and prosperity.

Many economists argue that economic analysis should avoid the distributional consequences of policies. In democratic countries, however, the political power of individuals inevitably reflects their wealth and income. You cannot have a democracy when income and wealth distributions are greatly uneven. Monitoring the State or the Market explains that absolute income equality is not consistent with a market economy, yet neither is large inequality. This study provides a broad survey of major social and economic developments over the past two centuries, beginning with the Industrial Revolution and laissez faire and ending with neoliberalism and market fundamentalism. It explains how each of these periods initially brought moderation and accompanying benefits, showing that some countries, such as those in Scandinavia, have demonstrated that it is possible to have low Gini coefficients (low inequality), while preserving economic freedom and prosperity.

In the years following the Second World War, the main economic goal of countries, and the main standard by which economies were judged, was the performance of their Gross Domestic Product (GDP), which was defined and measured, following rules created by statisticians and economists who had developed the official national accounts statistics, mostly in the 1930s. The pursuit of the growth of GDP has remained an overwhelming objective for most economists, politicians and international organizations. This book examines several concepts and processes related to economic growth, such as environmental degradation and climate change; income distribution and poverty; a vibrant civil society; and personal happiness and tackles the important question of whether growth itself can create problems that reduce its welfare value to populations.It weaves together two stories, the first concerns the invention of a statistical index, while the second explores the set of phenomena to which it applies. The author argues that reducing our dedication to economic growth should not be interpreted as stunting the growth of countries’ GDPs at their current level, but rather as focusing on paying more attention to the factors that may reduce the social benefits of this growth.The book addresses an important topic that has recently been an object of study in multiple fields, such as economics, history and ecology. It combines historical, analytical, and policy-oriented approaches into a single study and will attract the attention of scholars, researchers, economists, political scientists, and philosophers, at a time when many traditional policies are being questioned and are under discussion.

In the years following the Second World War, the main economic goal of countries, and the main standard by which economies were judged, was the performance of their Gross Domestic Product (GDP), which was defined and measured, following rules created by statisticians and economists who had developed the official national accounts statistics, mostly in the 1930s. The pursuit of the growth of GDP has remained an overwhelming objective for most economists, politicians and international organizations. This book examines several concepts and processes related to economic growth, such as environmental degradation and climate change; income distribution and poverty; a vibrant civil society; and personal happiness and tackles the important question of whether growth itself can create problems that reduce its welfare value to populations.It weaves together two stories, the first concerns the invention of a statistical index, while the second explores the set of phenomena to which it applies. The author argues that reducing our dedication to economic growth should not be interpreted as stunting the growth of countries’ GDPs at their current level, but rather as focusing on paying more attention to the factors that may reduce the social benefits of this growth.The book addresses an important topic that has recently been an object of study in multiple fields, such as economics, history and ecology. It combines historical, analytical, and policy-oriented approaches into a single study and will attract the attention of scholars, researchers, economists, political scientists, and philosophers, at a time when many traditional policies are being questioned and are under discussion.

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.

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.

In Termites of the State, renowned public economist Vito Tanzi presents a sweeping account of the industrialized world's economic development during the twentieth century to today. In the tradition of grand economic histories, Tanzi connects the biggest issues of the modern world including extreme gaps in income distribution, increasing complexity of government actions and regulations, and asymmetry of access to information and to political influence between the elite and the rest of society. Part one covers the growth of state intervention since the early twentieth century - a time before income taxes, central banks or social welfare programs. Part two investigates how and why laws and regulations have expanded in industrialized economies. Part three, building from this foundation, explains the forces behind the precipitous rise in global inequality. With a talent for clear, non-technical writing, Tanzi has produced an important book that will be of interest to any instructor, student, or general reader of economics and public policy.

Dollar, Euro's and Debt discusses the recent financial, economic, and fiscal crisis. It argues that the focus that has been put on cyclical aspects of the crisis has missed the fundamental point, that the crisis is largely structural, even though cyclical factors (the sub-prime problem) may have precipitated, or better anticipated, it.

This groundbreaking book analyzes how the ecology of taxation is fundamental for the success or failure of tax systems. It specifically focuses on the role of the ecological environment on taxation; the factors that determine the ecology of taxation; and how the ecology of taxation has changed and may continue to evolve. Income taxes operate well in highly industrialized countries, characterized by large enterprises, modern accounting, thousands of workers and tangible products. There are great difficulties, however, when they operate in countries with higher levels of informality. Vito Tanzi addresses this effect and the influence of economic structure; the income distribution; globalization; technology; and various other main elements that determine the ecology of taxation. The implicit, important conclusion is that there are no permanent or universal optimal tax theories: all theories are related to this ecology. Students of taxation from various fields and economists interested in taxation and public finance will appreciate this book's new perspective on success and failure of taxes and tax systems. It will also serve as a useful resource for tax historians, policy experts, teachers, and tax theorists.

The public finance branch of economics has seen a great deal of change in prevailing attitudes regarding the role of the market and the role of government in countries with democratic institutions and market economies. Different functions have been added, over the past century, and especially after World War II, to the role that the government should play. The laissez faire ideology of the past, that minimized the government role, was progressively abandoned until the last two decades of the 20th century, when there was an attempt to reduce the ambitious role that the government had assumed, and to give a growing role back to the market.This book explains how changes in both the market and the government have made public finance a more challenging, interesting and at times frustrating branch of economics. It provides a cosmopolitan perspective and details the part that historical developments have played in shaping modern views. The author explores the real life, practical nature of public finance and de-emphasizes the role of armchair theorizing by focusing on real issues that are seen from a community rather than an individualistic perspective.The Advanced Introduction to Public Finance offers a fresh look at the field for students, researchers and policymakers in economics, public administration, taxation, policy and economic history.

The public finance branch of economics has seen a great deal of change in prevailing attitudes regarding the role of the market and the role of government in countries with democratic institutions and market economies. Different functions have been added, over the past century, and especially after World War II, to the role that the government should play. The laissez faire ideology of the past, that minimized the government role, was progressively abandoned until the last two decades of the 20th century, when there was an attempt to reduce the ambitious role that the government had assumed, and to give a growing role back to the market.This book explains how changes in both the market and the government have made public finance a more challenging, interesting and at times frustrating branch of economics. It provides a cosmopolitan perspective and details the part that historical developments have played in shaping modern views. The author explores the real life, practical nature of public finance and de-emphasizes the role of armchair theorizing by focusing on real issues that are seen from a community rather than an individualistic perspective.The Advanced Introduction to Public Finance offers a fresh look at the field for students, researchers and policymakers in economics, public administration, taxation, policy and economic history.

This groundbreaking book analyzes how the ecology of taxation is fundamental for the success or failure of tax systems. It specifically focuses on the role of the ecological environment on taxation; the factors that determine the ecology of taxation; and how the ecology of taxation has changed and may continue to evolve. Income taxes operate well in highly industrialized countries, characterized by large enterprises, modern accounting, thousands of workers and tangible products. There are great difficulties, however, when they operate in countries with higher levels of informality. Vito Tanzi addresses this effect and the influence of economic structure; the income distribution; globalization; technology; and various other main elements that determine the ecology of taxation. The implicit, important conclusion is that there are no permanent or universal optimal tax theories: all theories are related to this ecology. Students of taxation from various fields and economists interested in taxation and public finance will appreciate this book's new perspective on success and failure of taxes and tax systems. It will also serve as a useful resource for tax historians, policy experts, teachers, and tax theorists.

This authoritative collection presents seminal papers from leading academics charting recent developments in public finance. The two-volume set encompasses numerous sections including the public sector in a market economy, market imperfections, growth implications of public policies and efficiency and distributive implications of public policies. Professor Tanzi and Dr Zee have selected key papers to reflect the scholarly debates and pivotal arguments surrounding this field of study. This indispensable collection, with an original introduction by the editors, will be of immense value to students, scholars and practitioners interested in this topical and relevant subject.

This authoritative volume brings together Vito Tanzi's pioneering work on institutions and the influence of the behavior of government officials and economic agents on economic decision-making. It focuses on the 'dark side' of economics and the influence of institutions. Issues discussed include:public sector behavior and the efficiency of policy instrumentscorruption, rent seeking and governmental activitiesthe underground economy and its impact on the economytax evasion and the effect of globalization on tax systemsmoney laundering and the international financial systemfiscal deficits during the transitionthe dangers of fiscal decentralizationdeterminants of income distribution.