Public economics and public choice contributions in honor of Charles B. Blankart ; with 13 tables

This volume collects essays in honor of Charles Beat Blankart on the oc- th sion of his 65 birthday. Blankart's research is mainly in the area of public finance and public choice. He is also known for his interest in real world problems and intellectual curiosity. These features seem to be well c- veyed by the contributions. Born in Switzerland, Blankart completed his Ph. D. in Basel before moving to Germany. The typically Swiss perspective on individual freedom, h- ever, has remained with him. Blankart has taught at the Free University of Berlin, the University of the Federal Armed Forces in Munich, Technical University and Humboldt University in Berlin. Throughout his prof- sional positions, Blankart has contributed to various fields, including p- lic finance, public choice, federalism and industrial organization and re- lation. He has left significant marks in these fields, emphasizing throughout how incentives shape the behaviour of individuals, be it in markets or in government. For example, his best selling textbook - fentliche Finanzen in der Demokratie, is unique in bringing a unified p- spective to the study of public finance, treating politicians as ordinary self interested individuals and doing largely away with the benevolent welfare maximizing social planner. Public Economics and Public Choice......Page 1 0.CONTENT......Page 2 1.Rights and Wrongs......Page 13 2.Public Choice and New Institutional Economics......Page 31 3.The Machiavelli Program and the Dirty Hands Problem......Page 50 4.Esteem, Norms of Participation and Public Goods Supply......Page 74 5.Fairness, Rights, and Language Rights- On the Fair Treatment of Linguistic Minorities......Page 92 6.Fiscal Federalism, Decentralization and Economic Growth......Page 113 7.Government Bankruptcy and Inflation......Page 144 8.Political Support for Tax Complexity- A Simple Model......Page 155 9.Does the Shadow Economy Pose a Challenge to Economic and Public Finance Policy- Some Preliminary Findings......Page 165 10The Rankings and Evaluations Mania......Page 189 11.University Education as Welfare......Page 201 12.The Economics of Environmental Liability Law — A Dynamic View......Page 208 13.On the Efficiency of a Public Insurance Monopoly- The Case of Housing Insurance in Switzerland......Page 227 14.A Note on David Hansemann as a Precursor of Chadwick and Demsetz......Page 249 15.Stepping Stones’ and Access Holidays-The Fallacies of Regulatory Micro-Management......Page 262 16.List of contributors......Page 283 "The book contains essays in honor of Charles B. Blankart on the occasion of his 65th birthday. The contributors include prominent scholars from the discipline of public finance and public choice. The essays include topics like taxation, public choice, and regulation, and thus give testimony of Blankart's very broad ranging interests in economics." --Résumé de l'éditeur "The book contains essays in honor of Charles B. Blankart on the occasion of his 65th birthday. The contributors include prominent scholars from the discipline of public finance and public choice. The essays include topics like taxation, public choice, and regulation, and thus give testimony of Blankart's very broad ranging interests in economics."--Jacket