The study of public economics has undergone dramatic changes in the past two decades. Major developments in economic theory have revolutionized the subject and have changed the way we view the role of government. The constraints of information and institutions have called into question the ability of the government to carry out some of its traditional tasks, but have also led to new instruments and approaches for dealing with the problem of economic policy such as the design of the redistribution and tax system. Understanding the importance of the economic, behavioral and institutional constraints facing government is critical for evaluating policy options. This is ultimately an empirical issue. This book of a symposium on empiricial public finance indicates the richness and diversity of empirical approaches that have been used to shed light on the problems of applied public finance and its application.
