PART I Introduction and Background 1 Why Study Public Finance? 2 Theoretical Tools of Public Finance 3 Empirical Tools of Public Finance 4 Budget Analysis and Deficit Financing PART II Externalities and Public Goods 5 Externalities: Problems and Solutions 6 Externalities in Action: Environmental and Health Externalities 7 Public Goods 8 Cost-Benefit Analysis 9 Political Economy 10 State and Local Government Expenditures 11 Education PART III Social Insurance and Redistribution 12 Social Insurance: The New Function of Government 13 Social Security 14 Unemployment Insurance, Disability Insurance, and Workers' Compensation 15 Health Insurance I: Health Economics and Private Health Insurance 16 Health Insurance II: Medicare, Medicaid, and Health Care Reform 17 Income Distribution and Welfare Programs PART IV Taxation in Theory and Practice 18 Taxation: How It Works and What It Means 19 The Equity Implications of Taxation: Tax Incidence < 20 Tax Inefficiencies and Their Implications for Optimal Taxation 21 Taxes on Labor Supply 22 Taxes on Savings 23 Taxes on Risk Taking and Wealth 24 Taxation of Business Income 25 Fundamental Tax Reform and Consumption Taxation