The State and Your Hard-Earned Money

How much of one’s income is it fair for the state to tax? And what should the state spend that money on? In his new book, The State and Your Hard-Earned Money, Paolo Mauro argues that policy choices regarding public expenditure and taxation, implicitly or explicitly, reflect moral points of view. He joins EconoFact Chats to discuss his book, highlighting how the role of the state has evolved in response to economic transformations and changing notions of good government, how “universalist” and “communitarian” moral outlooks shape current fiscal debates — and where the two perspectives might find common ground.

 

Paolo is Director of the Development Impact Measurement Department at the International Finance Corporation.