<p>The best book in my opinion for your case is definitely <a href="https://mitpress.mit.edu/books/intermediate-public-economics-second-edition" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Intermediate Public Economics</a> by Jean Hindriks and Gareth D. Myles. It is often used as a standard text for public finance at your level and covers most of the material you need in an interesting and accessible way.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-10-05T12:11:35.653Z
2019-11-06T18:43:56.177Z
2019-11-06T18:43:56.177Z
BB King
<p>I'm taking a public policy course and the textbooks that were recommended for the course are way out of sync with the course material. These are:</p>

<p>Gruber, Public Finance and Public Policy</p>

<p>Stiglitz, Economics of the Public Sector</p>

<p>Which are all well and good, except they are too basic.</p>

<p>For example, in class we've derived the Samuelson condition using Lagrange multipliers and analyzed how it differs from the equilibrium with voluntary contributions. But there's nothing of the sort on these textbooks. </p>

<p>Our course outline is as follows:</p>

<p><strong>1.    State intervention in the economy</strong></p>

<p>a.  Efficency</p>

<p>b.  Fundamental Welfare Theorems</p>

<p><strong>2.    Market failures</strong></p>

<p>a.  Absence of competition</p>

<p>b.  Externalities</p>

<p>c.  Public Goods</p>

<p>d.  Information issues</p>

<p>e.  Incomplete markets</p>

<p><strong>3.     Public Goods and the Public provision of Private Goods</strong></p>

<p>a.  Public goods: efficiency conditions</p>

<p>b.  Public provision of Private Goods. Rationing systems</p>

<p><strong>4.    Externalities</strong></p>

<p>a.  Theory of externalities</p>

<p>b.  Private and public sector solutions</p>

<p>c.  Distinction between the use of prices and quantities in solving externality issues</p>

<p><strong>5.    Social Choice</strong></p>

<p>a.  Issues with preference aggregation. Arrow’s Theorem</p>

<p>b.  Different voting systems. Median voter theorem</p>

<p>c.  Social welfare functions: utilitarianism, Rawlsian criteria and intermediate 
cases</p>

<p><strong>6.    Taxes</strong></p>

<p>a.  Introduction to taxes</p>

<p>b.  Fiscal incidence</p>

<p>c.  Inefficiencies derived from imposition and their consequences for optimal 
taxes</p>

<p>d.  Taxes and labor supply, saving and decision making</p>

<p>e.  Fiscal reform</p>

<hr>

<p>I would appreciate immensely any sort of guidance on this front.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-10-05T08:32:05.610Z
What level is your course? Bachelor? If so, what semester? Or is it a Master's or PhD level course?
BB King
CC BY-SA 4.0
2018-10-05T11:30:11.840Z
Hi! It's a Bachelor's degree, 5th semester.
Pablo Derbez
<reference-request><public-economics>
What are some good advanced level textbooks on public economics?
Pablo Derbez
# What are some good advanced level textbooks on public economics?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2018-10-04)

I'm taking a public policy course and the textbooks that were recommended for the course are way out of sync with the course material. These are:

Gruber, Public Finance and Public Policy

Stiglitz, Economics of the Public Sector

Which are all well and good, except they are too basic.

For example, in class we've derived the Samuelson condition using Lagrange multipliers and analyzed how it differs from the equilibrium with voluntary contributions. But there's nothing of the sort on these textbooks.

Our course outline is as follows:

**1. State intervention in the economy**

a. Efficency

b. Fundamental Welfare Theorems

**2. Market failures**

a. Absence of competition

b. Externalities

c. Public Goods

d. Information issues

e. Incomplete markets

**3. Public Goods and the Public provision of Private Goods**

a. Public goods: efficiency conditions

b. Public provision of Private Goods. Rationing systems

**4. Externalities**

a. Theory of externalities

b. Private and public sector solutions

c. Distinction between the use of prices and quantities in solving externality issues

**5. Social Choice**

a. Issues with preference aggregation. Arrow’s Theorem

b. Different voting systems. Median voter theorem

c. Social welfare functions: utilitarianism, Rawlsian criteria and intermediate
cases

**6. Taxes**

a. Introduction to taxes

b. Fiscal incidence

c. Inefficiencies derived from imposition and their consequences for optimal
taxes

d. Taxes and labor supply, saving and decision making

e. Fiscal reform

---

I would appreciate immensely any sort of guidance on this front.

**Tags:** reference-request, public-economics
> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: What level is your course? Bachelor? If so, what semester? Or is it a Master's or PhD level course?  
> **username_0**: Hi! It's a Bachelor's degree, 5th semester.  

---

## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2018-10-05. Score: 6 | Accepted answer

The best book in my opinion for your case is definitely [Intermediate Public Economics](https://mitpress.mit.edu/books/intermediate-public-economics-second-edition) by Jean Hindriks and Gareth D. Myles. It is often used as a standard text for public finance at your level and covers most of the material you need in an interesting and accessible way.


---

