Volume 12, No. 1 (2009)
Fiscal Sociology and the Theory of Public Finance merits the serious attention of scholars interested in public economics, Austrian economics, and libertarianism alike. Its dual-forum, entrepreneurial framework is fertile ground in which theoretical and applied research alike can take root. The good news for young scholars seeking inspiration is that its ideas tend to be more under- than over-developed; I have only touched on a few of them here. One notable omission is the comparison of legislatures to investment banks that must select which public enterprises to support (pp. 110–13), an idea begging for substantial empirical investigation. Perhaps the greatest compliment that can be paid to a scholarly project is that it contributes to the work of future scholars. Wagner’s book certainly has the potential to make many such contributions.
