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FISCAL SURVEYS AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT *
Author(s) -
Peacock Suphan Andic and Alan
Publication year - 1966
Publication title -
kyklos
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.766
H-Index - 58
eISSN - 1467-6435
pISSN - 0023-5962
DOI - 10.1111/j.1467-6435.1966.tb00844.x
Subject(s) - scrutiny , fiscal policy , economics , set (abstract data type) , embodied cognition , public economics , macroeconomics , economic statistics , political science , econometrics , artificial intelligence , computer science , law , programming language
SUMMARY The purpose of this paper is to offer an appraisal, in the light of the theory of economic policy, of some recent attempts to survey the fiscal systems of a number of SUPHAN ANDIC AND ALAN PEACOCK African and South American countries. The authors contend that any recommendations about the size and structure of the fiscal system must be clearly related to specific policy aims which are embodied in an economic model in which the variables and parameters are adapted to the economy in question. They also stress that recommendations concerning changes in the administrative structure depend on the type of model considered relevant to the particular circumstances of the economy under scrutiny. The various fiscal surveys are then examined, it being admitted from the out‐set that they have been conducted under difficulties (e.g. lack of statistics, sensitivity of the sponsors to criticisms of existing policies). Nevertheless, as the surveys rarely do more than list objectives without reference to orders of priority and are frequently vague about the type of economic models employed and the values of parameters, it is impossible to evaluate their policy recommendations.