Economists and the state: An Austrian critique of public finance economics
Abstract
This thesis critiques public finance economics from an Austrian school perspective. The critique employs property rights and Austrian method and economic theory; Chapter I provides a brief discussion of Austrian method. This is an important chapter because most of the criticisms offered in this paper spring from the Austrian school's unique method; Chapter II explains the property theory that will be used throughout this paper. This chapter argues for an uncompromising property rights theory that views the state as a criminal aggressor; Chapter III examines the foundations of public finance and subjects them to Austrian analysis. In some instances these theories will be critiqued to the point that they are no longer of use to the analysis in Chapter IV. In others, an improved Austrian version will be provided; Chapter IV looks at specific theories within public finance and explains how they fall short of value-free Austrian economics.