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Public finance in the era of the COVID-19 crisis

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  • David R. Agrawal

    (University of Kentucky)

  • Aline Bütikofer

    (Norwegian School of Economics)

Abstract

The COVID-19 crisis poses new policy challenges and has spurred new research agendas in public economics. In this article, we selectively reflect on how the field of public economics has been shaped by the COVID-19 pandemic and discuss several areas where more research is necessary. We highlight major changes and inequalities in the labor market and K-12 education, in addition to discussing how technological change creates new challenges for the taxation of income and consumption. We discuss various policy responses to these challenges and the role of fiscal federalism in the context of worldwide crises. Finally, we summarize the key issues discussed at the 2021 International Institute of Public Finance Congress and the papers published in this special issue.

Suggested Citation

  • David R. Agrawal & Aline Bütikofer, 2022. "Public finance in the era of the COVID-19 crisis," International Tax and Public Finance, Springer;International Institute of Public Finance, vol. 29(6), pages 1349-1372, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:itaxpf:v:29:y:2022:i:6:d:10.1007_s10797-022-09769-3
    DOI: 10.1007/s10797-022-09769-3
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    Cited by:

    1. Alfred Greiner & Benjamin Owusu, 2023. "Effects of the vaccination against SARS-CoV-2 on infections and on hospitalizations in European countries," SN Business & Economics, Springer, vol. 3(3), pages 1-15, March.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Public economics; Labor economics; Education; Tax; Expenditure; COVID-19; Inequality; Fiscal federalism;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • H0 - Public Economics - - General
    • J0 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - General

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