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Normative and positive theories of public finance: contrasting Musgrave and Buchanan

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  • Maxime Desmarais-Tremblay

Abstract

This paper assesses James M. Buchanan's claim of following a positive approach in stark contrast to the normative approach to public finance of Richard A. Musgrave. The goal of this paper is to shed light on the foundations of modern American public finance by analysing one aspect of the methodology of its two most prominent fathers. I show (1) that it is difficult to distinguish Musgrave's and Buchanan's theories of public goods along the positive/normative dividing line and (2) that Buchanan's theory can also be considered normative. In the first three parts, I follow the Weberian methodological tradition in looking for value judgements in the theories, and by reflecting on the nature of ideal types. In the last part, I propose a broader interpretation of Buchanan's methodological stance within the academic context of the 1960s.

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  • Maxime Desmarais-Tremblay, 2014. "Normative and positive theories of public finance: contrasting Musgrave and Buchanan," Journal of Economic Methodology, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 21(3), pages 273-289, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:jecmet:v:21:y:2014:i:3:p:273-289
    DOI: 10.1080/1350178X.2014.939690
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    Cited by:

    1. Maxime Desmarais-Tremblay, 2014. "On the Definition of Public Goods. Assessing Richard A. Musgrave's contribution," Post-Print halshs-00951577, HAL.
    2. Maxime Desmarais-Tremblay, 2017. "Paternalism and the public household. On the domestic origins of public economics," Université Paris1 Panthéon-Sorbonne (Post-Print and Working Papers) halshs-01560189, HAL.
    3. Nsirimovu, Okwuwada, 2023. "Reflecting on the appetite for borrowing and the volatility of crude prices for rapid post-COVID economic recovery initiatives in Nigeria: Implications for Per capita income using a Dynamic ARDL simul," MPRA Paper 119532, University Library of Munich, Germany, revised 20 Dec 2023.

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