The book delves into the historical transfer of taxation ideas across countries from the mid-eighteenth century to today, highlighting the complexities involved. Contributors caution contemporary policymakers against seeking simple solutions from foreign models, emphasizing the nuanced understanding required in addressing current tax debates.
"The austerity policies that have been rolled out in many Western countries have brought all the pain of economic stagnation but hardly any of the promised benefits of debt reduction, renewed growth and prosperity. Nonetheless, support for such measures has remained strong among economists, politicians and substantial parts of the public. How can we explain this steadfastness in the face of economic failure? A way to make sense of this paradox is to place the current debates in the historical perspective and look at the deep and ancient roots for austerity ... Today the term austerity is often used to denote public spending cuts in general. This captures an important manifestation of austerity policies but it misses their main rationale. Austerity polices are proposed to restore balance in government finances and regain economic dynamism and competitiveness. The former objective is pursued mainly by cutting back on government expenditure that funds individual and collective forms of consumption ... The second objective, stimulating growth, is mainly sought by lowering the cost of labor, that is, reducing wages and hence individual consumption ... Austerity policies have many facets but ultimately they are about abstinence from consumption ... This small book is meant to be a guide to the historical roots of the arguments about austerity in the Western world. It does not offer a comprehensive discussion of the history of economic thought and the focus is only on Western traditions. This limitation reflects the geography of today's austerity policies, which are mostly applied and contested in the industrialized nations of Europe and North America. The main actors and arguments will be introduced along with as much information about their period as is necessary to fully understand what their concerns were. At the same time, we will read the contributions of these men and women -- mostly men, really -- and their arguments with the question in mind of how their views are linked to today's debates about austerity. The last chapter offers some suggestions of what we many learn from the masters of the past to guide us in our present predicament"--Introduction
The book presents a counter-narrative to the common belief that a repressive Prussian state hindered civil society's growth. It reveals a historical context where weak Hohenzollern monarchs and an ineffective Prussian bureaucracy faced robust, prosperous, and outspoken burghers, highlighting the dynamic interactions between these groups. This exploration offers a fresh perspective on the complexities of Prussian history and the role of its citizens in shaping society.
In Zeiten der Krise tritt – verlässlich, unvermeidlich, „alternativlos“ – die Politik der Sparsamkeit auf den Plan: Was könnte tugendhafter sein, als sündhafter Verschuldung mit Verzicht und Enthaltsamkeit zu begegnen? Auch heute steht Austerität wieder im Zentrum öffentlicher Debatten. Ihre Verfechter preisen sie als Fundament für künftiges Wachstum und die Rückkehr zur Stabilität. Ihre Kritiker warnen vor Abschwung und sozialer Ungerechtigkeit. Florian Schui betrachtet unsere heutige Diskussion im Kontext der jahrhundertealten Ideengeschichte der Austerität – einer Idee, die sich in der Wirtschaftspolitik hartnäckig hält, obwohl sie sich für die Bewältigung von Wirtschaftskrisen Mal um Mal als großer Fehler erwiesen hat. Der Wirtschaftshistoriker Florian Schui legt eine prägnante Analyse vor, die belegt: Ein enthaltsamer Staat mag zwar die Moral auf seiner Seite haben, nicht aber die wirtschaftliche Vernunft. Ein wichtiger Beitrag zu der Debatte, die Europa zu spalten droht.