TRAINING FOR LEADERSHIP

Public economics

Seminars for Spanish academics and public sector managers. Madrid and Georgia State University

In recent years, Spain has undergone a process of reform of the role of the State as regards its intervention in the economy from a fiscal and financial point of view. These reforms had their own impetus, but were also reinforced by commitments to the European processes of liberalisation. All this has led to the Foundation being particularly interested in the knowledge and dissemination of the latest academic developments in this field.

On 25 April 2008, the Rafael del Pino Foundation, Georgia State University and the Instituto de Estudios Fiscales signed a collaboration agreement to organise the third seminar for academics and public sector managers on public sector economics.

The seminar took place at the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies, Georgia State University, in Atlanta (USA), from 6-11 July 2008.

The programme of the course, which was attended by 25 university lecturers, researchers and managers from the various Spanish public authorities connected with the subject matter, was as follows:

  • David Wildasin (University of Kentucky), Research in fiscal federalism issues;
  • Donald Kettl (University of Pennsylvania), New trends in fiscal management and budgeting;
  • David Sjoquist (Georgia State University), Research in Urban Economics and Local Finance;
  • Brian Erard (BE Associates and IRS Contractor), Quantitative Techniques in Public Economics;
  • Karl Scholz (University of Wisconsin), Evaluating Public Policies: The case of work-based safety network;
  • Alan Auerbach (University of California), Research in Capital Taxation Issues;
  • Andrés Rodríguez-Pose (London School of Economics), Research in regional development and economic convergence;
  • Bruce Seaman (Georgia State University), Research in Cultural Economics;
  • Jane Currie (Columbia University), Research in Gender Issues;
  • Jonathan Feinstein (Yale University), Modeling creative development with an application to research in tax compliance.

Subsequently, on 20 October 2008, a seminar was held at the Rafael del Pino Foundation. It was attended by 15 academics and professionals from the field of public economics. Its purpose was to go further into the issues and methodologies that were analysed at the course in Atlanta.

The course Directors were Professors Emilio Albi (Madrid Complutense University) and Jorge Martínez-Vázquez (Georgia State University). The coordinator was Professor Mercedes Sastre (Madrid Complutense University).