Students, researchers, and public sector officials will find that this comprehensive survey of public finance both reviews traditional fiscal policy theories and searches for solutions to contemporary problems by relating theory to practice. The author analyzes the place the public sector can and should have in market economies and its influence on the private sector. Issues in public sector finance as they affect overall economic policies to correct undesirable trends. Governments are troubled by budget deficits, inflation, and unemployment, and international transactions grow rapidly under flexible exchange rates. The author contends that proper policies of public finance have a significant effect on economic stability, employment, and the public welfare. Contemporary Public Finance looks at the size of the public sector compared to the private sector as it relates to issues of maximum economic efficiency and social welfare. Consideration is given to the types of government expenditures and taxes that are chosen to achieve stable prices and high employment levels. The economic impact of public sector activities within a democratic framework provides an important context for considering public finance. The relationship of domestic fiscal policy to international finance completes the study. Public finance looms ever larger as fiscal management and related issues become more and more complex. Contemporary Public Finance is an important contribution to the literature on this subject.