WAGNER’S LAW: AN INTRODUCTION TO AND A TRANSLATION OF THE LAST VERSION OF ADOLPH WAGNER’S TEXT OF 1911
Abstract
There exists a large number of articles and books dealing with the so-called Wagner’s Law; many of them have been published in Public Finance/Finances Publiques. Adolph Wagner (1835-1917), one of the leading German economists of the second half of the 19th century, developed his «Law on the expansion of public, in particular State activities» during a long period of more than fifty years. The latest version published by him is the one of 1911 where the «Law» is to be found in the fourth section of a larger article devoted to the economic functions of the State and the public sector. Given that this text seems not to be available in an English translation, but that his proposition in an often very simplified form still stimulates discussion, it seems to be useful to publish an English translation of it.
References
Andel, Norbert (1998), Finanzwissenschoft, 4th ed Tubingen,
Lexis (1911), «Kathedersozialismus», in: Ludwig Elster (ed.) Wörterbuch der Volkswortschaft, 3rd completely revised ed., Jena.
Musgrave, Richard A, and Peacock, Alan T. (eds.) (1958), Classics in the Theory of Public Finance, International Economic Association, London/New York.
Wagner, Adolph, Die Ordnung des österreichischen Staatshoushaltes mit besonderer Rücksicht auf den Ausgabe-Etat und die Staatsschuld, Wien 1863
Wagner, Adolph (1881), Finanzwissenschaft, part I, 3rd ed., Leipzig.
Wagner, Adolph (1890), Finanzwissenschaft, part II, 2nd rev. ed., Leipzig.
Wagner, Adolph (1893), Grundlegung der politischen Ökonomie, Erster Teil, Grundlagen der Volkswirt schaft, 3rd ed.. Leipzig.
Wagner, Adolph (1911), «Der Staat in nationalökonomischer Hinsicht» (section 4 translated here as «Economic Functions of the State»), in J. Conrad et al. (eds.), Handwörterbuch der Staatswissenschaften, 3rd completely rev. ed., vol. 7, Jena, pp 734-36.
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