The 19 articles in this volume include George Zodrow's most important contributions to the theory and practice of taxation. They are organized into five general areas: (1) Optimal tax reform, or an analysis of the best ways to implement tax reforms taking into account transitional problems; (2) Consumption-based taxes, including the economic effects of replacing the current income tax with a progressive consumption tax; (3) Income tax reform in the United States and in developing countries; (4) State and local tax policy, including especially the effects of the local property tax; and (5) Tax competition, using models that are applicable at both the state/local and international levels.
In the words of Peter Mieszkowski, Professor Emeritus of Rice University and one of the world's foremost public finance scholars, "This volume of important papers is a capstone to George Zodrow's distinguished research career. What they reveal is a thinker who works repeatedly on the analysis of practical and concrete applications. The motivating force behind these articles is the conviction that for government to tax appropriately, systems of taxation must be profoundly understood. This volume is a giant step in that direction."