Public Goods and Economy in the Early Modern Era—New Perspectives on Modern Economies and Contemporary Environmental Concerns
Affiliation: University of California, Los Angeles, US
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Chapter from the book: Tanimoto M. & Wong R. 2019. Public Goods Provision in the Early Modern Economy: Comparative Perspectives from Japan, China, and Europe.
This concluding chapter, by R. Bin Wong, develops a perspective on the development of modern public finance and public goods examined in this book that is different from the “fiscal state” model drawn from European experiences. It further notes that the relationship between the economy and environment during the modern industrial era included environmental exploitation with little sense of constraint. Public goods were largely limited to those provided by the government. In the early modern and contemporary eras, the concerns regarding the economy and the environment, including the subject areas of this volume, demonstrate the relevance of the early modern era to today’s challenges.