Columbia. Public Finance Syllabus. Seligman circa 1923

A printed copy of the syllabus and list of readings for the one-year, two course sequence for public finance of Edwin R. A. Seligman can be found in the papers of Robert Murray Haig who succeeded Seligman in teaching this public finance course at Columbia  in 1931-32.  The latest date in the list of readings is 1923, so I date the syllabus to the 1923-24 academic year. I have merged the reading list with the syllabus so that the reading assignments are paired with the class session(s).

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Economics 101–Public Finance. 3 points Winter Session. Professor Seligman.
M. and W. at 1:10. 515 Kent.

General introduction and history of public finance. Different kinds of public revenues, including public domain and public property, public works or industrial undertakings, fees, and special assessments. General theories and principles of taxation, incidence of taxation, and newer social theories of taxation.

Economics 102–Public Finance. 3 points –Spring Session. Professor Seligman.
M. and W. at 1:10. 515 Kent.

Application of general principles to consideration of actual systems of taxation. Practical American problems of federal, state, and local taxation. Classes of public expenditure and fiscal principles which govern them. Public debt, methods of borrowing, redemption, etc. Fiscal organisation of state. Budgets, national,  state, and local.

Students who have not completed Economics 101 are admitted to Economics 102 only by special permission.

Source: Columbia University. Bulletin of Information, 23rd Series, No. 35 (June 2, 1923). History, Economics and Public Law: Courses Offered by the Faculty of Political Science. Announcement 1923-1924,  p. 20.

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Columbia University
In the City of New York
ECONOMICS 101-102

OUTLINE OF LECTURES
ON
PUBLIC FINANCE

By Edwin R. A. Seligman

ECONOMICS 101

Part I
Introduction

1. Finance and the Science of Finance. Public Finance and Fiscal Science.
2. Relation to Economics. Content and Method.

Shirras, ch. i; Lutz, ch. i; Bastable, introduction, ch. i; Dalton, ch. i.

3. Growth of Public Finance.

Bullock, ch. iii; Lutz, ch. ii.

4. History and literature of Fiscal Science

Bullock, ch. i; Bastable, ch. ii; Shirras, ch. ii.

5. The general theory of Public Finance.

Adams, introduction; Dalton, chs. ii, iii; Peck, ch. ii.

Part II
Public Revenues

6. Historical development of public revenues.
7.      The ancient world: Greece, Rome.
8.      The middle ages: feudal income.
9.      The absolute monarchy: England, the Continent.
10.      The modern state.

Seligman I, ch. i.

11. Classification of public revenues.

Seligman I, ch. xiv; Adams, part II, preliminary chapter; Shirras, ch. xiii; Lutz, ch. ix; Bastable, book II, ch. i; Plehn, part II, ch. i; Dalton, ch. iv.

Book I
Quasi-public Revenues

12.    I. Prices.

   Bastable, book II, ch. ii.

13.           Public domain.

Lutz, ch. x; Bullock, ch. v; Davies, ch. iii.

14.                The public domain of the United States.

Adams, part II, book I, ch. i; Hibbard, chs. iv-vi, x, xv.

15.           Public property; funds and investments.

Bastable, book II, ch. v; Dalton, ch. xiv.

16.           Public industry: business enterprise.

Shirras, ch. xxx; Bastable, book II, ch. iii.

17.                Fiscal monopolies.

Adams, part II, book i, ch. ii; Madsden, ch. ii.

18.                Social monopolies: commercial undertakings.

Lutz, ch. xi; Davies, chs. vii, x, xiii.

19.                     Coinage, credit and insurance.
20.                     Post office, telegraph and telephone.
21.                     Markets, docks and harbors.

Bullock, ch. vi; Smith, chs. i-iii, viii;
Barker, ch. xvi.

22.                     Roads, canals and railways.

Dixon, chs. ix-xiv; Barker, chs. x-xii.

23.                     Municipal monopolies; water, light and power.

Lutz, ch. xii; Watkins, passim; Barker, chs. i-ix, xiii-xv.

24.                Public prisons and workshops.

Bastable, book II, ch. iv.

25.    II. Fees: history, classification, description, criticism.

Bullock, ch. vii; Urdahl, part I, chs. i, ix, x; part II, chs. vi and viii; Lutz, ch. xiii.

26.    III. Special assessments: history, theory, purposes, methods, extent, criticism.

Rosewater, chs. i, ii and v.

Book II
Taxation—General

27. Definitions and terminology.

Lutz, ch. xiv; Bastable, book III, ch. i.

28. Classification of taxes.

Adams, part II, book II, ch. i; Dalton, ch. v.

29. Historical development of taxation.

Plehn, part II, ch. iv.

30.           Ancient taxation.

Seligman I, pp. 34-37.

31.           Mediaeval taxation.

Kennedy, chs. ii-iv; Seligman I, pp. 38-56.

32.           Modern taxation.

Plehn, ch. v.

33.           Local taxation.

Cannan, chs. i-iv.

34. Essentials of taxation.

Lutz, ch. xv; Bastable, book III, ch. ii.

35.           Reason of taxation.

Weston, ch. iii

36.           Function of taxation.

Stamp, ch. vi; Bullock, ch. ix.

37.           Nature of taxation.

Seligman I, ch. x; Jones, ch. i.

38.           Limits of taxation.

Adams, ch. i.

39.           Source of taxation.

Bullock, ch. viii.

40. Incidence of taxation.

Seligman II, introduction; Bastable, book III, ch. v; Plehn, part II, ch. x.

41.           Theories of incidence.

Seligman II, part I; Dalton, ch. vii; Hobson, ch. iii;
Brown, chs. iii, v; Shirras, ch. xviii; Lutz, ch. xvii.

42.           General principles.

Conference I, pp. 424-433; Seligman II, part II, ch. i.

43.           Application to separate taxes.

Seligman II, part II, chs. ii-viii; Seligman III, ch. ii [iii?]; Brown, chs. vii-x; Shirras, ch. xix.

44. Influence and effects of taxation.

Seligman III, ch. iii; Stamp I, ch. v; Stamp II, ch. iv; Bullock, ch. viii; Dalton, chs. x-xii.

45. Canons and principles of taxation.

Bastable, book iii, ch. vi; Jones, ch. iii; Stamp I, ch. i.

46.           Secondary canons.

Jones, ch. iv; Stamp I, ch. iv.

47.           Primary canons.

Plehn, part II, ch. iii; Bullock, ch. ix.

48.    I. Uniformity and equality of taxation.

Bastable, book III, ch. iii; Weston, chs. v-vi; Robinson, ch. ii.

49.           Basis of taxation.

Hobson, part I, chs. i, ii; Dalton I, part II, ch. ix.

50.           Norm of taxation.

Seligman IV, introduction; Robinson, ch. iv.

51.           Graduation of taxation.

Seligman III, introduction; Adams, part II,
book ii, ch. ii; Stamp I, ch. ii.

52.                History of progressive taxation.
53.                Facts of progressive taxation.

Seligman III, part i.

54.                Theory of progressive taxation.

Seligman III, part ii, chs. i-iv; Weston, ch. vii.

55.           Differentiation of taxation.

Seligman IV, pp. 22-25; Weston, ch. vii; Stamp I, pp. 83-91.

56.    II. Universality of taxation.
57.           Exemptions.

Seligman IV, pp. 25-29; Conference, xii, p. 477.

58.           Double taxation.
59.                 By the same jurisdiction.

Seligman I, ch. iv.

60.                 By competing jurisdictions.

Conference, ii, p. 547; iv, p. 261; ix, p. 358.

61. The tax system. Single versus plural taxation.

Bastable, book III, ch. iv.

62.           The single tax.

Seligman I, ch. iii; Hunter, ch. xvi.

63. Tax administrations. Tax commissions.

Seligman I, chs. xiii, xix-xxi; Lutz, passim.

 

Book III
Taxation—Special

Part I.—Direct Taxes: Taxes on Wealth.

64. Impersonal taxes.

Bastable, book IV, ch. i.

65.    I. Tax on real estate.

Bullock, ch. xiv.

66.           Land tax. Taxation of forests and mines.

Conference, v, p. 345, iv, p. 313; vi, p. 371; vii, 387; viii, 338; xiii, p. 405; xiv, p. 36; xv, p. 127; Young, chs. i, v-vi and ix; King, chs. i-iv.

67.                Unearned increment and land-value taxes.

Sheftel, chs. i, vii-x; Seligman I, ch. xvii; New York Report, pp. 100-120; Bullock, ch. xix.

68.                House tax.

Haig I, pp. 262-280; New York Report, pp. 7-60, 85-99.

69.    II. Tax on personal property.

Conference, xi, pp. 118, 218.

70.           Tax on tangibles.

Hunter, ch. xi.

71.           Tax on intangibles.

Conference, viii, p. 207; Wells, chs. xviii-xix; Hunter, ch. xii.

72.    III. Business tax.

Bastable, book iv, ch. ii; Conference, i, p. 442; xl, p. 185.

73.           License tax.

Bullock, ch. xvi; Conference, ii, p. 273; Hunger, ch. x.

74.           Corporation tax.

Seligman I, chs. vi-viii; Conference, v, p. 139; vii, p. 372; Bullock, ch. xvii.

75.           Excess-profits and other business taxes.

Haig II, summaries.

76. Personal taxes.
77.           Poll tax.

Bastable, book iv, ch. iii; Bullock, ch. 4.

78.           Expenditure tax. Luxury tax.

Seligman I, ch. ii; Conference, iv, p. 299.

79.           General property tax.

Pethick-Lawrence, passim; Soward, ch. xi; Allen, ch. viii; Pigou, part IV, ch. xi; Dalton II.

80.                     The capital levy. Capital increment tax.

Seligman IV, part ii; Conference, vi, p. 321; ix, p. 279; x, pp. 126, 279; Haig III, pp. 1-20; Bullock, ch. xii; Comstock, chs. i, xi.

81.           Income tax.

Seligman I, ch. v; Bullock, ch. xviii; Hunter, ch. xiv.

82. Mixed taxes. Inheritance tax.

Conference, iv, p. 279; Soward, chs. viii, xiii.

Part II.—Indirect Taxes: Taxes on Exchange and Consumption.

83. General considerations.

Bastable, book IV, ch. vi; Robinson, ch. iii; Pigou, part IV, ch. v.

84. Taxes on commodities.

Bullock, ch. xxi; Plehn, part II, ch. vi; Smith, chs. viii, ix.

85.           Customs duties.

Bastable, book IV, ch. vii; Plehn, part II, ch. vii.

86. Stamp taxes.

Bullock, ch. xxi.

87. Taxes on transactions.

Smith, ch. vi.

88.      Sales tax. Luxury tax.

Industrial Conference Board, ch. iv; Seligman VI, passim.

89. Taxes on transportation and communication.

Bastable, book IV, ch. viii.

Part III.—Local Taxation.

90. English system.

Grice, chs. ii, iii; Cannan, ch. vi; Webb, chs. i-iii; Robinson, ch. vii.

91. Continental systems.

Grice, chs. viii, xi, xv-xviii.

92. American system.
93. Relation of local, state and federal finance.

Seligman I, chs. xii, xxi.

94. Local option and separation.

Seligman I, ch. xi; Conference, v, p. 271; ix, p. 42.

95. Selection of local revenues.
96. General conclusion.

Bullock, ch. xiii; Adams I, part II, ch. vi; Seligman I, [no chs. listed]

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ECONOMICS 102

Part III
Public Expenditures

97. General considerations.

Lutz, ch. iii; Shirras, ch. iii; Bastable, book i, ch. i; Bullock, chs. ii, iii; Adams, part i, book i.

98. History.

Lutz, ch. v; Dalton, ch. xvi.

99. Principles

Lutz, ch. vii; Shirras, ch. iv.

100. Classification.

Lutz, ch. iv; Shirras, ch. v.

101.           A. General governmental expenditures.

Bastable, book i, ch. vi.

102.           B. Protective expenditures.

Shirras, ch. vi; Bastable, book i, ch. ii.

103.           C. Judicial and reformatory expenditures.

Bastable, book i, ch. iii.

104.           D. Educational and charitable expenditures.

Shirras, ch. viii; Bastable, book i, ch. v.

105.           E. Health and recreation expenditures.

Shirras, ch. vii; Bastable, book i, ch. iv.

106.           F. Commerce and industry expenditures.

Shirras, ch. ix.

107.           G. Public debt expenditures.

See Part IV.

108. Conclusion

Lutz, ch. viii; Shirras, ch. xii; Bastable, book i, ch. viii; Dalton, chs. xviii-xx; Rosa, passim.

Part IV
Public Credit

109. General considerations

Bastable, book v, ch. ii; Dalton, part iii, ch. xxi; Lutz, ch. xxiv; Shirras, ch. xxxiii.

110. History of public credit.
111. War chests and reserves.

Bastable, book i, ch. iii, iv; Shirras, ch. xxxv-xxxvi.

112. Theories of public credit.

Bullock, ch. xxii; Bastable, book v, ch. v.

113. Influence of public indebtedness.

Bullock, ch. xxiii; Adams, book iii, ch. i; Dalton, ch. xxii; Pigou, part iv, ch. viii.

114. Debts versus Peace and war finance.

Seligman, ch. xxiii; Adams II, part ii, ch. i; Allen, ch. vi; Robinson, ch. viii; Hunter, ch. xix; Pigou, part iv, chs. viii and ix.

115. Classification of public debts.
116.           A. Compulsory, patriotic and voluntary loans.
117.           B. Funded and floating debts.
118.           C. Bonds and annuities.
119.           D. Temporary and perpetual debts.
120.           E. Premium and discount bonds.

Bastable, book V, ch. vi; Adams II, part ii, ch. ii; Hollander, passim; Hunter, ch. xvi; Lutz, ch. xxvi.

121. Contraction of public debts. Methods of emission.

Adams II, part ii, ch. iii.

122. Conversion of public debts. Refunding.

Bastable, book v, ch. vii; Lutz, ch. xxvii.

123. Redemption and payment of public debts.

Adams II, part ii, ch. iv; Bullock, chs. xxiv-xxv; Dalton, ch. xxiii; Shirras, ch. xxxviii.

124. Government paper money.

Seligman V, passim.

125. Local indebtedness.
126.      State debts.
127.      Municipal debts.

Bastable, book v, ch. vii; Bullock, ch. xxvi.

 

Part V
The Budget

128. History of the budget.

Stourm, introduction; Bastable, book vi, ch. i.

129. Comparison of European and American budgets.

Adams I, book ii, ch. i; Ford, chs. ii, iv, viii.

130. Preparation, form and composition of the budget.

Stourm, part i; Higgs, ch. i; Adams, book ii, ch. ii; Bastable, book vi, ch. ii; Buck, chs. vi-viii; Shirras, ch. xxxviii.

131. Presentation, discussion and vote of the budget.

Stourm, part ii; Higgs, ch. iii, iv; Adams, book ii, ch. iii; Bastable, book vi, ch. iii; Shirras, ch. xxxvix.

132. Execution of the budget.

Stourm, part iii; Higgs, ch. v,vi; Adams, book ii, ch. iv; Buck, chs. xi-xii; Lutz, ch. xxx; Shirras, ch. xl.

133. Control of the budget.
134.      Administrative control.
135.      Judicial control.
136.      Legislative control.

Stourm, part iv; Adams, book ii, chs. iv, v.

137.      Conclusion.

Higgs II, passim.

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REFERENCES

Allen, J. E.—The War Debt. 1919.

Adams I, Adams, H. C.—The Science of Finance. 1898.

Adams II, Adams, H. C.—Public Debts. 1887.

Bastable, C. F.—Public Finance. 3d ed., 1903.

Buck, A. E.—Budget Making. 1921.

Bullock, C.—Selected Readings in Public Finance 2d ed., 1920.

Cannan, E.—History of Local Rates in England. 2d ed., 1912.

Comstock, A.—State Taxation of Personal Incomes. Columbia Studies, no. 223. 1921.

Conference—Proceedings of the Conference of the National Tax Association, vols. i-xv, 1907-1923.

Daniels, W. M.—The Elements of Public Finance. 1889.

Dalton I, Dalton, H.—Principles of Public Finance. 1923.

Dalton II, Dalton, H.—The Capital Levy Explained. 1923.

Ford, H. J.—The Cost of our National Government. 1910.

Grice, J. W.—National and Local Finance. 1910.

Haig I, Haig, R. M.—The Exemption of Improvements from Taxation. 1915.

Haig II, Haig, R. M.—The Taxation of Excess Profits in Great Britain. 1920.

Haig III, Haig, R. M.—The Federal Income Tax. Columbia Lectures, ed. by Haig, 1921.

Higgs, H.—The Financial System of the United Kingdom. 1914.

Hobson, J. A. Taxation in the New State. 1919.

Hollander, J. H.—War Borrowing. 1919.

Hunter, M. H.—Outlines of Public Finance. 1921.

Industrial Conference Board—Report of the Tax Committee of the National Industrial Conference Board, no. 18. 1920.

Jones, R.—The Nature and First Principles of Taxation. 1914.

Kennedy—English Taxation, 1640-1799. 1913.

King, W. I.—The Valuation of Urban Realty for Taxation. 1914. (University of Wisconsin Series.)

Lutz, H. L.—State Tax Commissions. 1918.

New York Report—Final Report of the committee on Taxation of the City of New York, 1916.

Pethick-Lawrence, F. W.—A Levy on Capital. 1918.

Pigou, A. C.—Economics of Warfare. 1920.

Plehn, C. C.—Introduction to Public Fiance. 4^th ed., 1920.

Robinson, M. E.—Public Finance. 1922.

Rosa, E.-B.—Expenditures and Revenues of the Federal Government. In Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science. Vol. XCV. May, 1921.

Seligman I—Essays in Taxation. 9^th ed., 1921.

Seligman II—The Shifting and Incidence of Taxation. 4^th ed., 1921.

Seligman III—Progressive Taxation. 2d ed., 1908.

Seligman IV—The Income Tax. 2d ed., 1914.

Seligman V—Currency Inflation and Public Debts. 1921.

Secrist, H.—An Economic Analysis of the Constitutional Restrictions upon Public Indebtedness in the U. S. (University of Wisconsin Series.)

Sheftel, Y.—The Taxation of Land Values. 1916.

Smith, H. F.—The United States Federal Internal Tax History. 1914.

Soward, A. W., and Willan, W. E.—The Taxation of Capital. 1919.

Stamp I, Stamp, Sir Josiah—The Fundamental Principles of Taxation. 1921.

Stamp II, Stamp, Sir Josiah—Wealth and Taxable Capacity. 1922.

Stourm, R.—The Budget, American Translation, 1917.

Webb, S.—Grants in Aid., New ed., 1920.

Wells, D. A.—The Theory and Practice of Taxation. 1900.

Weston, S. F.—Principles of Justice in Taxation. Columbia Studies, vol. xviii, 1903.

Young, L. E.—Mine Taxation in the United States. University of Illinois Studies, 1916.

Seligman—Studies in Public Finance [last item typed addition]

 

 

Source: Columbia University Libraries, Manuscript Collections. Robert M. Haig Papers. Box 15 Lecture Notes (3). Folder “Bibliography”.

Image Source: National Civic Federation Review (1905), p. 229.