Editor's Introduction

Abstract

Many federations are undergoing serious debate about the design of federal fiscal relations and institutions. This symposium provides a comparative perspective on important issues in the field of fiscal federalism that are in the forefront of discussions by economists and policy makers. in the symposium papers that follow, experts in the field of fiscal federalism from Australia, Canada, Germany, Switzerland, and the United States provide their perspective on issues ranging from equalization schemes to secession rights.