There is no magic formula for balancing fiscal policy and economic performance. As a scholar and policy advisor, Vito Tanzi has made a major contribution to identifying links between public finance and macro- and microeconomic consequences. His findings bear relevance in both developing and industrialized economies. The essays in this volume and its companion, Fiscal Policy and Economic Reform, highlight many of these interconnected issues, including the interaction between budgetary policy and economic aggregates, such as employment, inflation and growth; the implication of economic linkages for designing fiscal policies; expenditure policies and alternative deficit financing strategies; and the trade-offs between macro- and microeconomic objectives. The list of contributors includes Max Corden, John Makin, Ronald McKinnon and Richard Musgrave.