How wealth is measured and why it matters for tax policy.
This volume examines the methods researchers use to estimate a nation’s wealth, and what those choices mean for real-world decisions.
Through careful analysis of direct valuation, inventory methods, and the multiplier debate, the book compares French and English approaches and why figures can diverge. It explores the gap between personal returns and total national wealth, with implications for capital levy and public finance.
- Explanations of key valuation concepts, including land, buildings, and movable wealth.
- Discussion of inventory methods versus capitalized profits as a way to measure national wealth.
- Insights into postwar economic context and how tax ideas depend on measurement.
- Historical comparisons that illuminate the challenges of estimating large, complex economies.
Ideal for readers of economic history and statistics who want a clear view of how wealth is counted and why it matters.